Why Semantics Matter: The Adrenal Fatigue Debate Rages On

By Lena D Edwards

In August 2010, the Hormone Foundation and Endocrine Society published and distributed their “Myth vs. Fact” sheet about Adrenal Fatigue where they claim:

“Adrenal fatigue is not a real medical condition. There are no scientific facts to support the theory that long-term mental, emotional, or physical stress drains the adrenal glands and causes many common symptoms. There is no test that can detect adrenal fatigue. Supplements and vitamins made to “treat” adrenal fatigue may not be safe. Taking these supplements when you don’t need them can cause your adrenal glands to stop working and may put your life in danger.”

What exactly is ‘adrenal fatigue’? According to proponents, it is a maladaptive state in which adrenal hormone production is significantly decreased in response to repeated and chronic psychological stress; the resulting state of ‘hypoadrenia’ then renders the body incapable of perpetuating an adaptive chronic fight or flight response or mounting an appropriate stress response to acute stressors. As one major advocate of the term states, “The adrenals simply cannot keep up with demands placed upon them.” So, if adrenal fatigue is not accurate or useful, what do healthcare providers, whether conventional or alternative, have to gain from applying and promoting this diagnosis? The reasons vary and include everything from misunderstanding and misinformation to personal financial gain.

As a physician who has practiced both conventional and integrative medicine for over a decade, I can tell you that the description ascribed to adrenal fatigue does not adequately describe the complexity of our stress response systems. While the adrenal glands do play a definite role in how we feel day to day (whether that’s energetic or exhausted), as we’ve now established, the term “adrenal fatigue” is, at best, a misnomer. According to the Mayo Clinic (one of several medical establishments in disagreement with this concept), the term adrenal fatigue is used by some practitioners of alternative medicine who claim adrenal fatigue to be too mild to be picked up on standard blood tests. Mayo goes on to state that proponents of this “unproven term claim it to be a mild form of adrenal insufficiency rendering a patient incapable of producing enough stress hormones to produce an adequate fight or flight response.”

Consider other opinions on this topic by some other reputable medical establishments:

“Adrenal fatigue is a worthless diagnosis… claims of marked improvement following some intervention most likely fraudulent.”

Dr. Paul Rosch, President American Institute of Stress

“Is adrenal fatigue real? Yes and no… Like many things in this arena, it’s a grain of truth surrounded by a lot of hype and peddlers of quick fixes.”

Dr. Brent Bauer, Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program

“Adrenal fatigue” is not a real medical condition. There are no scientific facts to support the theory that long-term mental, emotional, or physical stress drains the adrenal glands and causes many common symptoms… Supplements and vitamins made to “treat” adrenal fatigue may not be safe. Taking these supplements when you don’t need them can cause your adrenal glands to stop working and may put your life in danger.”

The Endocrine Society

If we look to the roots from whence this mammoth tree emerges, we would find them grounded in the desperation of millions of chronically stressed, depressed, and fatigued people for whom conventional medicine has no answer. The level of frustration is at an all time high, and patients often leave the office of their healthcare provider in despair when they are told that all of their test results are ‘in the normal range’ and that an anti-depressant prescription is in order.

There is a gaping chasm between conventional and integrative medicine on the topic of stress and stress related disease. The ‘black and white’ mentality of my conventional training reinforced the ‘what’ behind disease but rarely provided ample insight into the ‘how’ and ‘why’. Symptom ‘A’ equals drug ‘B’ and disease is not present unless a patient’s test results fall outside of the statistically derived reference ranges. My integrative medicine training allowed me to embrace all the shades of gray that exist between black and white.

