What is the pituitary gland?

Your pituitary gland (also known as hypophysis) is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base
of your brain below your hypothalamus. It sits in its own little chamber under your brain known
as the sella turcica. It’s a part of your endocrine system and is in charge of making several
essential hormones. Your pituitary gland also tells other endocrine system glands to release
hormones.
A gland is an organ that makes one or more substances, such as hormones, digestive juices,
sweat or tears. Endocrine glands release hormones directly into your bloodstream.
Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages
through your blood to various organs, skin, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell your
body what to do and when to do it.
Your pituitary gland is divided into two main sections: the anterior pituitary (front lobe) and the
posterior pituitary (back lobe). Your pituitary is connected to your hypothalamus through a
stalk of blood vessels and nerves called the pituitary stalk (also known as infundibulum).

The pituitary gland is a small gland that sits in the sella

turcica (‘Turkish saddle’), a bony hollow in the base of the skull,
underneath the brain and behind the bridge of the nose. The pituitary
gland has two main lobes, the anterior pituitary gland and the
posterior pituitary gland, which are joined by pars intermedia. The
gland is attached to a part of the brain (the hypothalamus) that
controls its activity. The anterior pituitary gland is connected to the
brain by short blood vessels. The posterior pituitary gland forms part of
the brain and secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream under
the command of the brain.

Which hormones does the pituitary gland make?

The anterior lobe of your pituitary gland makes and releases the following hormones:

 Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or corticotrophin): ACTH plays a role in

how your body responds to stress. It stimulates your adrenal glands to
produce cortisol (the “stress hormone”), which has many functions, including
regulating metabolism, maintaining blood pressure, regulating blood glucose
(blood sugar) levels and reducing inflammation, among others.
 Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): FSH stimulates sperm production in
people assigned male at birth. FSH stimulates the ovaries to produce estrogen
and plays a role in egg development in people assigned female at birth. This is
known as a gonadotrophic hormone.
 Growth hormone (GH): In children, growth hormone stimulates growth. In other
words, it helps children grow taller. In adults, growth hormone helps maintain
healthy muscles and bones and impacts fat distribution. GH also impacts
your metabolism (how your body turns the food you eat into energy).
  Luteinizing hormone (LH): LH stimulates ovulation in people assigned female
at birth and testosterone production in people assigned male at birth. LH is also
known as a gonadotrophic hormone because of the role it plays in controlling the
function of the ovaries and testes, known as the gonads.
 Prolactin: Prolactin stimulates breast milk production (lactation) after giving birth.
It can affect fertility and sexual functions in adults.
 Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): TSH stimulates your thyroid to produce
thyroid hormones that manage your metabolism, energy levels and your nervous
system.

The posterior lobe of your pituitary gland stores and releases the following hormones,
but your hypothalamus makes them:

 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH, or vasopressin): This hormone regulates the

water balance and sodium levels in your body.
 Oxytocin: Your hypothalamus makes oxytocin, and your pituitary gland stores
and releases it. In people assigned female at birth, oxytocin helps labor to
progress during childbirth by sending signals to their uterus to contract. It also
causes breast milk to flow and influences the bonding between parent and baby.
In people assigned male at birth, oxytocin plays a role in moving sperm.

Can you live without a pituitary gland?

You can live without your pituitary gland as long as you take medication to replace the
pituitary hormones that you’re missing. The pituitary gland hormones are very important
for maintaining several bodily functions. An untreated lack of all the pituitary hormones
is life-threatening.

What is the function of the pituitary gland?

The main function of your pituitary gland is to produce and release several hormones
that help carry out important bodily functions, including:

 Growth.
 Metabolism (how your body transforms and manages the energy from the food
you eat).
 Reproduction.
 Response to stress or trauma.
 Lactation.
 Water and sodium (salt) balance.
 Labor and childbirth.

Think of your pituitary gland like a thermostat. The thermostat performs constant
temperature checks in your home to keep you comfortable. It sends signals to your
heating and cooling systems to turn up or down a certain number of degrees to keep air
temperatures constant.
Your pituitary gland monitors your body functions in much the same way. Your pituitary
sends signals to your organs and glands — via its hormones — to tell them what
functions are needed and when. The right settings for your body depend on several
factors, including your age and sex.

