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How do you know if you may have adrenal fatigue? By Dr. Eccles

By: Dr. Nyjon Eccles / 10 Feb 2016 in Bioidentical Hormones

WRITTEN BY – DR NYJON ECCLES BSC MBBS MRCP PHD

Can you answer yes to one or more of the below?

Tired for no reason?
Having trouble getting up in the morning?
Need coffee, salty or sweet snacks to keep going?
Feeling run down and stressed?
Struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands?
Can’t bounce back from stress or illness?
Not having fun anymore?
Decreased sex drive?

If the answered is yes to one or more of these questions, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.

The Adrenal Stress Profile is a powerful and precise non-invasive salivary assay that evaluates bioactive levels of the body’s important stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA. This profile serves as a critical tool for uncovering biochemical imbalances underlying anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue,obesity, dysglycemia (blood sugar control problems), and a host of other clinical conditions.

The adrenal hormones cortisol and DHEA function to influence:

Metabolism
Thyroid function
Anti-inflammatory response
Resistance to stress

Changing the amounts of cortisol and DHEA can profoundly affect:

Energy levels
Resistance to disease
Emotional states
General sense of well-being

Although both DHEA and cortisol are produced by the adrenal cortex, they exhibit many opposing actions.

Cortisol

Many of cortisols physiological actions are geared toward the mobilization of reserves. Cortisol is released in large amounts in response to physical, physiological, and/or psychological stress.

When stressors persist, the secretion of glucocorticoids can be prolonged, leading to maladaptation of the adrenal cortex and adrenal hyperplasia.

Excess cortisol can adversely affect:

Bone and muscle tissue
Thyroid function
Cardiovascular function
Weight control
Sleep
Glucose regulation
Immune defense
Aging

Over time, cortisol secretion can become impaired, resulting in an inability to respond to stress as demonstrated in conditions such as:

Chronic fatigue
Menstrual problems
Allergies
Arthritis

DHEA, in contrast to cortisol, exerts mostly anabolic actions and balances the body’s stress response.

DHEA functions to:

Provide substrate for the synthesis of sex hormones
Guard against degenerative conditions associated with aging
Influence immune function and energy production
Affect insulin sensitivity, thyroid function, protein synthesis and others.

Imbalances of DHEA have been associated with:

Impaired immunity
Cancer
Depression
Panic disorder
Insulin resistance
Obesity
Alzheimers disease

If you answered yes to one of the above questions, Dr Eccles can test your hormone levels to see if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. To book in for your BHRT consultation, please call us on 0207 2244 622 or send us an email using the enquiry form.