Diseases of the adrenal gland in women: symptoms and treatment

The endocrine system is designed to control and regulate the work of the whole organism. Human health depends on the quality of its functioning.

It is to the endocrine system that the adrenal glands belong. Their pathology can lead to serious consequences. Consider in the article what adrenal disease symptoms have. Treatment for women with this disease has its own characteristics.

Adrenal Function

Before understanding the pathologies of these glands, it is necessary to find out what their role is in the body. This is a paired organ, which is located behind the kidneys in the abdominal cavity. Two structures are distinguished in their structure: medulla and cortical. In the human body, the adrenal glands perform a number of important functions:

1. The cortical substance synthesizes the hormones corticosterone and cortisol.
2. Here, in the adrenal cortex, the synthesis of sex hormones occurs. They directly affect the formation of secondary sexual characteristics. If women have an excessive formation of such hormones, then you can observe the appearance of signs that are characteristic of men.
3. Hormones formed in the cortical substance control the water-electrolyte balance in the body.
4. The brain substance is responsible for the synthesis of adrenaline and norepinephrine. They stimulate the work of the heart muscle, increase blood glucose, blood pressure, and expand the bronchi.
5. All adrenal hormones stimulate the body's response to stressful situations.

All these functions are performed by the adrenal glands if nothing interferes with their work. But this, unfortunately, does not always happen. The work of this body can also be disrupted, but it is important to detect adrenal diseases in women in time. Symptoms are easy to detect if you listen carefully and take a closer look at your body.

Any violations in the work of this body have their manifestations, it is important to pay attention to them in time and visit the endocrinologist.

The manifestation of adrenal gland pathologies in women

In the female body, both excess and lack of hormones leads to disturbances in the functioning of organ systems. The first thing that this kind of pathology affects the ability of a woman to conceive and bear a baby. But the disease of the adrenal gland in women is also manifested by the following symptoms:

• Intolerance to sunlight, it most often manifests itself in the form of an excessively strong tan.
• Constant depression.
• Pain in the chest.
• Brown spots appear on the skin.

• The monthly cycle is broken.
• The chest becomes smaller, as does the uterus.
• Acne appears on the face and other areas of the skin.
• The clitoris is growing.

Even with only a few symptoms, a woman should urgently visit a doctor to take the necessary measures to eliminate the problem. That is why it is necessary to know how adrenal gland disease manifests itself in order to connect the existing symptoms with the pathology of this organ.

Adrenal gland diseases in women

All doctors believe that problems in the work of this body can turn into serious complications in a woman’s health. Specialists most often note the following adrenal gland diseases in women, the symptoms of which can be observed:

1. Hyperaldosteronism. With this pathology, the organs synthesize too much of the hormone aldosterone.
2. Insufficiency of the cortex.
3. Hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex.
4. Pheochromocytoma.
5. Androgenital syndrome combines several congenital abnormalities at once.
6. Tumors of the adrenal gland.
7. Addison's disease is much less common than other pathologies.
8. Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome.

All these diseases have their own reasons for development, as well as signs. We consider the diseases of the adrenal glands in women in more detail below.

How does hyperaldosteronism manifest

This pathology is primary and secondary. It manifests itself in increased production of aldosterone by the adrenal cortex. Doctors distinguish the following reasons for the development of this condition:

• Liver diseases, such as cirrhosis.
• Chronic inflammatory processes in the kidneys.
• Heart failure.
• The secondary form occurs if the primary was not completely cured.

Hyperaldosteronism is manifested by the following symptoms:

• General weakness and muscle appear.
• Frequent headaches.
• Fatigue.

• Attacks of frequent palpitations occur.
• Too much urine is released per day.
• A person has a constant thirst.
• If you do a blood test, then it shows a decrease in calcium.
• Numbness in some parts of the body.
• Frequent cramps.

As soon as symptoms characteristic of a condition such as adrenal gland disease occur, treatment in women should begin immediately. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the pathology that caused the development of the disease.

Adrenal cortex insufficiency

As a rule, such a pathology is accompanied by other painful conditions in the body. The reason for this is considered:

• Damage to the anterior pituitary gland.
• Necrosis of the pituitary gland.
• Tumors
• Infectious diseases.

Bark failure is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. Asthenia develops.
2. The patient feels a sharp breakdown.
3. Dramatically begins to decrease body weight.
4. Appetite is lost.
5. Nausea and vomiting.
6. Brown spots appear on the skin.
7. There is a decrease in blood pressure, which is not amenable to drug therapy.
8. Violations of the stool.
9. Excessive urine output at night.
10. Blood glucose is lowered.

If adrenal disease clearly manifests its symptoms, treatment is prescribed in the form of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex

Typically, this pathology is congenital, it is accompanied by a clear violation of the production of cortisol. Experts call this cause of the disease state: a genetic mutation. Anything can provoke her.

