How to Diagnose Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

The adrenal glands are primarily responsible for the synthesis of catecholamines and coricosteroids, including adrenaline and cortisol. The hormones secreted by the adrenal glands increase blood pressure and heart rate, and release energy stores for immediate use. Adrenal fatigue syndrome occurs when the adrenal glands fail to produce enough cortisol. This impairs the body's ability to deal with stress. The following steps show how to diagnose adrenal fatigue.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Observe initial symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome as an insufficient response to stress. These include an increase in blood sugar under stress, menstrual or menopausal symptoms under stress, lack of energy, muscle weakness and a decrease in sex drive.
2. Detect other signs of adrenal fatigue not necessarily related to stress. These include absent mindedness, mild constipation alternating with diarrhea, mild depression and salt cravings.
3. Conduct tests that will contribute to an assessment because no single test is available that will provide a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue syndrome. These tests may include an adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test, a morning cortisol test and a postural hypotension test.
4. Measure cortisol levels throughout the day. The early stages of adrenal fatigue syndrome may show elevated cortisol levels during the day that continue rising at night.
5. Interpret a low plasma cortisol level to be highly suggestive of advanced adrenal fatigue syndrome if the patient is in shock or highly stressed. A low plasma cortisol level combined with an elevated plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test level may be considered diagnostic. Rule out thyroid insufficiency for chronic cases of hypothyroidism.