Adrenal glands are the endocrine glands that secrete certain types of hormones. Human body consists of two adrenal glands. Adrenal glands occur on top of both kidneys. But a human can live normally with only one adrenal gland also. Generally, adrenal glands do not develop any type of problem, but sometimes the functioning of adrenal glands may be adversely affected.
Adrenal dysfunction occurs when the adrenal gland of the human body fails to produce the required amount of hormones. The common symptoms of adrenal dysfunction are weight loss, fatigue and loss of appetite etc.
Adrenal dysfunction
The main cause of adrenal disorders is that your glands make too much or too less of certain hormones which are required. The hormones which are produced by the adrenal glands are adrenaline and aldosterone.
Adrenal dysfunction is a disease that can be treatable but it cannot be cured completely. It requires a medical diagnosis and lab tests. Imaging is always required in the process of diagnosis.
Adrenal dysfunction is a type of disorder that occurs when the glands do not produce the required amount of certain hormones. The stress hormone, which is known as cortisol, and is very important for life, is one such hormone.
Symptoms of adrenal dysfunction
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Darkening of skin
- Lowering of blood pressure, which can cause the person to faint
- Craving for salt and salty foods
- Lowering of glucose levels
- Nausea, vomit
- Abdominal pain
- Joint or muscle pain
- Irritability
- Depression
- Loss of body hair
- Sexual dysfunction in women
Adrenal dysfunction can be triggered by an autoimmune disease or due to the sudden stoppage of steroid medicines used to treat other conditions, among other causes. Light-headedness or dizziness, weakness, sweating, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms seen in a patient. Severe symptoms can also include the loss of consciousness.
Adrenal dysfunction is also known as Addison’s disease. It is a life-threatening condition that results in low blood pressure, low blood levels of sugar and high blood levels of potassium.
Diagnosis of adrenal dysfunction
Usually, blood tests are used to diagnose this disease. Such tests include Insulin tolerance, CRH stimulation test, antibody blood tests, computer tomography (CT) scan, tests for TB, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment of adrenal dysfunction
Once diagnosed, adrenal dysfunction can be treated with medicines that are administered to replace the hormones which are not being produced by your body. During surgery, illness, pregnancy or after a serious injury, the medicinal dose will vary.
If you have adrenal insufficiency, ask your doctor for an injectable glucocorticoid that you can carry with you. Make sure that you know how to inject it yourself, and that your family and friends also know how and when to inject you.
Eating, diet, and nutrition
People who are suffering from this disorder may require a diet rich in sodium. Some people are also prescribed calcium and vitamin D medicines to replace cortisol.
Complications of adrenal dysfunction
The adrenal glands and the hormones controlled by them are vital to many of your body’s functions. If you ignore or don’t treat adrenal dysfunction, then it might lead to serious complications, some of which may be life-threatening.
Prevention
As scientists don’t know why adrenal disorders occur, there is no way to prevent them. However, there are certain symptoms that one can look out for.
- If a person is consuming artificial male hormones to gain muscle mass, then it is advisable to stop doing that as it might end up damaging the other glands.
- You should always contact your doctor when you have symptoms that bother you. Some of these might include:
- Losing weight without trying, or gaining weight, particularly in the upper body
- tiredness that prevents you from getting through your daily tasks
- Being in any type of pain that is severe or that doesn’t stop
- Experiencing loss of hair or accelerated hair growth.
- Experiencing skin changes, like bruising or stretch marks.
Conclusion
We have read about the dysfunction of the adrenal gland, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. An adrenal gland secretes stress hormones whose inappropriate quantity can result in the dysfunctioning of the body. Hence, it will also affect the homeostasis of the body. Extreme fatigue, weight loss, decreased appetite, darkening of your skin, nausea, diarrhoea, or vomiting (gastrointestinal symptoms), abdominal pain, muscle or joint pain, irritability, depression or other behavioural symptoms, body hair loss or sexual dysfunction in women are some of the symptoms of the disease.Adrenal dysfunction may be detected through blood tests. Other tests, such as CT scans and MRI, may also help to find the root cause of this problem. Simply following a good and healthy diet can be the best treatment for this disease.