This pathology is manifested as follows:

• Severe hyperpigmentation of the external genitalia appears.
• Virilization.
• Too early hair begins to grow in the armpit and pubis.
• Acne on the skin.
• In girls, menstruation begins late.

With such a pathology, early diagnosis is important so that it is possible to take appropriate measures for the normal functioning of the body.

How adrenal tumors manifest themselves

Most often, tumors of this organ are benign in nature. The exact causes have not yet been established, but for the hormone-active tumor, which is also called pheochromocytoma, the following provoking factors are called:

• Oncology of the thyroid gland.
• Systemic pathologies with congenital anomaly of cerebral vessels, skin integument, and eye shell.
• Excessive synthesis of hormones by the parathyroid glands.

With this pathology, the following symptoms of adrenal gland disease in women can be observed (photo shows one of them):

1. High blood pressure.
2. Heart rhythm is disturbed.
3. Muscle weakness appears.
4. Frequent urination at night.
5. Nausea and vomiting become frequent companions of a person.
6. Increased sweating.
7. Cramps.
8. The appearance of the patient worsens.
9. Constant trembling and chills.
10. Dry mouth.

Depending on the symptoms of adrenal disease in women, therapy is also prescribed.

Addison's Disease

With this pathology, the adrenal glands cease to synthesize a sufficient amount of cortisol. The following conditions are considered to be causes:

1. Damage to the endocrine glands with tuberculosis.
2. Violations resulting from exposure to chemicals.
3. Adrenal insufficiency.
4. Autoimmune processes.

Signs of the manifestation of this disease overlap with other pathologies:

• The heart begins to beat faster.
• Nausea and vomiting appear.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Violation of the stool.
• A sharp decrease in body weight.
• Fatigue comes quickly.
• Memory and attention suffer.
• Hair loss occurs in the axillary and pubic areas.
• Sex drive is reduced.

Manifestation of Cushing's Syndrome

Most often, this pathology is detected with the appearance of various neoplasms in the adrenal glands or neighboring organs. Among the symptoms of this disease are the following:

• Women develop fullness in the male type.
• Atrophy and muscle weakness appear.
• Constant depression.
• Frequent headaches.
• Capillaries become fragile, so bruises appear on the body.
• Furunculosis.

Whatever pathology develops, early diagnosis of adrenal disease is very important.

How to recognize adrenal disease

To recognize diseases of these organs, doctors have a whole arsenal of methods. If there are signs of adrenal gland disease in women, "How to check for pathology?" - first question. When visiting an endocrinologist, a woman will be offered to undergo the following types of studies:

1. Donate blood and urine for analysis.
2. Take a magnetic tomography.
3. Computed tomography will also not be superfluous.
4. X-ray the skull to determine the size of the pituitary gland.
5. Take hormonal tests.
6. An x-ray of the skeletal system will establish the presence of osteoporosis.
7. A modern diagnostic method is radiation research, which makes it possible to obtain information about the condition and functioning of the adrenal glands.

We have studied in detail adrenal diseases in women. Symptoms, diagnosis of these pathologies are considered in the article. It remains to investigate the treatment of diseases of this organ.

Adrenal Therapy

The task that doctors face when detecting adrenal gland pathology is to restore normal levels of hormones. In addition, it is necessary to neutralize all factors that exacerbate the course of the disease. Patients are advised to:

1. Acceptance of hormonal drugs, but strictly under the supervision of a doctor and according to the prescribed schedule and dosage. Such therapy is prescribed only after a full examination.
2. Antiviral and antibacterial drugs are often prescribed.
3. Useful intake of vitamins and minerals.
4. It is very important to pay attention to your diet.
5. Lead a healthy lifestyle, spend more time in the fresh air and move.
6. Try to avoid stressful situations.

If all the recommended measures and methods of therapy did not bring the desired result, and adrenal gland diseases in women show their symptoms, then you will have to resort to the help of a surgeon.

Adrenalectomy

Surgical intervention is resorted to only in extreme cases, when hormone therapy has not brought the desired results. Given the characteristics of the pathology, one or both adrenal glands can be removed. Surgeons take two approaches:

1. Traditional. A cavity operation is performed, a small incision is made, if the neoplasm is small - on the back, in the lumbar region. With large tumors, a large incision is made on the abdomen.
2. The endoscopic approach involves surgery using endoscopes that are inserted through a small hole in the stomach or back. This method has its advantages:

• The patient can go home in a few days.
• Minimal injury.
• Disability is restored in 2-3 weeks.
• There is no scarring after surgery.
• Bed rest - only one day.

If one adrenal gland is removed, then most often the symptoms of pathology can be forgotten, but with an ectomy of both, you will have to take hormonal drugs all your life.

The endocrine glands are very important in the normal functioning of our body. Any of their pathologies must be subjected to adequate therapy under the supervision of a competent specialist. This is the only way to ensure the functioning of all organ systems in normal mode.