Chronic Fatigue and Insomnia
The video above sums up the common problem of adrenal exhaustion due to chronic stress and the problems of chronic fatigue, insomina, and depression that can result.
As the video states, this is an extremely common problem, but not one that is routinely tested for or treated by conventional medicine.
There are various ways to test for adrenal exhaustion, including a couple of tests you can do yourself. One sign of adrenal exhaustion is when the pupils of the eyes are unable to hold a steady contraction when exposed to light. When you shine a flashlight at your eye, the pupil should constrict and remain constricted. With adrenal exhaustion, the pupil will constrict for a moment, and then alternately constrict and partially dialate, so the size of the pupil will not stay constant.
Another sign of adrenal exhaustion is when your blood pressure and heart rate fails to increase (or may even decrease) when you first stand up from a sitting position. People often notice this symptomatically as feeling faint or lightheaded when they stand up “too quickly”.
In the clinical setting, there are other tests that can be used to evaluate adrenal function. For example, salivary testing for the adrenal hormone called cortisol can give an indication as to the presence and severity of adrenal exhaustion.
Treatment of adrenal exhaustion typically requires a combination of nutritional support for the adrenal glands (in my pratice I usually use a product called DSF Formula by NutriWest), low intensity exercise (such as walking, slow swimming, bicycling, etc.), and allowing adequate time for sleep (at least 7 hours per night is advisable). Moderating stress through things like yoga, meditation, massage, chiropractic, and any other method that is helpful for the individual is extremely important as well.
Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more tips on chronic fatigue.