First things first…What & Where are the Adrenal Glands?
The adrenal glands are two almond sized glands situated on top of the kidneys. Their purpose is to help the body cope with stress, and they are responsible for the “fight or flight” response.  The most important hormone they produce is cortisol. When this is lowered, the body will be unable to deal with stress.  Adrenal fatigue occurs when the amount of stress overextends the capacity of the body to compensate and recover from stress.

What are the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue? 

• Weight gain
  
• Insomnia
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Morning lethargy
• Cravings for: sweets, carbs,& salt       
  
• Muscle pains or spasms
• Reduced sex drive                   
  
• Depression
• Light-headedness                    
  
• Anxiety or irritability
• Excessive fatigue or weakness            
  
• Headaches
• Inability to concentrate             
  
• Memory loss

 If you have three or more of these signs and symptoms, it is time you consider adrenal fatigue as a possible cause.

What causes Adrenal Fatigue?
Common causes of adrenal fatigue include:  work stress or overload, relationship problems, financial problems, illness, insufficient sleep, and poor dietary habits. You should always eat breakfast, and do it before 10am.    One of the most commonly overlooked causes of adrenal fatigue is chronic or severe infection that gives rise to an inflammatory response.

How do I test for Adrenal Fatigue?
The best way to test your adrenal health is to measure your level of free key adrenal hormone, Cortisol.  Saliva testing is preferred as it measures the amount of free and circulating hormones (usable by the body) instead of the bound hormone commonly measured in blood test.  Taking 4 samples of cortisol (at 8 am, noon, afternoon, and midnight) is the most accurate. With multiple samples taken throughout the day, we are able to map the daily diurnal curve of free cortisol in the body. This will give us a much clearer picture of adrenal function.

How do I fix/treat Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue can be reversed. You usually need to allow 6 months for the recovery process to take place. There are several important steps that include: stress reduction, adequate sleep, decreasing caffeine consumption, exercise, and nutritional supplementation with Adrenal glandular supplements.
Adrenal glands can be restored to optimum health naturally by adhering to healthy living principals and proper rest together with specific nutritional diets and removal of stressors.  All are key components to adrenal fatigue recovery. 

At Boerne Women’s Care we believe in restorative medicine.  This means that we treat the cause of your illness, not just the symptoms.  We use nutritional supplements, biologically identical hormone replacement, as well as traditional medicine, to restore your body to its optimum balance.  Please also note that despite our name, we treat both men and women.