Stress is a normal part of life. It has been since the dawn of time when the stress of living simply kept you alive. Today, stress means something entirely different. It means stress beyond primitive “flight or fight” response. It means subjecting ourselves to a lifestyle that keeps us running from the moment we wake until the moment our head hits the pillow. And while at it’s most basic level stress is not harmful, continuous exposure to it is. In fact, continuous exposure over long periods of time is so detrimental that it affects our body in profound ways. This opens the door for any number of chronic conditions that can stay with us for a lifetime.
So how do we know if stress has impacted our quality of life when stress has become such a norm that we may not know any different? The answer – diagnostic testing specifically geared at evaluating the functioning of the adrenal gland. This is the gland that is responsible for the hormones that help our body fight stress.
As a part of the endocrine system, adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney. The hormones they release are essential to supporting life. The role of these hormones in the body can be divided into seven functions:
- Metabolism support
- Blood pressure controller
- Stress response
- Immune system response
- Inflammation suppression
- Maintenance of salt and water balance
- Sex hormone regulation
Stress is a major underlying cause of many chronic illnesses and overtime it can affect the level of hormones. Our body can develop conditions as a result of over- or under active adrenal glands such as Chronic Fatigue syndrome, disease resistance, impaired metabolism, diminished energy, and diminished emotions.
Utilizing an adrenal diagnostic test can open the door for healing. Diet changes, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional supplementation help the adrenal glands return to functioning as they should. When they are able to do that, the quality of life improves. A simple test can have a huge impact and that’s priceless.