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Adrenal Fatigue Connection

Meaning

A non-medical, popular concept suggesting a connection between chronic stress and a collection of non-specific symptoms like fatigue, body aches, and sleep disturbances, attributed to diminished adrenal gland function. Clinically, this term lacks formal diagnostic criteria and is not recognized as an official endocrinological diagnosis, though it reflects a spectrum of HPA axis dysregulation often seen in clinical practice. The underlying issue is often a functional imbalance in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress response system, not literal adrenal gland failure. It is important to differentiate this concept from true adrenal insufficiency, such as Addison’s disease, which is a life-threatening medical condition involving low cortisol production.