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ADRENAL HEALTH
What are the adrenals?
• Walnut-shaped glands that sit on top of each
kidney
• Secrete hormones that affect the
functions of every tissue, organ, and gland of the body and profoundly
influence the way you think and feel
• Enable
body to deal with stress from every possible source, and keep the
body’s reaction to stress in balance so they are appropriate and not
harmful
BASIC FUNCTIONS OF ADRENAL GLAND
BUFFER STRESS ON EVERY LEVEL
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTION
MINIMIZE
NEGATIVE AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS
DETERMINE HOW CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, AND
PROTEIN ARE CONVERTED INTO ENERGY, AND HOW FATS ARE STORED AND
DISTRIBUTED
MAINTAIN PROPER BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
MAINTAIN
PROPER CARDIOVASCULAR AND GI FUNCTION
MAJOR SOURCE OF SEX HORMONES
AFTER MIDLIFE
What is a stress? What is a stressor?
• Stress is the "wear and tear" our
bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it
has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or
negative feelings. But stress can be a positive influence
and can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness
and exciting new perspectives. As a negative influence, stressit can result
in feelings of negative emotions (such as distrust, rejection, anger, and
depression), and can lead to serious physical health problems.
• A “stressor” is anything that causes
a disruption in the body balance (“homeostasis”).
Stressors can be physical, emotional, psychological, environmental,
or of an infectious source.
Adrenal Hormones
1. Epinephrine (and
Norepinephrine) → generates quick energy in “fight or
flight” situations
2. Cortisol → blood sugar regulation, anti-inflammatory
actions, immune response modification; heart and blood vessel toning,
central nervous system stimulations, stress reaction normalization
3. Aldosterone→
regulation of sodium & potassium (blood pressure regulation)
Other
Hormones: DHEA, PREGNENALONE,
ESTROGENS, TESTOSTERONES, ANDROSTENIDIONE→ anti-oxidant,
tissue repair, sex hormones, balancer of cortisol, anti-aging functions
Common Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
• FATIGUE
•
NERVOUSNESS & IRRITABILIITY
• PREMENSTRUAL
TENSION
• SALT CRAVING
• MENTAL DEPRESSION
•
CRAVING FOR SWEETS
• ALLERGIES
• APPREHENSIONS
•
HEADACHE
• ALCOHOL INTOLERANCE
• WEAKNESS
• PAIN IN
NECK AND SHOULDERS
• INTERVALS OF CONFUSION
• POOR MEMORY
•
HEART PALPITATIONS
• STOMACH PROBLEMS
• BACKACHE
•
LIGHTHEADEDNESS
• CONSTIPATION OR DIARRHEA
• FAINTNESS OR FAINTING SPELLS
• INSOMNIA
•
DERMATITIS
Clinical Work-up For Adrenal Fatigue
Complete medical history:
your case is taken to establish the role adrenal ill-health may play
in relation to your complaints
Physical examination: conducted with emphasis on
examination of the eyes, orthostatic blood pressure readings, and other
signs and symptoms indicating poor adrenal function
Lab testing: this is usually a salivary
adrenal panel known as an Adrenal Stress Index Test, but can include other
adrenal tests such as serum cortisol, 24 hour urinary cortisol, cotrysin
stimulation test, serum ACTH, serum sodium and potassium tests, serum
epinephrine test, and others
Depending on the symptom picture,
other tests may be requested such as metabolic chemistries, thyroid
function tests, food allergy and food intolerance evaluations.
NOTE: MOST DOCTORS DO NOT EVALUATE PATIENTS FOR ADRENAL FATIGUE,
BUT ONLY THE END STAGE PROCESS OF ADRENAL FAILURE, THE CRITERIA MOST
PATIENTS WITH ADRENAL SYMPTOMS DO NOT MEET. MANY PATIENTS HAVE FUNCTIONAL SYMPTOMS
OF ADRENAL FATIGUE WHICH CAN BE DIAGNOSED AND TREATED EFFECTIVELY.
Treatment Of Adrenal Fatigue at Pearl Natural Health
1. Treatment is preceded by a complete work-up as outlined above
2. Diagnosis and staging of adrenal problem is established
3. Therapies are introduced depending on staging of adrenal
problem. Initial treatment may include:
• Life style education, stress counseling, or
appropriate referrals.
