Adrenal insufficiency may be acute or chronic. Symptoms of chronic adrenal insufficiency include low blood pressure, fatigue, weight loss, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, salt craving and low blood sugar. Skin and mucous membranes may show increased pigmentation. The loss of secondary sex characteristics is seen only in women with the disease. Acute adrenal insufficiency is a medical emergency and must be identified and promptly treated. The hallmarks of acute adrenal insufficiency are circulatory collapse with abdominal pain and low blood sugar.
Overproduction of androgens is also very rare but may result in excessive hair growth and menstrual period disturbances. Tumours of the adrenal gland are mostly benign and do not result in over or underproduction of adrenal hormones. Most tumours are discovered incidentally when people undergo scans for various other reasons. Adrenal cancer is very rare. Adrenal tumours may require surgery if they are large or overproduce hormones. The treatment of each disorder varies according to the specific cause.
Patients with any concerns about these conditions should seek advice from their doctor. Hormone replacement therapy or HRT also known as menopausal hormone therapy; MHT is the replacement of female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone in women to control symptoms of the menopause. About Contact Events News. The zona fasciculata ZF is the middle zone of the adrenal cortex, and it primarily produces cortisol.
The zona reticularis ZR is the inner most zone of the adrenal cortex and it is adjacent to the adrenal medulla. Functions of the zona retularis are to store cholesterol for steroidogenesis the making of steroid hormones and the secretion of sex hormones such as estrogen, and testosterone in small amounts.
Technical Information for Doctors and Nurses. In the zona glomerulosa ZG , progesterone is converted through several steps to the mineralocorticoid aldosterone. In the other layers of the cortex, progesterone is converted first to hydroxyprogesterone and then to either the hydroxysteroid cortisol or the ketosteroid sex hormones.
The mineralocorticoid aldosterone is produced in the outermost layer of the adrenal cortex, the zona glomerulosa. Aldosterone secretion is primarily controlled through a renal pathway. Decreased arterial pressure or decreased serum sodium concentration is sensed by the juxtaglomerular apparatus and the macula densa, respectively.
The result is the production and release of renin, activating angiotensin I. Circulating angiotensin II stimulates aldosterone secretion. To a lesser degree, aldosterone secretion is stimulated by direct effects of ACTH and elevated serum potassium.
With aging, there is decreased production of aldosterone. The zona fasciculata ZF and zona reticularis ZR are responsible for glucocorticoid production. Secretion of cortisol is controlled via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis.
Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone CRH causes release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone ACTH from the anterior pituitary gland, which stimulates the adrenal cortex to release cortisol. ACTH has a plasma half-life of 25 minutes and cortisol has a plasma half-life of 90 minutes.
ACTH and cortisol production is constant over life in normal, unstressed individuals. They are precursor hormones that are converted in the ovaries into female hormones estrogens and in the testes into male hormones androgens.
However, estrogens and androgens are produced in much larger amounts by the ovaries and testes. The adrenal medulla , the inner part of an adrenal gland, controls hormones that initiate the flight or fight response.
The main hormones secreted by the adrenal medulla include epinephrine adrenaline and norepinephrine noradrenaline , which have similar functions. Among other things, these hormones are capable of increasing the heart rate and force of heart contractions, increasing blood flow to the muscles and brain, relaxing airway smooth muscles, and assisting in glucose sugar metabolism.
They also control the squeezing of the blood vessels vasoconstriction , helping maintain blood pressure and increasing it in response to stress.
Like several other hormones produced by the adrenal glands, epinephrine and norepinephrine are often activated in physically and emotionally stressful situations when your body needs additional resources and energy to endure unusual strain. The two common ways in which adrenal glands cause health issues are by producing too little or too much of certain hormones, which leads to hormonal imbalances.
These abnormalities of the adrenal function can be caused by various diseases of the adrenal glands or the pituitary gland. Adrenal insufficiency is a rare disorder. It is the opposite of Cushing syndrome and is characterized by low levels of adrenal hormones. The symptoms include weight loss, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, darkening of skin only in primary adrenal insufficiency , abdominal pain, among other.
The causes of primary adrenal insufficiency may include autoimmune disorders, fungal and other infections, cancer rarely , and genetic factors. Although adrenal insufficiency usually develops over time, it can also appear suddenly as an acute adrenal failure adrenal crisis. It has similar symptoms, but the consequences are more serious, including life-threatening shock, seizures, and coma.
These may develop if the condition is left untreated. Adrenal insufficiency can also result from a genetic disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Children who are born with this disorder are missing an essential enzyme necessary to produce cortisol, aldosterone or both.
At the same time, they often experience excess of androgen, which may lead to male characteristics in girls and precocious puberty in boys. Many people with CAH also have low levels of aldosterone.
Classic CAH is the more severe type. Doctors often diagnose it at birth or during infancy. An infant with classic CAH may have enlarged genitals.
They may also have other symptoms, such as vomiting or weight loss. Nonclassic CAH is a mild condition that is not life threatening. Most of the time, the symptoms are not obvious until the infant reaches childhood or adulthood. Treatment for adrenal disorders depends on the specific disorder a person has and what is causing it.
With proper medical care and treatment, many people with adrenal gland disorders can lead healthy lives.
Today, medications and surgery options make this possible. Although some adrenal gland disorders can be serious, there are many treatment options available that provide people with a good chance to live a healthy life.
People with symptoms of an adrenal disorder should talk with a doctor. Receiving prompt medical treatment can help a person manage their condition and prevent any complications. Addison's disease is a condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones.
Symptoms range widely, from faintness and dizziness to, in…. Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that develops in the adrenal gland, which produces adrenalin. It is not usually cancerous.
0コメント