Glands are one of the most important organs of the human body, as they regulate vital processes in the body Adrenal And its importance and the hormones that it secretes, as well as the diseases related to it and the symptoms of a defect in it.

What is the adrenal gland and its hormones?

Adrenal glands They are also called adrenal gland They are two triangular glands located above the kidneys. They secrete hormones that regulate the metabolism in the body, regulate the work of the immune system, control blood pressure, respond to stress and stress, and many other processes.

And when the adrenal glands are exposed to a malfunction, this leads to a decrease in the secretion of their hormones in what is called adrenal insufficiency or an increase in their secretion, and it is also possible to develop other problems that affect the health of the body in general.

Adrenal hormones

The adrenal glands consist of two parts Adrenal cortex It is the outer layer of the gland, andAdrenal medulla It is the inner part of the gland, each part of which works to secrete certain hormones of its own, and each hormone has a role in the body.

For hormones adrenal cortex Include:

Cortisol hormone

This hormone helps the body to consume and store carbohydrates, protein, and fats. It can also cause adjustments and changes in the metabolism process to suit the body’s need and to control stress and tension, in addition to suppressing the immune system from attacking healthy body cells.

Aldosterone hormone

This hormone helps the kidneys control the amount of salts in the blood and in the various tissues of the body.

Androgen hormones

It is also known as the male hormone, but it is also secreted in females in smaller quantities than males. This hormone helps the organs of the male reproductive system to grow and carry out their functions. It also helps to develop the physical characteristics of males such as deepening of the voice, hair growth in the body and face, and giving the masculine shape to the body. In addition to helping to secrete estrogen.

Estrogen hormone

Also known as the female hormone, but it is also secreted in males in smaller quantities. This hormone helps the female reproductive system organs to grow, develop and perform their functions. It also helps the development of physical characteristics in females such as the growth of breasts.

As for the hormones of the inner part, which is Adrenal medulla They also act as neurotransmitters in addition to being hormones, as they work to regulate the body’s response to stress and stress, and there are two main hormones:

Adrenaline hormone

It is also called Epinephrine hormone And this hormone is secreted for a short period of time and not always only when the body is exposed to nervous pressure, such as exposure to an embarrassing situation, shock or fear, so it increases the heart rate, raises blood pressure and increases the rate of sugar in the blood.

Noradrenaline hormone

It is also called Norepinephrine hormone And it works to narrow the blood vessels to control blood pressure by increasing or decreasing it as needed, and it also, like adrenaline, increases the heart rate and the level of sugar when exposed to nervous pressure.

Adrenal gland symptoms and diseases

There are several diseases and disorders related to the adrenal glands that can be serious and the symptoms appear according to each disease as follows:

Benign adrenal gland tumors

Abnormal growth may occur in the cells of the adrenal glands, causing tumors, which are usually benign, non-cancerous tumors, but may cause disorders in hormone secretion, leading to other diseases due to excessive cortisol secretion, excessive aldosterone secretion, and excessive adrenaline secretion.

Adrenocortical carcinoma

Here we can answer your question.Is an adrenal gland tumor dangerous??” Sometimes adrenal gland tumors may become cancerous tumors that arise on the outer layer of the adrenal gland, and unfortunately these tumors are often discovered years after their development and spread in advanced stages.

Symptoms of adrenal tumors

• Bruises appear easily.
• High blood pressure and blood sugar level.
• Low potassium in the blood.
• general weakness.
• sweating
• Increased hair growth.
• Weight gain or loss for no apparent reason.
• The appearance of skin stretch marks in the abdomen.
• Depression and nervousness.
• Panic attacks and anxiety.
• Osteoporosis.
• Neck fat.
• Heart palpitations.

Cushing’s syndrome

Also known as Moon Face Syndrome It is a rare disease that occurs due to increased secretion of cortisol resulting from several reasons, including taking steroid medications, adrenal gland tumors, or other tumors in the body.

Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome

• Weight gain in the upper body, including the roundness of the face and neck.
• Thin arms and legs.
• Skin problems such as pimples and blue-red lines in the abdomen and under the arms.
• Hypertension.
• Increase diabetes level in the blood.
• Muscle and bone weakness.
• Depression and moodiness.
• Slow growth rates in children.
• Menstrual disorders in women and increased facial and body hair growth.
• Lack of fertility in men and lack of sexual desire.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia CAH

And it occurs because of a genetic defect since birth, and there is a defect in the secretion of some hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone, and an increase in the secretion of the male hormone androgen, which causes an increase in the growth of the sexual organs in males and females.

Symptoms of adrenal hyperplasia

• Short stature.
• precocious puberty
• The appearance of acne.
• Menstrual disorders and delayed pregnancy.
• Increased facial hair growth in women.

Some of the symptoms in severe cases in children include:

• Drought.
• Low blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Abnormal and premature development of the female reproductive organs that are noticeable at birth and may require surgical intervention.
• precocious puberty
• The appearance of benign tumors in the testicles in males.

Pheochromocytoma

It is a tumor that can arise in the inner part of the gland (the medulla) that causes increased secretion of the hormone adrenaline, and it is often a benign tumor that does not spread to other parts of the body, but it can be a malignant tumor with a rate of 10%.

Symptoms of pheochromocytoma

• heart rate
• excessive sweating
• Headache.
• Sequentially high or low blood pressure.
• Increase diabetes level in the blood.
• Anxiety, panic attacks and other mental disorders.
• pale skin
• Tremor in the hands.
• blurry vision
• Unexplained weight loss.
• constipation.
• Tummy ache.

Adrenal insufficiency – Addison’s disease

It is a rare immune disorder caused by: Cortisol deficiency In it, the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells, which causes damage to the adrenal glands until it develops into complete failure of the adrenal glands and stops them from working.

Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency

• Weight loss.
• Extreme fatigue and general weakness.
• Nausea with or without vomiting.
• Reduction of Blood pressure.
• The appearance of dark spots on the skin.
• Urgent need to eat citrus.
• Dizziness when standing.
• Depression.

Hyperaldosteronism

It occurs due to an enlargement of one or both glands, or due to a tumor in the glands, in which a lot of the hormone aldosterone is secreted, which controls the proportion of salts and potassium in the blood, and which regulates blood pressure.

Symptoms of hyperaldosteronism

• Low potassium level in the blood.
• muscle cramps
• Frequent urination, especially at night.
• Headache.
• general weakness.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency

It is the condition in which there is an imbalance in the secretion of hormones due to taking some steroid medications (eg cortisone) that treat some conditions such as asthma, allergies and immune diseases for a long time and stop taking them suddenly, which makes the adrenal gland unable to produce its own steroid hormones, especially cortisol, which results in many problems in the body until the glands return to normal again.

Symptoms of secondary adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal gland analysis

In addition to a physical examination and family history, there are several tests and procedures that may be needed to diagnose adrenal gland disorders, including:

• Blood tests to measure hormone levels, especially cortisol.
• Insulin tolerance tests.
• 24-hour urine collection for analysis.
• CT and MRI scans to detect tumors and enlargements in the adrenal and pituitary glands (which can also cause adrenal gland dysfunction).
• In the case of pheochromocytoma, x-rays are done MIBG.

Treatment of adrenal gland dysfunction

Treatment here is divided into two parts according to the type of disease. There is treatment with medication or treatment with surgical intervention, and it includes:

• In the case of adrenal insufficiency, hormone replacement therapy is used to compensate for the lack of cortisol and aldosterone.
• In the case of a malignant tumor or adrenal gland cancer, surgical intervention is often used to remove the tumor to prevent it from spreading.
• In the case of pheochromocytoma, the treatment is either using chemotherapy or radiation, or the doctor may resort to surgery.
• In the case of benign tumors, their treatment is determined according to the patient’s condition and the extent of the tumor’s effect on him and its size. If the tumors are small and ineffective, the doctor may leave them without treatment or intervention, and only monitor and follow up on the condition. If the tumors are large and have a negative effect, the doctor may advise surgical removal.

Finally, after knowing the importance of the adrenal gland, the function of the hormones it secretes, diseases related to it, its symptoms, and how to diagnose and treat it, if you have any other questions about diseases of the adrenal glands, you can consult one of our doctors.