Lyme Disease & Adrenal Insufficiency - How A Nutritionist & Acupuncturist Can Help
After spending countless hours trying to figure out what's going on with your decline in health, you may feel a mixture of relief and fear at the diagnosis of Lyme disease. At least you now know what it is causing all of your symptoms, but you're probably asking, "Now what?" Sometimes, people develop chronic symptoms months or years after being bitten by a tick, including headaches, dizziness, joint pain, and adrenal insufficiency.
In many people with Lyme disease, symptoms of adrenal insufficiency can be harder to deal with. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the symptoms that are caused by adrenal insufficiency. Here's what you need to know and how a nutritionist and an acupuncturist can help.
What Is Adrenal Insufficiency?
As you can probably tell by the name, adrenal insufficiency is when the adrenal gland is insufficient in doing its job. The role of the adrenal gland is to produce adrenaline and two steroids called aldosterone and cortisol. You're likely familiar with adrenaline. It's what helps your body to react quickly when it comes to flight or fight situations. This is why people with Lyme disease tend to feel sluggish and fatigued.
Aldosterone regulates blood pressure and controls things other things like potassium in your urine and how much sodium your body releases in your bloodstream. Cortisol helps control your blood pressure and blood sugars. Cortisol also helps regulate metabolism and balance electrolytes. If these are issues you are having trouble with, see an endocrinologist to test your adrenal gland functioning.
What Can You Do to Combat Adrenal Insufficiency?
Of course, you'll want to follow the advice and recommendations of your endocrinologist and family doctor, but there are several other specialists who can help your symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. Set up appointments with a nutritionist so you can learn what to eat to make up for your adrenal insufficiency. A diet rich in beneficial fats, high in fiber, low in sugar, and high in sea salt can help rejuvenate your adrenal gland.
Schedule treatments with an acupuncturist. Acupuncture uses hair-thin needles that are inserted into various specific points of the body to stimulate what the Chinese call qi (life energy). When in the skin, the needles are then stimulated by either the acupuncturist's hands or by an electrical device. When the needles are properly placed, they do not cause pain. Acupuncturists also do other types of stimulation of chi, such as acupressure, moxibustion (heat), cupping, and electromagnetic impulses.