Are you tired all the time, awake late at night, or waking throughout the night? Do you have cold hands and feet, lightheadedness, fainting, brain fog, headaches, allergies, frequent infections, low thyroid function, menstrual irregularities, blurry vision or cravings for sugar? are you overwhelmed, worrying-all-the-time, or feeling shaky and irritable between meals, to name a few, and your blood work is basically "normal?"

It comes in various colors and shades, but comes down to one common issue: Adrenal Exhaustion. 

Not defined by conventional medical care.  Without an ICD9 code.  Not distinguished in standard endocrinology textbooks. Doesn't show up on regular blood work. Still very real. 

The first to identify Adrenal Exhaustion (also known as adrenal fatigue or adrenal stress) was Hans Selye, who called it Adrenal Maladaptive Syndrome.  he described three stages: 1. Alarm phase (elevated cortisol, DHEA and adrenaline) 2. Resistance phase (high or normal cortisol and adrenaline, low DHEA) and 3. Exhaustion phase (cortisol and adrenaline low). 

Saliva testing of cortisol levels, and urine testing of adrenaline levels (two substances produced by the adrenal glands) have further helped us to understand the potential shifts in adrenal function that lead to symptoms of “not feeling quite right.”

That is exactly what many patients say when they come to see me: “I feel off.”  

The adrenal glands, and often unheard-of body part located above the kidneys, is absolutely key to keeping our bodies on track.  The adrenals are responsible for responding when we go more then 3-4 hours without eating (with a hormone called glucagon that raises glucose in the blood by taking it from muscle).  

The adrenals are also the source of the much-needed, but often overly stimulated, stress hormone cortisol.  Without cortisol, energy levels are on the floor, and with too much, inflammatory levels soar.  so it is the perfect amount that we seek, and yet if we make choices that create stress for our bodies, then our adrenals have no choice but to respond.  

With stress, the other adrenal-produced substance that can wreak havoc is adrenaline, the substance that leads to a sympathetic response, stimulating the body to respond to a threat.  While we wouldn’t want to be without it in case we need it, we also don’t live the life of a caveman hunting for food.  It would be better to use it only in true emergencies and not all day, every day.  Otherwise, anxiety and insomnia become prevalent experiences. 

So what happens when the adrenals don’t work as well as they could?  One can imagine that energy levels, blood sugar balance and sleep will be impacted.  Still there is more.  The substances produced by the adrenals send messages all over the body, impacting every other major system including digestion, immune system, endocrine system (all glands that make hormones such as thyroid, pancreas, ovaries) and the nervous system.   

This is why it is so common for people who have been under acute and/or long-term stress to develop symptoms in various areas, most commonly the digestive tract (GERD, IBS, colitis), immune system (frequent infections, allergies, auto-immunity, cancer), hormonal imbalances (hypo/hyper thyroid, insulin resistance, menstrual irregularities), and nervous system (anxiety, depression, insomnia).  

I figure it is a matter of genetics that determines how much stress and for how long, before the body starts to show signs that the adrenals are no longer keeping up.  While some people are genetically predisposed to having the digestive symptoms first, others begin with frequent infections or mood changes (for example).  

No matter how and where the symptoms arise, the important part is to address not only the local imbalance (support digestion for example), but to figure out exactly what the adrenals needs at that point in time to regain a healthy ability to respond to stress. 

The good news is that nutrients and herbs can help the adrenals to recover.  Based on information derived from the test mentioned above, it is possible to know whether cortisol is high or low, and at what time of day.  It is also possible to see what adrenaline is up to.  then, using herbs at specific dosages, we can shift the amounts toward healthy levels.  

However, to create long term adrenal health, and to not step right back in the same hole again, it is important to look at how you are treating your body.  

The best ways to allow the adrenals to come back on line, is to minimize even the smallest stresses.  Avoid situations that cause the adrenals to kick into action beginning with eating every 3-4 hours, so that blood sugar levels will be managed by the way food comes in, not by the hormones in the body that compensate for wide swings in frequency and amount of glucose.  next is to get adequate sleep (8 hours).  

Take another look at the manner in which your day is arranged. Do you have time to eat?  Do you have access to foods that are healthy for you? are there predictable times for you to rest and relax? is exercise a built-in part of your day? What needs to change for these things to be possible? 

It is possible for the adrenals to recover, but it’s not going to happen by continuing in the same manner that exhausted them in the first place.  when signs of adrenal exhaustion appear, it is a clear sign that your body needs attention: to be fed and rested regularly!

During recovery from adrenal exhaustion, it is quite common to experience periods of improved energy and symptoms, followed by short periods of what feels like back tracking.  It can be frustrating to feel worse, once you just started to feel better…so while you are on the path to recovery, think of the dips as part of the process, and a reminder to take it easy on your body.  It can help to journal, so that you can observe your overall progress over months, versus the way you feel any single day.

While yes, as described in my article titled “It All Starts with Stress” which was published in Integrative Medicine: a Clinician’s Journal in June-July 2009, research does demonstrate that adrenal health is the core of overall health, it is also important to support the other systems in the body (digestion, immune, etc) in order to facilitate healing.  

