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. The health of a person depends on the quality of its functioning.

It is to the endocrine system that adrenals are included. Their pathologies can lead to serious consequences. Consider in the article, which has adrenal disease symptoms. Treatment for women of this disease has its own characteristics.

Adrenal function

Before you deal with the pathologies of these glands, you need to find out what their role in the body. It is a paired organ that is located behind the kidneys in the abdominal cavity. In their structure, two structures are distinguished: the brain substance and the cortical one. In the human body, the adrenal glands perform a number of important functions:

1. The cortex synthesizes the hormones corticosterone and cortisol.
2. Here, in the cortex of the adrenal glands, there is a synthesis of sex hormones. They directly affect the formation of secondary sexual characteristics. If women have excessive formation of such hormones, then you can observe the appearance of signs that are typical for men.
3. Hormones formed in the cortex 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 the blood glucose, blood pressure, expand the bronchi.
5. All hormones of the adrenal glands stimulate the body's response to stressful situations.

All these functions are performed by the adrenal glands, if nothing breaks their work. But this, unfortunately, does not always happen. The work of this organ can also be violated, but it is important to detect adrenal diseases in women in time. Symptoms are easy to detect if you carefully listen and look closely 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.

Manifestations of adrenal pathologies in women

In the female body, both the excess and the lack of hormones lead to disturbances in the functioning of organ systems. The first thing this kind of pathology affects the ability of a woman to conceive and endure a baby. But adrenal insufficiency in women is also manifested by the following signs:

• Intolerance to sunlight, it often manifests itself in the form of an excessively strong sunburn.
• Constant depression.
• Painful sensations in the chest.
• On the skin there are pigmented spots.

• The monthly cycle is disrupted.
• The breast becomes smaller, just like the uterus.
• Appears on the face and other areas of the skin acne.
• Expands clitoris.

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

Diseases of the adrenal gland in women

All doctors believe that the problems in the work of this body can lead to serious complications in the health of women. Specialists most often note the following adrenal diseases in women whose symptoms can be observed:

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

All these diseases have their own reasons for development, as well as signs. Diseases of the adrenal gland in women will be discussed in more detail below.

How is hyperaldosteronism manifested

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

• Liver diseases, for example cirrhosis.
• Chronic inflammatory processes in the kidneys.
• Heart failure.
• The secondary form arises, if the primary was not healed completely.

Hyperaldosteronism is manifested by the following symptoms:

• There is general weakness and muscle.
• Frequent headaches.
• Increased fatigue.

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

As soon as there are symptoms characteristic of a condition such as adrenal disease, symptoms, treatment in women should begin immediately. The first step is to eliminate the pathology that caused the development of the disease.

Insufficiency of the adrenal cortex

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

• Defeat of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland.
• Necrosis of the pituitary gland.
• Tumors.
• Infectious diseases.

There is a lack of cortex with the following symptoms:

1. Asthenia develops.
2. The patient feels a sharp decline in strength.
3. Body weight begins to decrease sharply.
4. Appetite disappears.
5. Nausea and vomiting.
6. On the skin there are pigmented spots.
7. There is a decrease in blood pressure, which does not lend itself to drug therapy.
8. Violations of the stool.
9. Abundant discharge of urine at night.
10. The blood glucose level goes down.

If the adrenal gland clearly shows its symptoms, the treatment is prescribed in the form of taking glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex

Usually, such a pathology is congenital, it is accompanied by a clear violation of cortisol production. Specialists call such a cause of a morbid state: a genetic mutation. Anything can provoke it.

This pathology appears as follows:

• There is a pronounced hyperpigmentation of the external genitalia.
• Virilization.
• Too early to grow hair in the axilla and pubic hair.
• Acne on the skin.
• Girls are late for menstruation.

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

How do adrenal tumors manifest themselves?

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

• Oncology of the thyroid gland.
• Systemic pathologies with congenital anomaly of the vessels of the brain, skin, eyes.
• Excess synthesis of hormones by parathyroid glands.

With this pathology, you can observe the following symptoms of adrenal gland in women (a photo shows one of them):

1. High blood pressure.
2. The heart rhythm is broken.
3. There is weakness in the muscles.
4. Frequent urge to go to the toilet at night.
5. Nausea and vomiting become frequent companions of a person.
6. Intensified sweating.
7. Convulsions.
8. The appearance of the patient worsens.
9. Constant shivering and chills.
10. Dryness in the oral cavity.

Depending on what manifestations of adrenal diseases in women are symptoms, therapy is 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 the cause:

1. Defeat of endocrine glands by tuberculosis.
2. Infringements as a result of influence of chemical substances.
3. Adrenal insufficiency.
4. Autoimmune processes.

The signs of the manifestation of this disease correspond with other pathologies:

• My heart starts to beat more often.
• Nausea and vomiting appear.
• The blood pressure drops.
• Violation of the stool.
• A sharp decrease in body weight.
• Fatigue comes quickly.
• Memory and attention suffer.
• There is hair loss in the armpit and pubic areas.
• Decreased sex drive.

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:

• In women, fullness develops in the male type.
• There is atrophy and weakness in the muscles.
• Constant depressive state.
• Frequent headaches.
• Capillaries become brittle, so bruises appear on the body.
• Furunculosis.

Whatever pathology develops, early diagnostics of adrenal diseases is very important.

How to recognize adrenal diseases

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

1. To hand over a blood and urine on the analysis.
2. To pass magnetic tomography.
3. Computer tomography will not be superfluous either.
4. Make an x-ray of the skull to establish the size of the pituitary gland.
5. Pass the hormonal assays.
6. The x-ray of the bone system will establish the presence of osteoporosis.
7. The modern method of diagnosis is radiation research, which makes it possible to obtain information on the status and functioning of the adrenal glands.

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

Therapy of Adrenal Diseases

The task that confronts doctors when finding the pathology of the adrenal glands is the restoration of the normal level of hormones. In addition, it is necessary to neutralize all the factors that aggravate the course of the disease. Patients are recommended:

1. Admission of hormonal drugs, but strictly under the supervision of a doctor and according to the prescribed scheme and dosage. Such therapy is prescribed only after a complete examination.
2. Antiviral and antibacterial drugs are often prescribed.
3. It is useful to take vitamins and minerals.
4. It is very important to pay attention to your diet.
5. To lead a healthy lifestyle, more to be out 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 diseases in women have their symptoms, then they will have to resort to the help of a surgeon.

Adrenalectomy

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

1. Traditional. A cystic surgery is performed, a small incision is made if the tumor is small - on the back, in the lumbar region. When large tumors have to make a large incision on the stomach.
2. The endoscopic approach involves performing an operation using endoscopes that are injected through a small hole on the abdomen or back. This method has its advantages:

• The patient can go home in a few days.
• Minimal injury.
• Workability is restored in 2-3 weeks.
• There is scarring left after the operation.
• Bed rest is only one day.

If one adrenal gland is removed, it is often possible to forget about the symptoms of pathology, but with the ectomy of both, it is necessary to take hormonal preparations for life.

Glands of internal secretion are very important in the normal work of our body. Any of their pathologies must necessarily undergo 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.