• Therapeutic diet that
provides adrenal nutrition and avoids food sensitivities and
intolerances
• Vitamin and mineral
supplementation for adrenal function
•
Botanical remedies indicated in each case depending on adrenal patterns
• Adrenal Extracts (adrenal glandulars)
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
-CORTISOL
-DHEA
-PROGESTERONE
-PREGNENALONE
-THYROID
-OTHER HORMONES
• Additional medicines, as indicated, toward
amelioration of related other conditions
•
Constitutional treatment (indicated homeopathic medicine or classical
Chinese Medical Treatment)
4. Patients follow
a treatment plan for an agreed-upon period of time. The goal is
to allow the adrenals to recover their normal function without
continued use of medicines. The amount of time required for adrenal
treatment varies from patient to patient. Treatment periods can range
from 2 months to 2 years. In rare cases, patients continue to
take natural medicines for their adrenals, long term.
Conservative Suggestions For Adrenal Fatigue
Address Life Style Factors:
Examine and change how you spend your energy, how you conserve your
energy, how you create your energy
•
separate the “good” from the “bad and the ugly”
• locate the energy robbers—people, work
& home, environment & food
•
change the stress inside—reframing, relaxation (exercise such as
belly breathing, slowing down breath, counting exhalations, progressive
relaxation, unstructured time, sleep, short daily rests, laughter,
exercise)
Address Diet:
• avoid “low blood sugar”
• understand when adrenals want to be fed:
before 10AM, early lunch, before noon, nutritious snack between 2-3PM early
evening meal, few bites before bed
• avoid all
food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies (extremely
important)
• eat a diet for adrenal health (see
next page)
BASIC
ADRENAL DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS (subject to individualization,
depending on specific health concerns, requirements, and medical
history)
HIGH QUALITY, ORGANIC FOOD, LOW IN REFINED
CARBOHYDRATES, HIGH IN VEGETABLES
10-30% WHOLE GRAINS (brown rice,
millet, barley, oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat)
30-40%
VEGETABLES (wide variety, about 50% should be eaten raw or
lightly cooked)
5-10% FRUITS
10-20% ANIMAL FOODS
10-25%
BEANS, SEEDS, NUTS (NOTE: INCREASE LEGUMES IF EATING NO ANIMAL FOOD)
GOOD QUALITY PROTEIN, COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, LOTS OF VEGETABLES,
ESPECIALLY BRIGHTLY COLORED ONES, GOOD FAT, MINIMAL FRUITS
ADEQUATE
SALT: Salt food to pleasant taste
AVOID WHITE FLOUR, REFINED
CARBS, HYDROGENATED AND PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS, DEEP FRIED FOODS, FAST
AND JUNK FOOD, COFFEE, ALCOHOL, RECREATIONAL DRUGS
Common Supplementation:
• VITAMIN C (Best with 1 mg bioflavinoid per 2 mg
ascorbate): 3000 mg per day, or more in many cases
• VITAMIN E (Caution for those on blood thinning
medications): 400-1200 IU per day
•
VITAMIN B COMPLEX
• VITAMIN B5 (Pantothenic
Acid): 1500 mg per day
• VITAMIN B6
(Pyridoxine): 50-100mg per day
•
NIACIN: 25-50 mg per day
• MAGESIUM
(citrate): 400 mg per day
• CALCIUM
• TRACE MINERALS (zinc, selenium, molybdenum,
chromium, copper, iodine)
• FIBER
• HERBS such as LICORICE ROOT, ASWAGANDHA ROOT,
PANAX GINSENG, SIBERIAN GINSENG, GINGER ROOT, GINKGO LEAF
Adrenal imbalance is often the missing piece in the treatment of many
health problems. Consider an adrenal assessment, and possible
treatment, with:
CHRONIC FATIGUE
UNSUCCESSFUL
TREATMENT OF A THYROID PROBLEM
CHRONIC ILLNESS UNRESPONSIVE TO
TREATMENT
CHRONIC ALLERGIES OR ALLERGIC DISEASE
CHRONIC
INFLAMMATIONS OR OTHER INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE
BLOOD SUGAR PROBLEMS
CHRONIC COLDS AND FLUS OR OTHER IMMUNE SYSTEM
PROBLEMS
PROBLEMATIC MENOPAUSE
OTHER HORMONAL PROBLEMS
For more information on adrenal problems, or the treatment of
adrenal fatigue, please call our office at 503-230-8973.
To
schedule and appointment, click here.
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