How does the hypothalamus and pituitary gland interact?

Together, your pituitary gland and hypothalamus form a hypothalamus-pituitary complex

that serves as your brain’s central command center to control vital bodily functions.

Your hypothalamus is the part of your brain that’s in charge of some of your body’s
basic operations. It sends messages to your autonomic nervous system, which controls
things like blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Your hypothalamus also tells your
pituitary gland to produce and release hormones that affect other areas of your body.

Your pituitary gland is connected to your hypothalamus through a stalk of blood vessels
and nerves (the pituitary stalk). Through that stalk, your hypothalamus communicates
with the anterior pituitary lobe via hormones and the posterior lobe through nerve
impulses. Your hypothalamus also creates oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone and tells
your posterior pituitary when to store and release these hormones.

Your hypothalamus makes the following hormones to communicate with and stimulate
your pituitary gland:

 Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH).

 Dopamine.
 Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
 Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).
 Somatostatin.
 Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).

Since your pituitary gland and hypothalamus work together so closely, if one of them
becomes damaged, it can affect the hormonal function of the other.

How does the pituitary gland affect other organs and glands?

The hormones your pituitary gland releases have effects on many parts of your body,
especially your:

 Thyroid.
 Reproductive system organs, including the ovaries and testes.
 Adrenal glands.

Where is the pituitary gland located?

Your pituitary gland is located at the base of your brain, behind the bridge of your nose
and directly below your hypothalamus. It sits in an indent in the sphenoid bone called
the sella turcica.

What are the parts of the pituitary gland?

Your pituitary gland has two main parts, or lobes: the anterior (front) lobe and the
posterior (back) lobe. Each lobe has different functionality and different types of tissue.

The anterior pituitary, the larger of the two lobes, consists of hormone-
secreting epithelial cells and is connected to your hypothalamus through blood vessels.

The posterior pituitary consists of unmyelinated (lacking a casing of fatty insulation)

secretory neurons and is connected to your hypothalamus through a nerve tract.

How big is the pituitary gland?

A healthy pituitary gland weighs less than one gram (less than one paperclip) and is
about the size of a pea or kidney bean.

The anterior pituitary lobe is bigger than the posterior lobe and accounts for about 80%
of the total weight of your pituitary gland.

What conditions and disorders are related to the pituitary gland?

Several conditions can affect or are affected by your pituitary gland’s function. The four
main categories of issues related to your pituitary gland include:

 Pituitary adenomas.
 Hypopituitarism.
 Hyperpituitarism.
 Empty sella syndrome.

Pituitary adenomas

A pituitary adenoma is a benign (noncancerous) growth on your pituitary gland. They

make up 10% to 15% of all tumors that develop within your skull.

Pituitary adenomas are usually slow-growing, but if they grow too big, they can put
pressure on nearby structures and cause symptoms. They can also compress your
optic nerve and lead to vision disturbances (loss of peripheral vision). In rare cases,
large pituitary adenomas can bleed internally.

Some pituitary adenomas release excess pituitary hormones. These are called
functioning (secreting) adenomas. Others don’t release any hormones. These are called
non-functioning adenomas.
There are several different types of functioning pituitary adenomas based on which
hormone they release. The most common functioning adenoma is a prolactinoma,
which releases excess prolactin. Prolactinomas are typically treated with medication.

Pituitary tumors that grow too big and/or release hormones require treatment, which
usually involves surgery.

Hypopituitarism

Hypopituitarism is a condition in which there’s a lack of one, multiple or all of the

hormones your pituitary gland makes.

Most cases of hypopituitarism involve one hormone deficiency. A deficiency in two or

more of the pituitary hormones is called panhypopituitarism. This typically happens after
pituitary surgery or brain radiation.

Hypopituitarism is most often caused by some type of damage to your pituitary gland or
hypothalamus.

