As humans, it is natural to get tired, especially after a busy day or activity. However, when you experience prolonged low energy, extreme tiredness, or bloated, then hormonal fatigue could be to blame. Since many medical conditions can cause fatigue, medics find it difficult to diagnose hormonal fatigue in the first place. In this post, we shall take an in-depth look at hormonal fatigue and what you should know about it. But first, let’s define hormonal fatigue.
What is Hormonal Fatigue?
Hormonal fatigue comes about when your adrenal glands start to function below the necessary levels. The fatigue is associated with intense stress, and you can suffer from chronic infections such as flu and bronchitis. You may not showcase any physical signs of hormonal fatigue; however, you may feel tired even after getting enough sleep.
The Theory Behind Hormonal Fatigue
When you’re stressed, the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, will respond to the stress you’re experiencing and release hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol. The hormones serve as a part of the “fight” response. Your heart rate and blood pressure may also increase in the process. For those with long-term stress, such as those caused by the death of someone close, the adrenal glands will experience burnout because of producing cortisol for prolonged periods. In that case, hormonal fatigue will set in. When the doctors perform a blood test, they can detect a decrease in adrenal production. Therefore, the most suitable treatment options include having a diet that is low in caffeine, sugar, or junk food.
Hormonal Fatigue a Myth?
Any scientific claims cannot back hormonal fatigue. The symptoms of adrenal fatigue can also apply to different ailments, including sleep apnea, depression, and hypothyroidism.
About Hormonal Insufficiency
Unlike hormonal fatigue, hormonal insufficiency is a condition that can be diagnosed. The condition comes in when you have too little body hormones. When you experience hormonal insufficiency, your body won’t get enough cortisol. This can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, chronic fatigue, weight loss, stomach pain, and muscle weakness. You may also experience low blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, depression, and diarrhea. When carrying out a blood test, the doctors will check your cortisol levels, and if they’re low, they’ll recommend hormone replacement.
Diagnosis of Hormonal Fatigue
Besides taking a blood sample, salivary cortisol testing is also possible to determine whether or not you have hormonal fatigue. Besides the saliva, doctors also use urine to measure the levels of cortisol. If the level is below normal, that can indicate the possibility of adrenaline fatigue.
Treatment
There are practitioners who’ll recommend that you should quit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine if you are a victim. They’ll also recommend having a healthy diet, sleeping better, and exercising more. Each of these changes will ensure you feel better. Different products can also help relieve the “symptoms” relating to hormonal fatigue, but the only issue is that they lack a scientific basis. The products come in the form of vitamins and supplements. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) doesn’t regulate the supplements, which means they have not been tested well for safety.
Also, there is no guarantee that the supplements will help end the hormonal fatigue you’re experiencing. When you ingest hormone supplements and aren’t suffering from any medical condition, you’re exposing yourself to a high level of risk. The adrenal glands can become more reliant on supplements. They can stop working, which means you’ll suffer from adrenal insufficiency, and the condition can become life-threatening. If your symptoms are worrying, seek professional advice from a medic.
The advice you receive will come in handy in addressing your situation. Also, remain vigilant for untrained practitioners as they’ll mess you up. If the symptoms you’re experiencing aren’t affecting your daily life activities, the doctor will try and determine the condition you’re suffering from based on the symptoms you have. For those experiencing symptoms relating to hormonal fatigue, feel free to reach out to us through 205-352-9141, and you’ll get the assistance you need.
