Adrenal Exhaustion

The adrenal glands are your body’s primary "shock absorbers." These two little thumb-sized glands sitting on top of your kidneys produce hormones including norepinephrine, cortisol and DHEA that allow you to respond to the conditions of your daily life in healthy and flexible ways. Norepinephrine (also called adrenaline) is commonly thought of as the fight-or-flight hormone. It’s produced when something is (or you think it is) threatening. This hormone makes your heart pound, your blood rush to your heart and large muscle groups, your pupils widen, your brain sharpen, and your tolerance for pain increase—basically, it prepares you for battle. Modern-day battles are most likely things like pushing your body to keep going when it’s fatigued, dealing with a stressful job, and reacting with quick reflexes to avoid a traffic accident. Think of these adrenaline surges as withdrawals from a bank, to help you get through life’s rough spots. If you have gotten into the habit of withdrawing adrenaline from your account too often, you’ll eventually be overdrawn and your adrenal glands will be overwhelmed. Then, you’ll have too little adrenaline when you really need it. Reference: Adrenal exhaustion: the adrenal glands become exhausted and no not function properly resulting in production of inadequate quantities of hormones. It is said that millions of people are affected by this syndrome, yet conventional medicine still does not consider it a real illness. However, a significant proportion of alternative medicine practitioners are confident it exists. Conventional health care professionals do not accept "adrenal exhaustion" as a proper diagnosis, but they do recognize other forms of adrenal dysfunction, such as Addison's or adrenal gland insufficiency. Some symptoms of adrenal exhaustion: Lethargy Insatiable appetite Low blood pressure Suppressed immune system (having difficulty recuperating from illnesses) Abrupt weight loss Allergies Muscle weakness According to alternative health practitioners, this syndrome is caused by toxic chemical pollutants over a period of time, excessive amounts of stress burdening the body for a long-term period, and/or malnutrition. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are made up of the outer adrenal cortex and the inner medulla, both of which produce hormones. The adrenal cortex is made up of three layers, each responsible for secreting distinct hormones. The outer layer is the main site for aldosterone production, which is largely responsible for regulating blood pressure and balancing sodium and potassium levels. The middle layer is responsible for producing cortisol which is responsible for the mobilization of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. It also enhances activity of other hormones. It secretes a basal level of cortisol, but can also produce bursts of the hormone in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. The inner layer produces androgens such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate, and androstenedione (the precursor to testosterone) and estrogen hormones. The thyroid gland and the adrenals have a very close relationship and stress on one always affects the other. Reference: A damaged middle layer of the adrenal cortex causes a reduction in active (working) cortisol, resulting in an elevated amount of estrogen to be produced by the inner layer adrenal cortex. Normal amounts of cortisol may be present, however this cortisol can be defective or bound and the same estrogenic effect may occur. The cortisol and estrogen imbalance usually presents itself as an altered immunity status with antibody depression present. This not only may result in malabsorption from the intestines, but also allows the immune cells to lose recognition of the body's own tissue and thus attack their own host. These changes in glandular performance allow for a variety of medical effects to occur anywhere from allergies, irritable bowel disease, autoimmunity, uncontrolled tissue growth, and cancer. Addison's Syndrome - involves the FIRST LAYER of the adrenal cortex where the hormone ALDOSTERONE is produced, which balances Sodium and Potassium levels. (which is not only responsible for electrolyte balance, but works with a hormone from the kidney to regulate blood pressure). Cushing's Syndrome -involves the MIDDLE LAYER adrenal cortex where the hormone CORTISOL is produced which is necessary for life. CUSHING'S SYNDROME is the production of too much active (working) cortisol. ESTROGEN is a hormone that is part of a group of estrogenic compounds. With normal amounts of ESTROGEN production present, this hormone helps to develop female secondary sex characteristics in the animal. This hormone can be produced by the ovaries, THE INNER LAYER OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX, testes and placenta. Other forms of ESTROGEN can also be ingested from fruits, vegetables and plastics. Imbalanced CORTISOL allows for the pituitary gland to over-stimulate the production of excess ESTROGEN. This excess estrogen not only causes an inflammation of the lining cells of all arteries in the body, including those arteries to the intestines, but causes the B and T immune cells to become deregulated. It also causes the B cell to reduce its production of antibodies. This in turn causes further turmoil in the gut. When regulated, the B cell protects the body against bacteria and makes protective antibodies to vaccines and other intruders. When the T cell is regulated it protects the body against viruses and plant invaders like yeast and fungi. The hormonal antibody deregulation is why all of these intruders can cause medical effects (illnesses and diseases). when there is an excess of estrogen being produced (or present), it may also cause the following: A chemical binding of both thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). A chemical binding of active (working) CORTISOL and this in turn disallows or prevents the transference of storage thyroid (T4) into active thyroid (T3) in the body. The deregulation of the immune system which causes it not only to be unable to PROTECT the body, but to further lose recognition of self tissue and thus be able to DESTROY the normal tissues in the body. It also causes the immune system to decrease antibody production for protection and from creating protective antibodies from natural invaders and vaccines. It also can lead to an inflammation of the cells lining all the arteries in the body (ENDOTHELIAL CELLS). Inflammation of the arteries may lead to not only strokes and heart attacks, but also to any disease that might respond to a decreased blood flow and lack of proper oxygenation. When we see excess estrogen and defective or insufficient cortisol we also see: Reduced numbers of specific immunoglobulins, such as IgA. Frequent clinical symptoms of autoimmune disease. Reduced IgA levels in serum. Immunoglobulins: IgA, IgM, and IgG in particular are tested for and closely monitored. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody that plays a critical role in mucosal immunity. More IgA is produced in mucosal linings than all other types of antibody combined;[1] between three and five grams are secreted into the intestinal lumen each day.[2] This accumulates up to 15% of the total immunoglobulin produced in the entire body.[3] IgA has two subclasses (IgA1 and IgA2) and can exist in a dimeric form called secretory IgA (sIgA). In its secretory form, IgA is the main immunoglobulin found in mucous secretions, including tears, saliva, colostrum and secretions from the genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, prostate and respiratory epithelium. It is also found in small amounts in blood. The secretory component of sIgA protects the immunoglobulin from being degraded by proteolytic enzymes, thus sIgA can survive in the harsh gastrointestinal tract environment and provide protection against microbes that multiply in body secretions.[4] sIgA can also inhibit inflammatory effects of other immunoglobulins.[5] IgA is a poor activator of the complement system, and opsonises only weakly. Its heavy chains are of the type α. IF IgA is BELOE 58, ABSORPTION OF ORAL SUPPLEMENTS INDLUDING STEROIDS, NUTRIENTS, AND REPLACEMENT MEDS MAY NOT OCCUR.