It is arguable that adrenal fatigue is the most common undiagnosed patient condition known to doctors today. Thousands of people suffering from the various symptoms that make up adrenal fatigue seek medical help for this condition each year.
In many instances, doctors fail to diagnose these patients properly and put them on medications that cannot help them or may further suppress adrenal function. Patients are often told their symptoms are related to menopause, depression, working too much, or simply a phase that will pass in time—in effect, they are dismissed.
The consequences of undiagnosed adrenal fatigue in Connecticut vary from patient to patient, but at minimum, the condition may affect your quality of life and make it impossible for you to work or maintain relationships. If you have any symptoms indicating possible adrenal fatigue, you owe it to yourself to receive a definitive diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Fatigue and insomnia are among the most common symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Doctors often prescribe sleep medications in response to these symptoms, which can have undesirable side effects and upon which patients may become dependent.
Even if sleep medications help initially, the body may grow tolerant of them so that the patient needs more powerful drugs just to obtain sufficient rest. Long-term lack of sleep increases the risk of a person developing high blood pressure — which is controlled by the adrenal glands — and psychiatric problems, as well as their risk of cardiovascular incidents such as heart attack and stroke.
One of the most potentially dangerous consequences of undiagnosed adrenal fatigue in Connecticut patients is a severe reduction in the immune system’s ability to fight disease. Ailments that a healthy person’s immune system could fight off may be much more potent in someone suffering from adrenal fatigue. In a worst-case scenario, this kind of immune dysfunction may result in extended illness, disability, or even death.
The adrenal glands control your body’s metabolism. As a result, adrenal fatigue could have a great effect on the body’s ability to regulate itself. Symptoms may be physical, such as weight gain, as well as emotional or mental, such as mood swings or bouts of anxiety. Over time, people may develop diabetes or similar metabolic issues.
Long-term undiagnosed adrenal fatigue may result in the adrenal gland being unable to produce enough of the vital hormones necessary for the body to function. As a result of a precipitous drop in the production of stress and sex hormones, the body could effectively “burn out” and crash, and it can take a very long time to recover.
At this point, an affected individual may find it impossible to go to work, care for their family, or lead any type of a normal, productive lifestyle. At the final stage of adrenal fatigue, patients may lose all interest in life, a limit which no one should reach if they are diagnosed correctly.
If you suspect you may have adrenal fatigue, call Dr. Edward Jacobson today and schedule an appointment. There is only one way to confirm whether adrenal fatigue is the culprit behind your constant exhaustion and other symptoms, which is through laboratory testing.
If tests show you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, Dr. Jacobson could devise appropriate treatment through the use of bioidentical hormones, nutritional supplements, and recommended dietary and lifestyle changes. Dr. Jacobson is available for consultations at his home office, so call today to learn more about consequences of undiagnosed adrenal fatigue in Connecticut.