Specific conditions that involve a deficiency of a pituitary hormone include:

 Growth hormone deficiency: This condition happens when your pituitary

doesn’t release enough growth hormone (GH). In children, it causes a lack of
growth and development and delayed puberty. In adults, it causes metabolic
issues.
 Central diabetes insipidus: This condition happens when your pituitary doesn’t
release enough antidiuretic hormone (ADH, or vasopressin). This causes your
body to produce too much urine (pee), and it isn’t able to retain enough water.
 Central hypogonadism: This condition happens when your pituitary doesn’t
release enough luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
This causes issues with sexual function and development and fertility.
 Central adrenal insufficiency: This condition happens when your pituitary
doesn’t release enough ACTH. It causes your body to be unable to release
cortisol.
 Central hypothyroidism: This condition happens when your pituitary doesn’t
release enough thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). It causes low thyroid
hormone levels.

Treatment of hypopituitarism involves replacing the lacking hormones and monitoring

the levels through blood tests.

Hyperpituitarism

Hyperpituitarism happens when your pituitary gland makes too much of one or more
hormones. It’s often caused by a functioning/secreting pituitary adenoma (a
noncancerous tumor).
Specific conditions that involve an excess of a pituitary hormone include:

 Acromegaly: This condition happens when your pituitary gland releases too
much growth hormone as an adult. It causes enlargement of certain parts of your
body, such as your hands, feet and/or organs, and metabolic issues.
 Gigantism: This condition happens when your pituitary gland releases too much
growth hormone as a child or adolescent. It causes rapid growth and very tall
height.
 Cushing’s disease: This condition happens when your pituitary gland releases
too much ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), which causes your adrenal gland
to make too much cortisol. It causes rapid weight gain in certain areas of your
body and high blood sugar, which can develop into Type 2 diabetes.
 Hyperprolactinemia: This condition happens when your pituitary gland releases
too much prolactin. It causes infertility and milky nipple discharge (galactorrhea).

Empty sella syndrome

Empty sella syndrome (ESS) is a rare condition in which your pituitary gland becomes
flattened or shrinks due to issues with the sella turcica, a bony structure at the base of
your brain that surrounds and protects your pituitary gland. The sella turcica is a saddle-
like compartment. In Latin, it means “Turkish seat.”

Empty sella is a radiographic diagnosis. Oftentimes, it doesn’t translate into a true

medical condition and is often found by accident on imaging.

In some cases, ESS may cause certain symptoms, including hormone imbalances,
frequent headaches and vision changes. However, if the pituitary hormone levels are
within normal ranges, it’s not a cause for concern.

What are the symptoms of pituitary gland problems?

Large pituitary adenomas (macroadenomas), which are benign (non-cancerous) tumors

that develop on your pituitary gland, can put pressure on or damage nearby tissues.
This can cause the following symptoms:

 Vision problems (loss of peripheral vision).

 Headaches.
 Hormonal imbalances from pituitary hormone excess or deficiency.

Pituitary hormone imbalances can cause many different symptoms depending on which
hormone is affected, including:

 A lack of growth or excess growth in children.

 Male and female infertility.
 Irregular periods.
 Unexplained weight gain or weight loss.
  Depression and/or anxiety.

It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider any time you’re experiencing new,
persistent symptoms. They can order some simple blood tests to see if your symptoms
are related to hormone issues or something else.

What kind of healthcare provider treats pituitary gland issues?

Endocrinologists typically treat pituitary gland issues.

An endocrinologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in endocrinology, a field of

medicine that studies conditions related to your hormones. An endocrinologist can
diagnose endocrine (hormone) conditions, develop treatment and management plans
for them and prescribe medication.

If you have a pituitary gland issue, such as a pituitary adenoma, that’s affecting
structures in your brain and/or requires surgery, you’ll also need to see a neurosurgeon.

How do healthcare providers diagnose pituitary gland issues?

Since your pituitary gland releases hormones directly into your bloodstream, healthcare
providers often rely on blood tests to measure pituitary hormone levels.

If you have irregular hormone levels, your provider may also order imaging tests, such
as a CT scan or MRI scan, to evaluate your pituitary gland for any issues. Typically,
providers order a dedicated pituitary MRI to see your pituitary gland and stalk more
clearly.

What is the thyroid?

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck under
your skin. It’s a part of your endocrine system and controls many of your body’s
important functions by producing and releasing (secreting) certain hormones. Your
thyroid’s main job is to control the speed of your metabolism (metabolic rate), which is
the process of how your body transforms the food you consume into energy. All of the
cells in your body need energy to function.