My many years of research on this topic have provided clearcut evidence that low cortisol states do exist and contribute to disease formation. In fact, up to 25% of all stress related bodily disorders (PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.) are associated with low cortisol states. However, the medical terminology used to describe low cortisol has everything to do with acceptance of, proper diagnosis of, and evidence based treatment for this condition. Patients shun from uttering the words ‘adrenal fatigue’ to their doctor for fear of being chastised and shunned, and I am speaking from direct personal experience. The medically appropriate term for low cortisol states is known as hypocortisolism, and it is true that conventional medical testing often misses the diagnosis. This is where the dichotomy between conventional ‘black and white’ and more integrative ‘shades of gray’ diverge.

Convergence of these diametrically opposed medical factions is evolving and ultimately inevitable. In the interim, the millions of people suffering from symptoms of hypocortisolism will remain undiagnosed at the hands of their conventional medical doctors and therefore self treat as they continue to seek medical advice and purchase the nutritional supplements from the internet based ‘adrenal fatigue’ gurus, many of whom lack MD degrees. Buyers beware!

By incorporating aspects of her conventional medical training with her integrative and functional medicine training, Dr. Lena Edwards offers her multidimensional insights into numerous aspects of medicine with an emphasis on stress and stress related bodily disorders and diseases.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lena_D_Edwards

I would also like to hear your comments as it certainly feels like a real condition to me and I find that natural supplements and vitamins do give me more energy. That said, I also agree with Dr. Edwards in that there are many self professed gurus giving advice on the topic and they hold no qualifications. (You can read my disclaimer and disclosure. I do not hold any qualifications, but I am interested in my health!)

I have been reading many articles, all claiming that adrenal fatigue supplements work for them. So…who is right and who is wrong? Maybe it is only a placebo effect for those who have positive results, or maybe it is a debate that will continue for more years to come.

Pediatric sleep disorder centers are places that can help children recover from any sleeping problem they may have, regardless of how serious or trivial it may seem. The question on many parents’ minds is how do they know when it is absolutely necessary to take their child to such a center? A better question would be, why wait until it is absolutely necessary, when it’s perfectly alright to take your child to a center for sleep disorders even if all you want is an accurate diagnosis of his problem?

Taking a child to a sleep disorder center doesn’t mean they will hook him up to a machine or do all sorts of tests to him, which is probably what many parents fear. Instead, these centers were merely built to help children and their parents cope with and overcome sleeping problems, no matter what kind these may be.

If you are clueless about these centers and don’t even know where to find one, you can ask your pediatrician about it. They will be able to give you recommendations as well as give you a briefing on what you can expect once you go to the center.

Choosing a pediatric sleep disorder center is not that difficult once you have a few recommendations from your child’s doctor, but you should really check the credentials of each center carefully so that you can make the best choice for your child.

It does not matter which center you choose, the preliminary procedures will basically be the same. First of all, the attending personnel at the center will inquire as to the medical history of the child, as well as conduct some tests. Depending on your child’s symptoms and the severity of the situation, they may keep him overnight for thorough observation while he sleeps.

There is no need for you or your child to feel anxious about staying overnight because pediatric sleep disorder centers always allow parents to stay to keep their children company and to provide support. One thing that parents should understand about these centers is that they don’t provide immediate results, so this should not be expected. On the contrary, it may take up to several sessions before complete recovery is experienced.

Thanks to modern research, several treatments have already been developed for child sleep disorders. Whether it be for bedwetting or a toddler sleeping problem. You just need to figure out which of these treatments will work best for your child.

It is indeed better if you can help your child overcome his sleep issues without having to use medications or to pay for professional treatment. But if your improvised remedies don’t work, remember that there are always pediatric sleep disorder centers that can help out.

Recent studies have shown that bed wetting and sleep apnea are possibly linked. To be more precise, there have been evidence showing that sleep apnea may actually be a cause of bed-wetting. Bed-wetting among children is not such an uncommon problem. Oftentimes, the child will outgrow it on his own but there are also cases where it can only get worse when not dealt with right away.

