Tests for Adrenal Exhaustion

Adrenal exhaustion is a diagnosis given to patients by holistic or alternative health care practitioners. More often than not it is women who receive this particular diagnosis from these types of health care providers.
In order to get a diagnosis of adrenal exhaustion, a patient needs to undergo testing over the course of a particular day. There are two types of tests used as part of the process of diagnosing adrenal exhaustion: saliva tests and blood tests.

Definition

• Adrenal exhaustion (commonly referred to as adrenal fatigue) is considered by practitioners of alternative medicine as a depletion of normally existing cortisol levels in a person's body. These holistic practitioners consider this to be caused by prolonged stress that ultimately overwhelms the body's ability to respond to stress.
  Within the more traditional or Western medical community, adrenal exhaustion is not considered an appropriate or acceptable medical diagnosis.

Symptoms

• In order for a person to choose taking the test for adrenal exhaustion, understanding the symptoms of the condition is useful and appropriate. According to holistic practitioners, the low cortisol levels that are the result of adrenal exhaustion of fatigue include significant fatigue, anxiety, depression, unexplained weight loss, body aches and unexplained loss of body hair. Symptoms of adrenal exhaustion also include problems making decisions and concentrating.

Saliva Test

• The most commonly used test for adrenal exhaustion used by practitioners of alternative medicine is a saliva test. The saliva test is noninvasive and simple to undertake. A practitioner will take swab samples several times during the day to examine cortisol levels at these different junctures. Typically, a holistic practitioner will take and examine saliva samples four times during the day.
  Test results can be obtained nearly immediately. If a determination is made that a patient is afflicted with low cortisol levels, a holistic practitioner is in a position to recommend a course of treatment.

Blood test

• Cortisol levels can also be analyzed through blood tests. A blood test for adrenal exhaustion is undertaken in a manner similar to the saliva test. Blood is extracted from a patient several times throughout a day. Blood is drawn four separate times to gauge the levels of cortisol.
  A blood test is not the examination favored by holistic practitioners because it is more invasive. Some holistic practitioners contend that a blood test will not be accurate if a patient has any apprehension about blood being drawn. Most individuals do experience at least some anxiety when facing a blood draw. Consequently, a typical holistic practitioner will prefer the saliva test when working to determine whether an individual is suffering from adrenal exhaustion.

Warning

• As noted, at this time adrenal exhaustion is not an accepted medical diagnosis among traditional health care providers. The Mayo Clinic cautions the public against accepting this diagnosis from alternative health care practitioners. According to the Mayo Clinic, having undiagnosed, chronic symptoms is a frustrating, frightening and emotionally draining experience. However, the clinic cautions that undertaking treatment for adrenal fatigue might leave a patient feeling sicker and can prevent a proper diagnosis of the underlying condition.