Men's Hormone Health
Men often suffer from adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands sit over the kidneys, where they play a significant role in the body, secreting more than 50 hormones necessary for life, including epinephrine (adrenaline), cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone and testosterone. Since they produce so many essential hormones, the adrenal glands are responsible for many of the functions we need to stay alive and healthy.
When stress is not properly managed or when it becomes extreme, the ability for the adrenal glands to function optimally is compromised. A large portion of our population is feeling tired and stressed out, adrenal fatigue may be the answer.
If a man's stress level remains excessive for a prolonged length of time, the adrenal glands respond by producing the cortisol continually. This over-exertion taxes the adrenal glands to the point where the glands are unable to produce the levels of cortisol to keep up with the demand. Diminished levels of cortisol eventually lead to adrenal fatigue in men. This hormone imbalance induced fatigue affects all the other hormones in the body, producing a chain-like reaction. While attempting to maintain high cortisol production to manage the chronic stress levels, the adrenal glands are unable to maintain the production of other necessary hormones. DHEA is vital to maintaining the balance of hormones in your body and low amounts of this important hormone contribute to male adrenal fatigue symptoms.
If these symptoms are familiar you may suffer from adrenal fatigue:
- Mid-day fatigue
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Emerging allergies
- Sensitivity to chemicals
- Anxiety
- Increased susceptibility to infections
- Reduced stress tolerance
- Weakened immune function
- Inability to sleep through the night
- Depression
- Aching joints
- Diminished sex drive
- A tendency to feel cold (many individuals and doctors often misdiagnose hypothyroidism)
- Craving for salt and sweets
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of muscle mass and strength
Men no longer need to suffer the symptoms of male adrenal fatigue. The first step of adrenal fatigue treatment is comprehensive saliva testing to determine both cortisol levels at various times during the day as well as other hormone levels being influenced by inadequate adrenal gland production. Many patients have found the solution for adrenal fatigue treatment is an integrated approach starting with bio identical hormone therapy. Hormone therapy combined with stress management, proper nutrition and fitness can recharge the adrenal system and get hormone production back in balance.