Are You ‘Stressed Out?’
Excess adrenal stress — or an insufficient adrenal response to adapt
to stress — is a common problem. It is often the result of chronically
overstimulated adrenal glands, in some cases to the point of exhaus-
tion. The popular lingo is usually the notion that you’re “stressed-
out.” If you’re in business, “burn-out” is the common name, with
“nervous breakdown” used in the past. If you’re an athlete, it’s called
“overtraining.” Whatever the name, it’s essentially the same problem
of adrenal dysfunction, with serious implications for fitness and
health that can dramatically reduce quality of life.
Ten common symptoms of adrenal dysfunction are listed below.
Check off any that pertain to you. They can be caused by other imbal-
ances in the body. But taken together, they make up the most common
symptoms of adrenal dysfunction.
! Low energy.This is common especially in the afternoon,
but could happen anytime, or all the time. The fatigue
can be physical, mental or both. When the adrenals are
too stressed, the body uses more sugar for energy, but
can’t access fat very well for energy use. This can signifi-
cantly limit your energy.
! Dizziness upon standing.Standing up from a seated or
lying position can make you dizzy because not enough
blood is getting to the head quickly enough. Check your
blood pressure while lying down, and then immediately
after you stand. If you suffer from adrenal dysfunction,
you will notice the systolic blood pressure (the first num-
ber) doesn’t rise normally — it should be higher when
you’re standing by about 6 to 8 mm.
! Eyes sensitive to bright light.Adrenal stress often caus-
es light sensitivity in your eyes. You may need to wear
sunglasses or have difficulty with night driving because
of the oncoming headlights. You may even misinterpret
this as having bad night vision. Some people find their
nearsightedness (ability to see distances) improves after
improving adrenal function.SIMPLIFYING STRESS • 295