Basics of Bed Wetting and Sleep Apnea

In order to fully comprehend the link between bed wetting and sleep apnea, it would be a good idea to learn a thing or two about both of these conditions. Bed-wetting, as we all know, is the failure to control urination while sleeping. The medical term for this common problem is enuresis. According to studies, 16% of children younger than 5 will wet the bed, but 10% of these will outgrow the condition over time. Boys are also more likely to be bed-wetters than girls. The most common reason for bed-wetting is a small bladder, which can hold less urine than normal.

There are several remedies to bed-wetting but the one most often used is a moisture-detecting alarm system. Once moisture is detected, an alarm goes off, waking up the child and alerting him of the need to go to the bathroom. However, if snoring is also experienced along with bed-wetting, the problem may actually be an offshoot of sleep apnea.

How Are They Related?

A child who is suffering from sleep apnea finds it hard to sleep well at night because of the obstructions in his throat that are restricting his breathing. Thus, he feels fatigue in the daytime even though he did not do any physically strenuous activities. Regular bodily functions may eventually be affected, and chemical imbalances may occur in the brain. Such changes increase the likelihood of the child wetting the bed at night.

Therefore, both bed wetting and sleep apnea are actually results of improper brain function. The good news is that both of these problems can be solved using one remedy, which in most cases would be the removal of the adenoids. Enlarged adenoids are the most common cause of sleep apnea. As soon as these are removed, the sleep apnea will be treated and all its side effects, including bed wetting, will be eliminated.

However, there are also other possible causes of bed wetting and sleep apnea. To make sure that you or your child is properly diagnosed and treated, it is recommended that you consult your doctor as soon as possible, to rule out any other problems.

Regardless of why you may be suffering from insomnia and unable to sleep, you may be looking for a natural sleep aid to help you sleep better and eventually become healthier as well. How so, you may ask. Well getting adequate hours of sleep at night is essential for our overall health. Unfortunately, many of us are unable to sleep as much as we need because we are either too busy, too stressed out, or too anxious. This is where we can find benefit in using natural sleep aids for adults, whether they be supplements or lifestyle changes.

Common Home Remedies

• Change Sleeping Position – The choice of which natural sleep aid to use would depend on a few different factors, including the cause of your insomnia. For example, if you can’t sleep because of nocturnal pains in your back or shoulders, you can try changing your sleeping position so these areas are not subjected to too much pressure.

• Stop The Late Night Caffeine Drink – Or if your mind is still very active late at night because of the cup of coffee you drank after dinner, it may be time to consider skipping the caffeine altogether.

If none of the simple home remedies for insomnia work, the next best step would be to look for safe and effective natural sleep aid products. Unlike other sleep medications, natural treatments do not contain harmful chemicals that cause negative side effects. Most prescription sleeping pills cause you to feel heavy upon waking up in the morning, or experience sporadic dizziness the following day. With natural sleep products, you won’t have to worry about such things.

Natural Supplements For Sleep

Herbs can also be used to induce deep and relaxing sleep. There are many herbs that contain natural substances that make you sleepy like an antihistamine does, but without the negative side effects. There are many herbal sleep aids sold on the market today to help people with their sleepless nights.

Another advantage of using natural instead of ordinary sleep medications is that these natural products are not habit-forming at all. In other words, you will not become dependent on them over time, and you will still be able to sleep without their help when your body has properly adjusted.

Natural sleep aids are undoubtedly effective and safe but you don’t have to rely on them completely in order to conquer insomnia. You can also make some positive changes to your lifestyle so that you can sleep better at night, like avoiding stressful situations and cutting down on the caffeine. Staying up late from time to time is not that bad but if you find yourself losing sleep almost every night, then it’s no longer good for your health. In this case, it’s time to make some changes and using natural sleep aids is as good a first step as any.

Not many people would think that there is a link between sleep apnea and tooth decay because these are two totally different things. Sleep apnea is the frequent cessation of breathing while a person sleeps at night, often due to the tissue obstructions in his air passages.

