Because of the way most people live their lives, many confront varying degrees of fatigue on a regular basis. Then, before we know it, we crash. Exhaustion sets in and we simply assume that we need a few days to rest.

But what if it’s something more serious than that?

The fact is that many cases of supposed temporary exhaustion may in fact be part of a larger problem caused by an overload of stress in our lives. Adrenal fatigue can strike anyone at any time, and can progress in such a way that most people never see it coming until it’s too late and the damage has been done. If you want to understand the progression of the condition, you first need to learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

Signs That Indicate Adrenal Fatigue

Here are just a few of the most common signs and symptoms that might indicate the onset or presence of this syndrome:

• An inability to fully wake up in the morning, and continuing exhaustion even after a complete night of sleep
• Feeling lethargic throughout the day, or the sense that your body is weighted down
• More volatility in your emotions during stressful situations
• Loss of interest in sex
• Greater susceptibility to illnesses such as colds or the flu
• An unexplained increase In your appetite
• A sense of hopelessness or other forms of depression
• Loss of mental acuity
• Rising and falling energy levels throughout the day

How Bad Can Adrenal Fatigue Get?

Adrenal fatigue sufferers typically go through 3 stages of this condition. They are called the alarm reaction, the resistance reaction, and the exhaustion or burnout stage. Learn more about the progression of adrenal fatigue in: 3 distinct stages of adrenal fatigue.

Left unadressed, adrenal fatigue can result in total exhaustion with a variety of accompanying health conditions. That’s why it’s so essential that the condition be treated as soon as the first signs appear.

When the adrenals are devastated by continual stress over time, the immune system ends up being weakened and leaves a person more susceptible to everything from infection, blood sugar disorders to depression.To make things even more complicated, though, this condition can be both a cause and a result of other ailments. For while the weakened immune system resulting from adrenal fatigue can lead to things like bronchial infections, those infections and other illnesses can also contribute to adrenal failure.