Adrenal Gland Problems in Women

The adrenal glands have a very important purpose: They make it possible for us to deal with a crisis. When healthy, the adrenal glands release adrenaline in response to a crisis. We become focused and more alert as a result. Cortisol is also released in an emergency or crisis situation, according to Marcell Pick, OB/GYN, NP, of Womentowomen.com. Cortisol is often called the stress hormone. Cortisol converts protein into energy. Sugar that we have stored in our body, which is called glycogen, is also released. All of this provides us with the fuel that we need to deal with a crisis.

Fight or Flight

• In a crisis situation, our blood pressure rises, our heart beats rapidly and our respiratory rates increase. As this is happening, energy is released throughout our bodies. You've heard stories about women who have single-handedly lifted vehicles off of their children. It may be true because there is such an adrenaline surge that a person is capable of doing things that otherwise would have been inconceivable. When in crisis mode, our senses become sharp, our muscles tense and our digestion slows. This is called the fight-or-flight response. You're either going to have to stay and do something about the situation or get the heck out of Dodge. Once the crisis passes, the body returns to normal. Adrenaline levels quickly go back to normal; cortisol is slower to return to normal levels. In other words, it sticks around for awhile.

Adrenal Fatigue

• If a woman is constantly in crisis, over-burdened, stressed out, dealing with too much responsibility and at the end of her tether, she is going to be in consistent crisis mode and this is not good. When stress is not managed, the adrenal glands have to work very hard to sustain the high levels of cortisol. The primary role of the adrenal glands is to make estrogen. If the adrenals are too busy making cortisol, they can't produce estrogen, which women need. Cortisol, in essence, damages healthy tissues. Eventually, your adrenal glands are going to become exhausted, according to Womantowoman.com. This is referred to as adrenal fatigue. When that happens, a woman will have all kinds of symptoms including insomnia, fuzzy thinking, food cravings, depression, mood swings, fatigue, insomnia and weight gain.

Outcome

• According to Marcy Holmes, nurse practitioner at Womentowomen.com, many women present with symptoms of fatigue, weight gain and depression when they arrive at the doctor's office. After testing numerous patients' cortisol level, Holmes said it was found that only 10 to 15 percent of the patients had cortisol levels that were good. The remainder of them, 85 to 90 percent, had impaired adrenal gland function and some had complete adrenal depletion. When this occurs, bone and muscle loss can occur, skin problems can erupt, the immune system can be suppressed and auto-immune disorders can crop up.

Potential

• If a woman's cortisol levels stay high all of the time, her cells can't regenerate, her adrenals can't adequately produce estrogen and she may find that she isn't healing as quickly as she once did. If a woman has hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis or premature menopause, adrenal fatigue may be playing a part in these conditions.

Disagreement

• Dr. Todd Nippoldt of the Mayo Clinic points out that adrenal fatigue is not an accepted medical diagnosis. He explains that "adrenal insufficiency" means that the adrenals are not capable of producing adequate amount of hormones, which is caused by an underlying disease. Dr. Nippoldt says that the theory that adrenal fatigue is caused by the perpetual fight-or-flight response caused by today's fast paced world and chronic stress is unproven. He contends that unproven remedies for this condition may make an individual feel worse rather than better. The real cause for adrenal insufficiency, he maintains, may be fibromyalgia or depression, and those are the conditions that need to be addressed and treated.

What To Do?

• Treating adrenal fatigue includes getting more rest and managing your stress. Exercise helps. Eating a balanced diet and taking multi-vitamins on a regular basis can get your body back in balance. Holmes recommends getting essential fatty acids into your system, which can be obtained from fish oil. Avoiding or limiting stimulants and carbohydrates may help restore your adrenals to health. If the adrenals are completely done in, your physician may recommend a low dose of dehydropiandrosterone, or DHEA, which moderates the balance of a woman's hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone). If a woman has insufficient amounts of DHEA in her system, this can cause decreased sex drive, aching joints and impaired immune function as well as bone and muscle mass loss and fatigue. Discuss this option with your physician.