On the other hand, tooth decay is the rotting of the teeth due to exposure to bacteria and poor dental hygiene. It would be completely strange to even use sleep apnea and tooth decay in the same sentence.

Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances

Many different negative consequences can come out of sleep apnea and tooth decay is one of them. Quite interestingly, the reason for this doesn’t lie in the problem of sleep apnea itself but rather in the solutions that people use to stop the problem. To be precise, sleep apnea can be controlled using mouth guards or dental masks that are designed to be worn while sleeping. Some people say that such oral devices can increase the sleep apnea risks of tooth decay.

These dental devices will keep your mouth partially open all night, making your teeth exposed to all sorts of bacteria. When these bacteria enter your mouth, they can feed on the minute sugar particles that are left in your mouth, gums and tongue. So while you are getting yourself a cure for sleep apnea, you may also be increasing your risk of developing cavities at the same time.

If you want to prevent both sleep apnea and tooth decay, you might be better off using other remedies, like the CPAP device, which will blow air into your airways while you sleep, preventing them from clogging up. You may also opt for surgical treatments, which will definitely cure your sleep apnea for good and prevent tooth decay as well. However, as surgery is a major procedure, there is also some safety issues to be considered, plus the expenses can be quite high.

Sleep Apnea Dental Devices

If you are not averse to using dental devices to stop your sleep apnea, they can actually be effective as well. For these devices to work, though, you need to have a sufficient number of healthy teeth in your upper and lower jaws because this is where the device will be anchored as you sleep.

In any case, it is very important that you find a solution to sleep apnea as soon as you realize that you do have it. Leaving it untreated for a long time can result in unnecessary risks to your health, which are definitely much more serious than tooth decay.

Snoring can be a very annoying sleep disorder and not just for the person snoring but more so for their sleeping companion. This is why so many people want to know how to prevent snoring. It can prevent people from getting quality sleep, which they need in order to be rejuvenated for the next day.

Help Prevent Snoring

Obesity is one of the possible causes of snoring, which is why losing weight can help prevent snoring in many cases. An overweight person would obviously have more fat in his throat tissues and muscles. While he sleeps, these fats can relax into the airway, partially obstructing the flow of air. As the person breathes, the tissues vibrate, resulting in a snore. By reducing weight, the excess fat will be eliminated along with the problem of snoring.

Another easy method that can help prevent snoring is changing your sleeping position. According to studies, lying flat on the back makes one most susceptible to snoring because this position puts the most pressure on the airways. You can reduce the risks by lying on your side or on your stomach. If you really want to lie on your back, a higher pillow for your head can help prevent snoring.

There are also stop snoring exercises that you can do privately in your own home. You may be amazed at how effective these simple exercises are.

Some people who can’t stay asleep because of their own snoring problems may be tempted to take sleeping pills but this can actually do more harm than good, particularly if you also have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea stops your breathing while you sleep and if you have taken sleeping pills, you won’t be able to wake up even if you need to breathe.

Stop Snoring Device

If the natural methods above don’t work, there are also several devices you can use that can also help prevent storing. One of the most popular devices is the snore guard, which is something that you put in your mouth before sleeping that will keep your jaw in the right position so that you won’t snore. This is one of the least expensive devices that can be used, although many people have complained that it is not the most comfortable choice.

Snore sprays are another stop snoring aid people use. There are many natural sprays on the market today that you can try.

Aside from these treatments, there are many other methods that can help prevent snoring. If simple methods don’t work, you may even opt for surgery. To find out what the best treatment is for you, it is recommended that you consult your doctor.

Potty training can be a long and tedious process and accomplishing a child bedwetting problem is definitely a reason to celebrate. Therefore, it is perfectly understandable why many parents feel so disappointed when they learn that their child has started wetting the bed again after being dry for a long time.

What parents need to understand, however, is that child bed wetting is not nearly as disappointing to them as it is to the child himself. Just imagine how a child must feel to wake up night after night in wet sheets. Getting mad at them or showing them your disappointment will only make matters worse.

