Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue

Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue

essential oils for adrenal fatigue

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Do you always feel tired? Does your energy level crash in the middle of the day, no matter what you do? Do you have insomnia, immune system problems, or feel like your brain is always foggy? You may have a hormone imbalance caused by too much stress, resulting in adrenal fatigue. But the good news is, you can treat this condition using simple yet effective essential oils. Here’s how!

Understanding Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a relatively new diagnosis that began to appear in the late 1990s. The condition results from an overstimulation of the adrenal glands due to chronic stress. Your adrenals are responsible for releasing cortisol and other stress-activated hormones into your body, and when it is under constant or extreme pressure, this overload can lead to a host of symptoms and other medical problems, including an insufficiency of DHEA, which is a hormone that helps to create other hormones that are necessary for your body’s normal function.

You have two adrenal glands, which are located above each kidney, and they are part of your endocrine system, which produces your body’s hormone. Your adrenals produce over 50 different hormones and play a role in nearly every critical body function. Without your adrenals, you must take supplementary medication, or you will die. Your adrenals work in concert with your hypothalamus and pituitary glands, comprising what is known as the HPA-axis.

Your adrenals play a significant role in your body’s response to external stress. Your brain perceives an emotional, mental, or physical threat, and your adrenals release adrenaline and cortisol to prepare your body to address this threat, which is known as the fight-or-flight response. Your adrenals then release hormones called corticosteroids to slow digestion, pause the immune system response, and delay other functions in your body that are not important to your immediate survival.

When you are under constant stress, your adrenals cannot keep up with the quantity of hormones needed to keep your body responding to this threat. You begin to develop symptoms that are often confusing and definitely bothersome. Most people with adrenal fatigue may wake up feeling relatively normal or require a caffeine boost to get you going, but as the day progresses, you eventually feel like your stores of energy have been depleted, and you may crash in the early or later part of the afternoon.

Other symptoms of this condition include chronic fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, insulin resistance, lowered libido, depression, irritability, depression, sleep disorders, weight gain, and skin problems.

Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue

Reducing stress and helping you relax can calm your adrenal response and help your hormones rebalance and restore your natural energy levels. The use of essential oils for aromatherapy has long been recognized as an effective treatment for reducing stress, and there are the best oils, according to research, for you to use to lower stress and improve your adrenal fatigue symptoms.

Lavender Essential Oil

lavender oil for adrenal fatigue

Arguably one of the best oils for reducing stress, lavender oil has been used for decades to help with sleeping disorders, to calm the nerves, and to reduce stress-related health problems. The aroma of lavender influences the brain immediately, calming and soothing anxious thoughts and worries. Using lavender in a diffuser or for direct inhalation from a tissue or piece of cloth is an excellent way to combat adrenal fatigue and relieve stress, no matter where you are or what you are doing. Those with adrenal fatigue would also benefit from using lavender while you sleep, to improve the quality of your rest.

Rosemary Essential Oil

rosemary oil for adrenal fatigue

Another excellent choice for aromatherapy to treat adrenal fatigue is rosemary essential oil. The aroma of rosemary is believed to trigger a near-immediate drop in cortisol levels once the brain detects it. The smell of this herb is potent and inhaling it daily can significantly increase your stress-relieving efforts. Use a room diffuser or place a few drops on a handkerchief to keep in your pocket to use throughout the day. You can even diffuse this oil while you sleep to reduce stress at night.

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

orange oil for adrenal fatigue

Sweet orange helps treat adrenal fatigue by combatting stress but also be lifting your mood and giving you more energy. This oil is known as its uplifting properties, and the best application for sweet orange oil is to the skin. Dilute this essential oil with your favorite carrier oil, like jojoba or coconut oil, and apply it to your neck, feet, and forehead to reduce stress. You can also use sweet orange oil in your room diffuser to enjoy the pleasant and energizing aroma of this oil.

Geranium Essential Oil

geranium oil for adrenal fatigue

Like orange, geranium is not only uplifting but can bring balance to your day. Geranium is commonly used to treat immune system disorders and chronic fatigue. It helps to regulate hormones, including those produced by the adrenal glands. You can use this oil for aromatherapy, but for best results dilute this oil and massage it directly into the skin just over your kidneys, where your adrenals are located.

Basil Essential Oil

basil oil for adrenal fatigue

To strengthen your adrenal glands and to build up their resistance to the effects of stress, try basil essential oil, which is used to renew and rejuvenate the body. Basil oil can help you to restore your natural hormone balance and improve your sleep, which can help lower stress. It is an excellent oil for treating exhaustion, and the best method for use is with a diffuser. Basil is known to help improve energy, concentration, and focus, so it is a great option when your energy starts to wane in the late afternoon.

Other Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue

There are several other excellent options for using to improve the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Other favorites include cinnamon bark oil, helichrysum oil, lemongrass oil, any of the citrus oils (grapefruit, lime, lemon, bergamot, ponzu, etc.), and clove oil. You can even create your own adrenal fatigue blend by combining your favorites.

Final Thoughts

Using essential oils combined with improving your diet and getting more exercise can help to treat your adrenal fatigue. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they worsen. Essential oils are an excellent, natural way to relieve stress, improve your sleep, and restore your natural hormone balance over time.