In so many areas of life, things fall in the gray area, and health is no exception. The “gray area” is defined on Dictionary.com as “an undefined situation or subject that does not seem to conform to known categories or rules; an intermediate area or topic that is not clearly defined.” It is neither the extremes of black or white, but a melding of the two, creating many shades of gray – some more white than black, others more black than white.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the “Yin Yang” symbol illustrates this. White gradually mixes into black, black into white. It is an eternal round. The dot of black within the white, and the dot of white within the black symbolizes there is always one within the other.
When it comes to medicine and health, we are more than not, in the gray. How often does one manifest all the symptoms of a particular disease or disorder, but their blood work, scans, x-rays, etc. says they are “fine. Nothing is wrong”. Yet they suffer. In medicine today, largely a result of insurance companies, if a symptom cannot be clearly defined by modern tests, it doesn’t exist.
In the area of adrenal and thyroid health, this is especially true. You may have many of the symptoms of a thyroid condition such as fatigue, weight gain, hair falling out, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, impaired memory, etc., and be told your thyroid is “normal”. You don’t have to have all the symptoms to have impaired thyroid function. But in our world of medicine, if your blood work doesn’t support it, you don’t have it. It’s black and white: you could have a TSH, for instance, of 4.0 (normal is 0.4-4.0) and told your thyroid is within norms. But tomorrow, it could be 4.1 and “suddenly” you are hypothyroid! Do we jump from normal to abnormal within a day, a week, or a month? No! We slowly, insidiously, move that direction, ebbing and flowing according to stress, nutrition and other factors. Basically, if you are symptomatic, but the labs don’t support the diagnosis, you just have to get a little sicker before anything can be done! “Come back when you are sicker” is the message we get. Something is wrong with that. Doesn’t it make more sense to start addressing it in the earlier stages, before we get so sick? It makes more sense to work towards healing the thyroid while it is in the “gray area” where resolution is much easier.
The adrenals are small glands that sit on top of the kidneys, and is the hormonal part of the renal system. While there are several diseases associated with the adrenals, the black and white is Cushing Syndrome (excess Cortisol) and Addison’s (too little). The adrenals control inflammation, keep the immune system in check, help with blood sugar metabolism, blood pressure control, convert fats, carbs and protein into energy and is responsible for the regulation of many hormones. Most notably, the adrenals are our stress-control mechanism. We use a term “adrenal fatigue” to refer to the condition that lies in the gray area. Because it is in the gray area, it is not a medically recognizable term. Fatigue is the most common complaint with insufficient adrenal output, but there are many more symptoms. But here too, the “gray area” of adrenal health is the easiest to improve.
©2016 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
Medical/Health Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article should not be construed as personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this article. Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the author, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.
