Is Stress Making You Sick?

Some of the most common complaints that I hear from patients is that they are exhausted, don't sleep well, are irritable, and their hormones are all out of whack (either low testosterone, low libido, infertility, menopause, etc...). They go on to explain that they had some tests run, everything was normal, and they are just stressed. And sometimes everything is normal, unless you look at certain adrenal hormones.

Your adrenal glands are two tiny glands above your kidneys that are responsible for your stress response (cortisol), some of your sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone), and some of your blood sugar control. When you are under stress, initially, your body makes more cortisol and more sex hormones; this is often when you start to feel wired and tired with some sleep interruptions. When the stress is prolonged, your body makes cortisol as best it can and makes less sex hormones; now patients often feel very tired, have no libido, periods are irregular for females, and men have a hard time maintaining muscle mass. This happens because our adrenal glands are fatigued. They were not designed for prolonged stress the way that we experience it today.

So what can you do about it? The best way to approach this situation is to figure out what the cause of the stress is. For some, it is obvious- they are emotionally stressed with relationships, loss of a loved one, or job or financial situation. For others, it is because they have an underlying food intolerance to something like gluten or dairy, or they have a chronic infection, such as Lyme disease, or IBS. Along with identifying the stressor, it is important to know what your levels are of certain adrenal hormones actually are. All of these hormones and causes can be identified with some simple labs and can have huge impacts on how you are feeling.

To pull it all together, herbal medicine and acupuncture can help support your adrenal glands to balance your hormones and make you feel like you again.

Dr. Gilfoy is a naturopathic doctor in Madison, CT. For more information, please visit DrGilfoy.com or call 203-548-0572.