Adrenal Disorders and Naturopathic Medicine
By EeVon Ling BSc. ND

What are the Adrenals?

The adrenals are glands that are located above your kidneys. They produce a number of important hormones. The major hormones and their functions are:

Cortisol: Affects blood sugar and metabolism, and helps the body to deal with stress. During emotional and physical trauma, infections and sickness, there is a dramatic increase in cortisol to help the body survive these stressors. However, high levels depress the immune system, elevate blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose, and inhibits collagen and bone formation.

Aldosterone: Regulates the electrolyte (mainly sodium and potassium) concentrations of body fluids and increases blood pressure.

Androgens: Produce the precursors for the sex hormones, especially testosterone. It is a minor source of testosterone in women, contributing to women's libido, and produces estrogen in menopause.

Adrenaline: Hormone responsible in activating "fight or flight" response and prepares us for emergencies. Intended for short-term response, it increases heart rate, metabolism and blood pressure.

Answer Yes or NO

1. I feel extreme fatigue, weakness and have low blood sugar and blood pressure
2. I have difficulty gaining weight
3. I look pale, have poor skin, have dark circles under my eyes and/ or my hair falls out
4. I am sensitive to temperature changes, to other people or to stress in general
5. I get dizzy or black out when I rise from a sitting or lying position.
6. I gain weight very easily, especially around my waist and face, and it's difficult to lose
7. My skin is thin and I have bluish coloured stretch marks
8. I have high blood pressure
9. I have high blood glucose and cholesterol
10. Female: I have irregular periods and excess body hair growth
11. Infections and injuries occur frequently and take much longer than expected to heal
12. I have a history of significant illness
13. These changes occurred while taking medication (such as cortisone or steroid therapy)

If you answered mostly Yes to questions 1-5 and 11-13, you may have a condition related to under functioning adrenal glands.
If you answered mostly Yes to questions 6-13, you may have a condition related to over functioning adrenal glands.
Please see your healthcare provider as there may be a more serious underlying condition. A naturopathic doctor can help identify the cause of your condition and may be able to correct adrenal function or support the function of your other organs. Adrenal hormone levels and adrenal functioning is assessed using blood tests performed by your doctor.

How Stress Affects Your Health

It is important for the body to maintain healthy levels of these adrenal hormones. Regulation of these hormones occurs via complex mechanisms, but the primary influence over the adrenal hormones is STRESS. In the days of our ancestors, the main sources of stress were getting eaten by animals and starving to death. So naturally, the body is equipped to deal with short-term, emergency stress. These days, modern life imposes constant low levels of long term stress which makes our natural mechanisms for dealing with this kind of stress maladaptive and harmful.

All adrenal hormones help us cope with stress.

Stress is defined as internal or external challenges that the body must deal with. The impact of stress affects the body in a variety of different ways:

• Physical activity increases energy and oxygen demands
• Trauma or illness increases nutrient and immune system demands
• Emotional and mental stress alters brain chemistry
• Environmental stress increases anti-oxidant demands
• Poor diet decreases amount of nutrients delivered to our cells
• Lack of sleep and rest decreases ability of the body to restore and repair itself

The list goes on…

The body dealing with stress is like you borrowing money-using up resources that may or may not be there. Over time, long-term stress creates debt. You develop stress related illness such as migraines, high blood pressure, obesity, decreased immunity, diabetes, cancer etc. By taking care of your health and reducing stress, you can avoid this debt and prevent illness and disease.

Conditions concerning the adrenal glands can range from mild to severe hypo (under) or hyper (over) functioning. In our modern society of high stress living, sub-clinical or mild adrenal insufficiency may be common, yet symptoms may be dismissed simply as "stress".

For some, there are more serious forms of adrenal conditions. All of these conditions are diagnosed using hormone and blood tests.

Addison's Disease: A progessive hypofunctioning of the adrenals that is potentially life threatening. Symptoms are:

• Chronic fatigue and muscle weakness, moodiness, irritability, and depression
• Loss of appetite, digestion problems, and weight loss.
• Low blood pressure (hypotension) that falls further when standing. This may cause dizziness or even fainting.
• Blotchy, dark tanning and freckling of the skin. Darkened skin usually occurs on the forehead, knees, and elbows or along scars, skin folds, palms and creases.
• Blood sugar abnormalities, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Inability to cope with stress
• Heat or cold intolerance
• Salty food craving

Addison's disease progresses slowly and may go unrecognized until a physically stressful event, such as another illness, surgery, or an accident. Then suddenly the symptoms may get much worse, causing an Addisonian crisis:

• Sudden penetrating pain in the lower back, abdomen, or legs.
• Severe vomiting and diarrhea, followed by dehydration.
• Low blood pressure.
• Loss of consciousness.

An Addisonian crisis may be the first time the person is aware that they are ill. An Addisonian crisis can be fatal and is considered a medical emergency.

Adrenal Hyperfunctioning can be seen as one of the following conditions:

Adrenal Virilism: Excessive production of androgens causes increased body hair growth, increased head hair loss, acne, deepening of the voice, and decrease in the size and function of female organs.

Cushing's syndrome: Excess cortisol causes increased weight gain around the abdomen and ace, loss of muscle, poor wound healing, easy bruising, purple stretch marks, blood sugar abnormalities, osteoporosis, and increased blood pressure.

Pheochromocytoma: A tumor of the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla that causes increased hormone production and high blood pressure. Symptoms can include: racing heart, flushing, cold clammy skin, severe headaches, chest pains, visual disturbances, constipation and feelings of impending doom.

Naturopathic Medicine and Adrenal Health

Naturopathic medicine approaches adrenal conditions in the following ways:

1. Remove and/ or deal with stress: detox, express emotions, manage job stress etc
2. Increase relaxation response
3. Support and regulate adrenal function
4. Integrate other therapies as needed: improve nutrition, incorporate exercise, introduce new hobbies and creative activities, etc.