Adrenal Fatigue in Women and Natural Remedies

The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and produce various hormones that regulate responses to stress and balance fluid and electrolytes in the body. If your adrenal glands are not functioning properly, numerous symptoms can occur, including fatigue, a craving for salt and muscle weakness. Women may be more susceptible to adrenal fatigue as the pressures to work and care for family can lead to ongoing stress.

Causes

• A slight drop in hormone production may be referred to as "adrenal fatigue," but this term is not a medical diagnosis. Adrenal insufficiency, or Addison's disease, can be diagnosed with a simple blood test administered by a doctor that will detect any significant drop in the hormones produced by these important glands. Consult a medical professional for testing and to eliminate more-serious conditions, such as fibromyalgia or depression, that exhibit similar symptoms.

  Addison's disease can be caused by a malfunction in the autoimmune system that allows the body to destroy the healthy cells of the adrenal glands. This is a very slow process and may take years to become severe enough to diagnose clinically. Symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss and muscle weakness persist and become increasingly difficult to manage. Other causes such as tuberculosis and chronic infections also create slow damage to the adrenal glands. Women may not realize these symptoms are related to the adrenal glands and blame them on poor nutrition or hectic schedules.

Treatments

• Adrenal insufficiency is treated with medications to replace the hormones that are not being produced by the adrenal glands. Consider supplementing conventional treatment with natural treatments to combat symptoms. Natural treatments can also be used before a clinical diagnosis is given, but check with a medical professional before beginning any treatment plans.

  Take a combination of borago officinalis (borage), eleutherococcus senticosis (Siberian ginseng) and astragalus membranaceous (Huang Qi) to support the function of the adrenal glands. Use liquorice to enhance your mineralocorticoids, provided you have no history of hypertension as this herb does tend to elevate blood pressure when taken over time. Also consider adding several supplements---vitamins C and E, vitamin B-complex, niacin, pantothenic acid, and magnesium citrate---to your diet. Many multivitiamins are available commercially that include these essential nutrients in addition to others vital to a woman's overall health.

  Make lifestyle changes to reduce your stress levels. Try to sleep at least nine hours at night and rest after meals whenever possible. Engage in moderate exercise such as walking to help reduce stress and induce relaxation. Yoga, deep breathing exercises and massage can also reduce stress and improve your overall health. Finally, eat small meals more frequently to keep blood-sugar levels stable.

Tips

• Consult a medical professional before beginning any self-treatment with natural remedies. Some herbs interact poorly with each other or with medications. Monitor which remedies you take, when and in what quantity so that you can report your regimen to your doctor and make changes as necessary.