When your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can impact your entire body.

What is the endocrine system?

Your endocrine system is a network of several glands that create and secrete (release)
hormones.
A gland is an organ that makes one or more substances, such as hormones, digestive
juices, sweat or tears. Endocrine glands release hormones directly into the
bloodstream.

Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying
messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles and other tissues. These
signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.

The following organs and glands make up your endocrine system:

 Hypothalamus.
 Pituitary gland.
 Thyroid.
 Parathyroid glands.
 Adrenal glands.
 Pineal gland.
 Pancreas.
 Ovaries.
 Testes.

What does my thyroid do?

As an endocrine gland, your thyroid makes and secretes hormones. Your thyroid
produces and releases the following hormones:

 Thyroxine (T4): This is the primary hormone your thyroid makes and releases.
Although your thyroid makes the most of this hormone, it doesn’t have much of
an effect on your metabolism. Once your thyroid releases T4 into your
bloodstream, it can convert to T3 through a process called deiodination.
 Triiodothyronine (T3): Your thyroid produces lesser amounts of T3 than T4, but
it has a much greater effect on your metabolism than T4.
 Reverse triiodothyronine (RT3): Your thyroid makes very small amounts of
RT3, which reverses the effects of T3.
 Calcitonin: This hormone helps regulate the amount of calcium in your blood.

In order to make thyroid hormones, your thyroid gland needs iodine, an element found
in food (most commonly, iodized table salt) and water. Your thyroid gland traps iodine
and transforms it into thyroid hormones. If you have too little or too much iodine in your
body, it can affect the level of hormones your thyroid makes and releases.

Your thyroid hormones affect the following bodily functions:

 How your body uses energy (metabolism).

 Heart rate.
 Breathing.
 Digestion.
  Body temperature.
 Brain development.
 Mental activity.
 Skin and bone maintenance.
 Fertility.

What other organs and glands interact with the thyroid?

Your endocrine system is an elaborate network of glands and hormones. Many glands
and hormones rely on other glands and hormones to send them signals to start working.
In addition, certain hormones can suppress other hormones.

Your body has a complex system for controlling the level of thyroid hormones in your
body. First, your hypothalamus (a part of your brain located on the undersurface of it)
secretes thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH), which stimulates a part of your pituitary
gland to secrete thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then stimulates your thyroid
follicular cells to release thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) if there are adequate
levels of iodine in your body.

Your thyroid gland and its hormones affect almost every organ system of your body,
including:

 Your cardiovascular system: Your thyroid helps regulate the amount of blood
your heart pumps through your circulatory system (cardiac output), heart rate and
strength and vigor of your heart's contraction (contractility of the heart).
 Your nervous system: When your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can cause
symptoms that affect your nervous system, including numbness, tingling, pain or
a sense of burning in the affected parts of your body. In addition, hypothyroidism
can cause depression and hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety.
 Your digestive system: Your thyroid is involved with how food moves through
your digestive system (gastrointestinal motility).
 Your reproductive system: If your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can
cause irregular menstrual periods and issues with fertility.

Can a person live without a thyroid?

Yes, you can live without your thyroid. However, you’ll need to take hormone
replacement medication for the rest of your life in order to stay healthy and prevent
certain side effects and symptoms. Thyroid removal surgery, known as a thyroidectomy,
is a common surgery that can treat certain thyroid conditions.

Where is the thyroid located?

Your thyroid gland is located in the front of your neck, straddling your windpipe
(trachea). It’s shaped like a butterfly — smaller in the middle with two wide wings that
extend around the side of your throat. A healthy thyroid gland is not usually visible from
the outside (there’s no appearance of a lump on your neck), and you can’t feel it when
you press your finger to the front of your neck.

What are the parts of the thyroid?

There are two main parts of your thyroid: the two halves (lobes) and the middle of the
thyroid that connects the two lobes (thyroid isthmus).

Your thyroid is made of thyroid follicle cells (thyrocytes), which create and store thyroid
hormone (mainly T3 and T4), and C-cells, which secrete the hormone calcitonin.

How big is the thyroid?

Your thyroid is about 2 inches long. A healthy thyroid usually does not stick out from
your throat and you can’t see it by looking at your neck.