Tips To Stop Child Bedwetting

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Instead, here are some of the positive things you can do to help your child conquer the problem of bed wetting:

• Offer reassurance. Let them know that they are not alone and that millions of children wet their beds at night, some even do it in as teenagers and as adults. Help them understand that this is a common problem and one that can be solved using simple methods.

• Give motivation. Bedwetting in children, can cause a child’s self-confidence to drop. They may feel inadequate or be disappointed in themselves. You can prevent this by giving them motivation to keep doing better each night.

• Encourage positive thoughts. As part of your bedtime routine, talk to him about going through the night without having any accidents. Ask him to visualize himself going to the bathroom when he feels an urge instead of sleeping through the whole thing.

• Play pretend. You may have noticed how your child does not wet the bed when sleeping in a different house. This is because the child does not sleep as deeply in other places as he does at home where he is most comfortable. Tell him to pretend that he is in another house. This may just do the trick and help him stop child bed wetting once and for all.

• Be supportive. When your child does wet the bed, avoid scolding or shaming him because this will only make him feel worse.

• Have him help with changing the sheets. This will help him have a grasp of what the consequences of child bed wetting can be and may help him stop it. However, don’t do this as a punishment, ask him to help only if he is capable and willing.

• Avoid punishment. Child bed wetting is an involuntary action — they really can’t control it and besides, no child would purposely urinate in their own bed. Therefore, there is no point in punishing them for something that’s not even their fault.

• Keep communication lines open. Talk to them about the bed wetting problem, ask them how they feel or if they need for you to do anything that could help. By maintaining positive communication with your child, you can help him conquer his child bed wetting a lot faster.

Finding Effective Treatments for Chronic Insomnia

If you have a difficult time falling asleep or staying asleep at night, then you might be suffering from a case of insomnia. Fortunately, there are some very effective methods you can use to cure chronic insomnia.

You just need to figure out which particular treatment will work best for you.

This is a common sleeping problem that many people go through every single night. Sometimes it goes away after a few nights but other times, it persists every single night and develops into a more ongoing problem, becoming a case of chronic insomnia.

When you are unable to get enough hours of sleep night after night, it can eventually take a toll on your daily life.

Find The Cause of Your Sleeping Problem

In most cases, the best way to cure chronic insomnia is to find out what it is that is causing the insomnia in the first place, and address that issue directly. For example, some cases of insomnia are due to underlying medical conditions such as arthritis or clinical depression.

In these cases, the only way to conquer insomnia and finally get a good night’s rest is to treat the arthritis or the depression. Once you are cured of these medical problems, your insomnia may also go away.

Therapy To Cure Chronic Insomnia

Patients who have been suffering from chronic insomnia for a very long time may need to undergo behavioral therapy as a form of treatment for this sleeping disorder. Their sleeping patterns may have already become so disrupted that it will be very difficult for them to go back to a normal sleeping schedule without professional help. During behavioral therapy sessions, a doctor will help the patient develop effective bedtime routines that will cure chronic insomnia over time.

Medication or Natural Sleep Aids

As a last resort, medication may be used to cure chronic insomnia. However, this treatment should only be used in the most serious cases that do not respond to any of the other natural sleep aids.

Most of the time, however, medications are used in conjunction with behavioral therapy. They should also be taken in gradually tapered dosages in order to prevent withdrawal symptoms and substance dependence. This is where a herbal sleep aid may be the better option.

Being unable to sleep properly at night can be very detrimental to a person’s health, not to mention their career and relationships. It is therefore very important to cure chronic insomnia in its earliest stages, while the symptoms are not yet that serious. If you identify the signs early, you might be able to conquer your insomnia without having to resort to medications and other advanced treatments.

Benefits of Using Natural Insomnia Cures

Today there seems to be dozens of ways to cure insomnia, as so many people have had success with either something that someone has invented, or that someone has discovered. Most of these ‘cures’ involve the use of artificial medications or complex procedures.

