What is Adrenal Fatigue?

“Adrenal fatigue” commonly refers to a set of symptoms that include insomnia, anxiety, poor exercise tolerance and recovery, low libido, brain fog, weakened immune function and reduced stress tolerance. However, “adrenal fatigue” is a term that rarely (if at all) appear in the scientific literature. Instead, we refer to this condition as Hypothalamic-Pituituary-Adrenal Axis Dysfunction, or HPA-D. We prefer HPA-D for a number of reasons, but another is quite simply that it isn’t accurate. The condition often results in a dysregulation of cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is basically the body’s low-level stress hormone, and it’s released by the Adrenal Medulla. The issue, of course, is that Cortisol levels are most commonly too high (rather than too low) and there is little evidence that this is because of a ‘fatigue’ of the adrenal glands. So, to be more accurate, we call it HPA-D, referring to the problems in this particular pathway that results in the symptoms listed above. HPA axis dysregulation is caused by many different aspects of the modern lifestyle, including poor diet, sleep deprivation, chronic stress, lack of (or too much) exercise, and inflammation. HPA axis dysregulation affects nearly every cell and tissue in the body. For this reason, it must be addressed in virtually all cases of chronic illness in order for healing to occur.

There are four primary triggers of HPA axis dysregulation:
1. Perceived Stress.
2. Circadian Disruption.
3. Glycemic Dysregulation.
4. Inflammation.

In this talk, Dr. Eli Morales and Ben Fleisher, LAc, will look at the common causes of this condition, provide a self-test to ascertain if it is affecting you, and review the most effective diet, lifestyle, and supplement treatment strategies to make a change in the condition.