| |
The adrenals are two small glands, one
over the kidney, which are important for many body functions.
A condition very prevalent today is functional
hypoadrenia. This is not a disease process as such; it is a
condition in which a particular gland,
the adrenal is incapable of meeting all the demands put upon it.
Since the adrenal glands are responsible for many actions, this
condition causes a myriad of symptoms fatigue, dizziness, moodiness,
mental anxiety and nervousness, joint pain, allergies, digestive
disturbances, asthma, palpitations, back pain, mental sluggishness,
headaches, impotency, colitis, and on and on.
Most doctors today are concerned with disease
processes. Because they are geared to thinking in terms of disease
rather than functional problems, they do not recognize functional
hypoadrenia until it becomes frank Addison's disease-a complete
failure of the adrenal glands to function. When Addison's disease
is present, hormone medication is necessary to preserve life. Fortunately,
Addison's disease is fairly rare, whereas functional hypoadrenia
is very common in our society today. It is a condition in which
the body is not functioning optimally, but a disease process is
not present.
Standard laboratory tests may not
revel functional hypoadrenia They are designed to find Addison's
disease. Relative hypoadrenia can be detected very easily by case
history and general clinical and applied kinesiology examinations.
The condition usually develops as a result of three factors: (a)
more demand - distress in many forms - placed on the adrenal glands
than they are capable of handling, thus depleting their reserve;
(b) dietary indiscretions; and (c) structural dysfunction within
the body.
Hans Selye, MD., added greatly to our current
understanding of adrenal function in the 1920s and 30s. He described
the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), which consists of three stages.
The first stage is the alarm reaction, which is a call to
arms of the body's defensive mechanisms - provided by the adrenal
glands - against stress. The alarm reaction is present during any
stress, which can be emotional, an injury, a demand to fight, or
any upsetting factor. The second stage is that of resistance.
This occurs when the stress that activated the alarm stage is present
for a prolonged period; the adrenals actually grow in size to meet
the demand of the long-term stress. Third is the exhaustion
stage, when the adrenals become depleted. This is the stage of functional
hypoadrenia.
Functional hypoadrenia has so many symptoms
that many doctors not knowledgeable in its diagnosis and treatment
have classified patients with this condition as hypochondriacs,
or as having "nervous" conditions, and have given them
tranquilizers. To better understand why there are so many symptoms,
let's look at the major classifications of hormones produced by
the adrenal glands.
Adrenal Cortex
The adrenal cortex is the
outside portion of the adrenal glands that produces three major
type of hormones.
1. Glucocorticords are responsible
for converting fats and protein for use as sugar in the body, and
they release stored sugar. This activity helps prevent low blood
sugar. Glucocorticords also act as anti-inflammatory hormones and
help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, duodenal or gastric
ulcers, rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, hay fever, asthma, chronic
upper respiratory infections, skin rashes, and/or other inflammatory
disorders that do not serve a useful purpose.
2. Sex corticords are the male and
female hormones, testosterone and estrogen. The female hormone,
estrogen, is produced by the adrenal in very small quantities compared
to the production by the ovaries; however, it is thought that this
hormone is important to balance in the menopausal female.
3. Mineralocorticoids play a major
role in the mineral balance of the body. Minerals that are out of
balance affect the body's fluid balance, including the fluid inside
and outside body cells. Blood volume is also affected. The mineralocorticoids
are the body's pro-inflammatory hormones, working with the glucocorticoids
to keep inflammatory processes in check.
COPYRIGHT-SYSTEMS DC.
|
|