That being said, one of the first steps to healing is to assess your adrenal stress by doing a urine and saliva panel.  This will provide information about exactly where to begin to support your body to heal.  

If you are ready to take those steps, and would like my help to do so, please click here to submit an intake form and let’s get started as soon as possible! 

Warm regards, 

DONIELLE WILSON is a women’s health expert and Naturopathic Doctor with a private practice in new York City, Port Jefferson, NY, and Connecticut. she specializes in showing women and their loved ones how to achieve their wellness goals by finally getting the answers they’ve been looking for to their most perplexing health challenges. To learn more about Dr. Doni and her unique approach to achieving health naturally, please visit Dr. Doni today.

By tgon1563 On December 24, 2010 Under Herpes Information

Frequent infections of genital herpes are generally shorter and also less acute as compared to first attacks. This is due to our bodies has developed antibodies in reaction to the first infection, which enables it to now fight the herpes virus far more successfully. your signs and symptoms may go on for just over a week and, generally, you may not have the other indications of a initial infection, such as a a fever, or generally feeling ill. your vesicles and weeping could occur in the identical area every time you have a repeated outbreak.After some time, you will discover that all recurrent genital herpes infections dwindle regular and also less intense. Herpes that is due to the herpes simplex virus type 1 will be recurrent much less frequently than infections that originate from the HSV type 2 virus.Question by youdontknowme: Herpes question??? OR Yeast infection question… you tell me. ?I think i might have herpes.. I’m not sure. I’ve been having sex with the same women for 2 years or so. I know shes been faithful to me. I slept with one other person when we were having problems. once i got back with my girlfriend we had sex for the first time in a while and it was quite rough. Rough to the point of it hurting.. since then i’ve been having outbreaks or red bumps that dont hurt, their not blisters and i have no other symptoms. I”ve had a yeast infection one time and its more similar to that then anything. is it possible to have cronic yeast infections… oh yeah.. most important part. my partner has no symptoms other then the occassional yeast infection. So its been 6 months since we’ve been back together. wouldnt she have gotten herpes ( if thats what it is ) by now with no medication and no medical treatment

Best answer:

Answer by sugarbeeGo to the doctor and have yourself checked out……it could be something minor, or your worst suspicions.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Herpes Symptoms

When a individual happens to be infected with herpes, symptoms do not commence straight away. During this incubation phase, an individual will probably look and feel perfectly good. Yet, approximately two weeks past getting infected with the virus, characteristics and symptoms will likely initiate. whenever symptoms do occur, it is referred to as called an outbreak a herpes outbreak.Not everyone that has genital herpes would have a primary episode. the truth is, it is common for folks to get virtually no signs and symptoms during the initial outbreak, nonetheless they can continue to spread around herpes…

Recommended Herpes Treatments

Primary Signs and symptoms

An individual that really does have beginning characteristics and symptoms regarding herpes may well have a diverse range of signals. Well known initial indicators normally include:

* An itching or burning sensation in your vaginal as well as rectal region* Influenza-like discomforts, which include throwing up, throbbing headache, a general unwell sense and muscle / tendon aches* Inflamed glands* Pain in your legs, backside, or genital area * Urethral release* Feeling of tension in the region beneath your stomach* Discomfort or even itching during urination* Constipation or difficulty peeing.

For most people, most of these symptoms is usually minimal. for others, initial signs or symptoms can easily end up being pretty severe.It is nearly always practical to view genital herpes pictures just before visiting a doctor as frequently you can learn that the warning signs are just a rash of some kind.

Tags: Herpes Information

A Woodley woman is encouraging people to test for lung disease after advances in healthcare allowed her to improve her quality of life.

Janet Fuller is 72 and has suffered lung problems since she was a child.

She was first diagnosed with asthma but as time went on doctors discovered it was a lung disease called bronchiectasis, giving her frequent infections in small pockets of the lungs.

She has since had surgery to remove part of her lung, which improved her quality of life dramatically, and is continually monitored to control her condition.

Now Mrs Fuller, who is a patient at Woodley Centre Surgery, wants to make sure people are aware of the tests available which can identify lung disease at an early stage.

She said: “I still have to take antibiotics in winter to avoid infection but I was always tired before – I sometimes passed out and I had a dry cough.

“Everything’s changed now and I know how to manage my condition so I can lead a normal life.”

Her nurse, Shena Gray, said: “There are a lot of lung conditions that come under the umbrella of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Testing people for the condition and early diagnosis can help us control symptoms and relieve symptoms early on.”

Using a breathing device called a spirometer, the amount of air in a person’s lungs can be measured. It is painless and usually takes less than 10 minutes but requires taking a very deep breath, the test can then show any signs of lung disease.

You should think about taking the test if you cough a lot, become short of breath when walking quickly, are worried about the health of your lungs, are already receiving treatment for lung disease or are aged over 40 and have smoked cigarettes during the past 12 months.

Lesley Wyman, senior public health specialist for NHS Berkshire West, said: “We are committed to raising awareness of the importance of picking up lung disease early. A simple test can help to identify changes in the lungs that may have already occurred. Your GP and Practice Nurse can then help to further identify what these changes mean and advise you how they can best be managed.”