What is Adrenal Fatigue and How Red Light Therapy can Help with It?

If you’re feeling tired all the time, chances are you’ve probably heard of adrenal fatigue and maybe you’ve wondered if it might be the cause of your exhaustion. This article explains what adrenal fatigue is, why it happens, how red light therapy affects the adrenal glands, and how to use red light therapy in the comfort of your own home.

What is adrenal fatigue?

The adrenal glands are two little glands above your kidneys that are basically a hormone factory. They’re responsible for the production of key hormones for the body: Adrenaline (Epinephrine), Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine), Cortisol, Cortisone, DHEA, Testosterone, Progesterone, Estrogen and Aldosterone. If there is even a slight malfunction of the adrenal glands the health of the entire body suffers.

In the fast-paced culture we live in, we’re most likely to experience states of prolonged stress which overwork the adrenal glands, since more adrenaline and cortisol is needed on a daily basis. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is released by the adrenals to regulate your blood pressure. In response to stress, the adrenals release greater amounts of cortisol. Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenals have become overworked by the excess cortisol release and can no longer produce levels of cortisol necessary for optimal body function. [1]

Source: https://askthescientists.com/qa/adrenal-glands/[2]

Signs and Symptoms

Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue are thought to include:

• fatigue, particularly upon waking, with intermittent “crashes” throughout the day
• poor stress response and mood regulation
• cognitive issues or “brain fog”
• increased energy levels in the evenings 
• cravings for salty and sweet foods 
• overuse of caffeine and other stimulants 
• a compromised immune system

Less common symptoms are believed to include:

• insomnia
• frequent urination
• loss of muscle tone
• poor circulation
• depression
• weight gain 
• decreased libido[3]

Causes of adrenal fatigue

Any kind of excess stress causes the adrenals to increase cortisol production. Adrenal fatigue is thought to occur when the adrenals have been overworked to a degree that they can no longer produce the cortisol levels that are needed for optimal function. [4]

Potential stressors include environmental and dietary influences, as well as anxiety and emotional stresses. Experiences such as grief, trauma, and autoimmune conditions are considered to have a possible chronic negative impact on adrenal function. An overuse of antibiotics is also believed to possibly have detrimental effects on cortisol production.

How RLT affects the adrenal glands
The wavelengths from Red Light Therapy help your body heal at the cellular level—from the inside out. They show promise for addressing the root causes of adrenal issues, including hormonal imbalances like hypothyroidism.

Red Light Therapy or Photobiomodulation can give your system a boost and help regulate the production of various hormones in order to restore hormonal balance.

When red light absorbs into the body, it interacts with light-sensitive chromophores within mitochondria, which are the energy-producers inside most cells of the body. The mitochondria respond to red light by producing more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is cellular fuel.

A condition called mitochondrial dysfunction is now seen as one of the main causes of many chronic health challenges. The disorder stems from the inability of the mitochondria to convert raw materials into energy. Energy-depleted cells are unable to perform their functions and become more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.

You can’t function at your peak if you’re suffering from the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Inside your body, on a micro-level, your adrenal, thyroid, pituitary glands⁠—which are responsible for regulating the stress response—also can’t function optimally if their cells are depleted.

Low energy causes necessary biochemical reactions to drastically slow down. It’s no wonder you are chronically fatigued, moody, foggy, and prone to sickness.

In fact, the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and mitochondrial dysfunction are strangely similar. [5]

And chronic inflammation and nutritional deficiencies, along with a prolonged stress response, can cause the mitochondria to malfunction.

Red light therapy has been shown in many studies to stop and even reverse mitochondrial dysfunction. Restoring normal cellular function has a positive effect on a much greater scale: in your glands and organs.

Improving normal cell functioning could therefore be the first and most important step in relieving your symptoms.

In addition to stimulating healthy cellular activity, Photobiomodulation also reduces inflammation and improves circulation. As a result, cells aren’t under constant stress, and they receive the nutrients they need to generate fuel.

Again, it’s worth emphasizing that red light therapy is not guaranteed to reverse fatigue or related symptoms. However, it does promote overall healthy functioning of the body, which can improve well-being. [6]

How to use RLT for adrenal fatigue

• Distance – 10 inches away from the panel
• Duration – 5 minutes, three to five times a week
• Wavelength – 660nm
• Positioning — To target the adrenals, lean a panel against the wall and sit 6″ in front of it. You can also lie on your side if you’d like. Then, simply relax in the warm glow of the light.

Lifestyle Changes to Minimize Adrenal Fatigue
Red light therapy cannot be considered as a treatment for adrenal fatigue. However, it is promising for alleviating its symptoms. Using red light therapy combined with the following lifestyle changes will get you amazing results.

If you want to get more out of your red light therapy device, you can use it on other parts of the body. Browse through the articles on our blog to discover the many whole-body applications for red light therapy.

Nutrition and Hydration
Cut back or eliminate junk food, added sugar, and caffeine. Sugar is widely recognized as an inflammatory agent, and caffeine overstimulates the adrenals. Instead of reaching for coffee, drink more water instead. Hydration is key for the cells’ ability to absorb nutrients and expel waste. Eat more nutrient-rich vegetables to give your cells great raw materials to work with. Also, avoid supplements to boost adrenal function without a blood test to determine whether you actually have adrenal insufficiency and to identify nutritional deficiencies.

Stress Relief
In order for adrenal glands to rejuvenate and restore themselves,, the body must find states of relaxation. Moderate daily exercise, meditation, yoga, hobbies, gardening, or walking the dog can relieve stress, relax the stress response and let the parasympathetic nervous system perform its functions.

Try Red Light Therapy Today
If you’re interested in trying out red light therapy, try out our Model1 Pro device.
If you want to get more out of your red light therapy device, you can use it on other parts of the body. Browse through the articles on our blog to discover the many whole-body applications for red light therapy.

[1] Adrenal Fatigue and Infared Sauna (https://neosauna.com/adrenal-fatigue-and-infrared-sauna)

[2] Adrenal Glands (https://askthescientists.com/qa/adrenal-glands)

[3] What Exactly Is Adrenal Fatigue (https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/adrenal-disorders/adrenal-fatigue)

[4] Adrenal Fatigue (https://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/adrenal-fatigue)

[5] Tired All The Time? Understanding Adrenal Fatigue And Mitochondrial Dysfunction May Be The Key To Reclaiming Your Energy (https://www.naturalgrocers.com/health-hotline-article/tired-all-time-understanding-adrenal-fatigue-and-mitochondrial-dysfunction)

[6] Red/Near Infrared Light Stimulates Release of an Endothelium Dependent Vasodilator and Rescues Vascular Dysfunction in a Diabetes Model (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5699925/)