What many people don’t realize, however, is that the best ways to cure insomnia are those methods that are much simpler, cheaper and easier to use.

Natural Remedies For Insomnia

Over the years, several studies have been conducted to find out whether natural insomnia cures are actually better or not. The findings of these studies show that indeed, natural remedies for insomnia are much better for many reasons.

First of all, because natural cures do not make use of artificial chemicals, there is no risk of any of the side effects commonly experienced with commercial insomnia medications. Natural insomnia cures are also more effective because they tackle the problem at its root and do not simply address the symptoms, which is what many prescription and over-the-counter medicines do.

One of the most recommended natural ways to cure insomnia is to train your body to sleep earlier at night. Of course, this will not happen overnight – it usually takes a couple of weeks to work. If you go to bed at approximately the same time each night, your body will soon get used to the routine and you will soon be able to sleep much faster and more peacefully throughout the night. Similar to training your baby to sleep better at night.

Natural Sleep Aids

Natural sleep aids, such as a melatonin sleep aid have the natural ingredients you need to get a good nights sleep, especially if you are having trouble with insomnia. Many people use these sleep aids as a natural cure for insomnia.

We all know that eight hours is the ideal length of sleep that we should be getting every night. So as much as you can, try to organize your day’s schedule so that you get the required amount of sleep at night. Leave your work in the office instead of bringing it all the way home and into the bedroom. Skip the late movies if they keep you up at night.

Instead of doing activities that stimulate your brain during sleeping time, you should create a bedtime routine that will relax your mind and body, signaling that it is time to wind down and eventually go to sleep. Some of the things you can include in this routine are taking a warm bath, listening to relaxing music, and cuddling with your partner.

Although there are many great natural ways to cure insomnia, not all of these remedies may work equally well for everyone. In other words, you may have to try a few methods before you find the one that works best for you. It may take some time but with a little bit of patience, you will gradually overcome insomnia and be able to sleep better at night.

Chronic snoring is not just uncomfortable or embarrassing to the snorer — it is also extremely bothersome to his or her sleeping companions. So if you have this problem, it is only natural to be always on the lookout for stop snoring products or methods that will help stop snoring completely.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of such remedies. You just need to look well so that you can find one that will be very effective for your situation.

The first step to finding ways that will help stop snoring is to get to the root of your problem and figure out what it is that triggers your condition. In many cases, it is the obstruction of the air passages, which in turn may be caused by a number of different factors.

Snore Sprays

If you suffer with nasal congestion there are snore sprays to help stop snoring.

For example, if you are overweight, the excess fats in your throat area may partially block your airways while you sleep, causing you to snore. In this particular situation, the best remedy is to lose some weight. Not only will this help stop snoring but it will also improve your overall health and reduce your risk of developing other health complications.

Snore Pillows

Another common cause of snoring is your sleeping position. Studies show that people who sleep flat on their back are more likely to snore than those who sleep on their sides or on their stomach. Therefore, a good remedy would be to try sleeping in these favorable positions. You can use special anti-snoring pillows or even regular ones to keep you from rolling back onto your back during the night.

Most experts recommend using natural snoring home remedies because these are not only cheaper but also safer. Have you tried the stop snoring exercises yet? That is one excellent natural snoring remedy.

However, if none of these remedies seem to help stop snoring, you should talk to your doctor in case your snoring might be the result of some other sleeping problem, like sleep apnea perhaps. Such sleep disorders are rather serious and you may need to see a sleep specialist in order to find a solution, and to stop the snoring as well.

Finding a snoring remedy that really works may not always be easy but rest assured that there is something out there that will work for you. It may not necessarily be the first remedy that you try, nor the second, or the third, but you will eventually find it. Just be patient and as much as possible, talk to your doctor before starting on any treatment to make sure it will not be dangerous to your health.