OMBE Integrative Health Center

OMBE's blog from the desk of Dr. Jacqueline S. Rho, ND…

Fatigue: the most common concern I hear in my office

Why am I so tired?  Why don’t I wake up refreshed?  Why am I gaining weight?  Why do I need to drink coffee late in the day to get my work done?  Do I have adrenal fatigue?

I hear these questions all the time and see many patients with what is termed, adrenal fatigue.  This is different than the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency, aka Addison’s disease, and is the cause of feeling tired throughout the day even if one slept for 8 hours during the night.  The adrenal glands are two small organs that sit right on top of the kidneys and is the source of our stress hormones and our fight-or-flight hormones.  When the human body is exposed to stress for a prolonged period of time, the adrenal glands become overworked and have a difficult time producing and regulating these hormones.  This then leads to an imbalance in other hormones, such as estrogen, thyroid, and insulin.

Examples of “stress” are:

1.      Not having deep, restful sleep for a month or more

2.      Skipping or missing meals, not eating for 6 hours or more

3.      Hating your home or work environment

4.      Excessive exercise

5.      Medications

6.      Constipation

7.      Excessive caffeine intake

8.      Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use

9.      Chronic disease

10.  Anxiety, Depression

11.  Sitting at a computer all day

12.  Etc. etc. etc.

Adrenal fatigue without treatment can eventually lead to imbalances in blood sugar regulation, food cravings, weight gain, irritability, joint pains, fogginess in the head, decrease in ability to exercise, sleep problems, and so on.  Naturopathic medicine is excellent in restoring the health of the adrenals and with correcting any other hormonal imbalances.

Book online for any naturopathic service at our Boston location or contact OMBE for additional information.  Dr. Rho provides complementary 20 minute consults.  Come in and discuss how she can help you today!

Bio: Dr. Jacqueline S. Rho is a naturopathic doctor, specializing in preventative and family care medicine.  She treats her patients as a whole, addressing the root cause of illness, rather than just the symptoms.  Dr. Rho has a focus in women’s health, cardiovascular conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune conditions.  She treats many other health conditions as she utilizes clinical nutrition, Classical Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and functional medicine in an integrative approach to provide individualized health care.  She has helped many with weight loss and detoxification, teaching her patients the lifestyle changes that are needed to improve their health and prevent disease.