However, certain conditions can cause your thyroid to become enlarged. This is known
as goiter. If you have a goiter, you may experience the following symptoms:

 Swelling in the front of your neck, just below the Adam's apple.
 A feeling of tightness in your throat area.
 A change in your voice, such as hoarseness (scratchy voice).

What are the early warning signs and symptoms of thyroid problems?

Different thyroid conditions have different symptoms. However, since your thyroid has a
large role in certain body systems and processes, such as heart rate, metabolism and
temperature control, there are certain symptoms to look out for that could be a sign of a
thyroid condition, including:

 Slow or rapid heart rate.

 Unexplained weight loss or weight gain.
 Difficulty tolerating cold or heat.
 Depression or anxiety.
 Irregular menstrual periods.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider about
getting a blood test to check your thyroid function.

How are thyroid conditions treated?

There are several treatment options for thyroid conditions depending on what the
conditions are and how severe they are. The three main options for treatment include:

 Medication.
 Surgery.
  Radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Medication

Medications for thyroid conditions include:

 Antithyroid medications: These medications block the ability of your thyroid to

make hormones. Healthcare providers may prescribe this for hyperthyroidism.
 Beta-blockers: These medications help treat symptoms of hyperthyroidism, such
as rapid heartbeat, but they do not treat the thyroid condition itself.
 Radioactive iodine: This medication damages thyroid cells, eventually leading
to the destruction of your thyroid gland. This is a treatment option for
hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer.
 Thyroid hormone medications: These medications are a synthetic form of
thyroid hormones for the treatment of hypothyroidism. People who have a
thyroidectomy or a nonfunctioning thyroid from radioactive iodine usually need to
take these medications for the rest of their life.

Surgery

The most common type of surgery associated with thyroid conditions is a thyroidectomy.
A thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of your entire thyroid gland. Thyroidectomy is
one of the treatment options for thyroid disease and is the first-line treatment for thyroid
cancer.

Another surgery option is a lobectomy, which involves removing only a part of your
thyroid.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy

Radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy are treatment options for thyroid cancer. Both
therapies kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing. Most cases of thyroid cancer
do not require radiation or chemotherapy.

What are the risk factors for developing a thyroid condition?

Thyroid conditions are common and can affect anyone at any age. However, some
factors put you at a higher risk of developing a thyroid condition, including:

 Having a family history of thyroid disease.

 Having an autoimmune condition, such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid
arthritis or lupus.
 Taking a medication that’s high in iodine.

Being older than 60, especially if you’re a woman or a person who was assigned female
at birth (AFAB).
What are parathyroid glands?

Most people have four pea-sized parathyroid glands located behind their thyroid gland
— the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. Like your thyroid, your parathyroid glands
are part of your endocrine system. Sometimes your parathyroid glands are located
along your esophagus or in your chest. These are known as ectopic (in an abnormal
place) parathyroid glands.

A gland is an organ that secretes (releases) certain substances for use inside your body
or excretes substances out of your body. You have several different types of glands,
including sweat glands, endocrine glands and salivary (spit) glands.

The main job of your parathyroid glands is to release parathyroid hormone (PTH).
Sometimes, your parathyroid gland can release too little PTH, which results in low
amounts of calcium in your blood (hypocalcemia), or too much PTH, resulting in high
amounts of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia). Both of these conditions can lead to
serious health problems.

What are adrenal disorders?

There are many conditions that can lead to problems with the adrenal gland function.
The adrenal glands are small and shaped liked triangles and are located just above
each kidney. They are sometimes called suprarenal glands. Their job is to make
hormones that you need to keep your metabolism, blood pressure, immune system and
stress response in balance.

Adrenal disorders are the result of your glands making too much or not enough of
certain hormones. Hormones produced by the adrenals include hydrocortisone (also
called cortisol), adrenaline and aldosterone.

You can think of dominoes and how one movement by one domino sets off a chain
reaction, making the next domino in line fall down. If something happens and the next
domino doesn’t get the message, the effect is ruined.

What are common types of adrenal disorders?

There are different conditions related to your adrenal glands. Some of the most
common include:

 Addison’s disease, also called adrenal insufficiency. In this disorder, you don’t
produce enough cortisol and/or aldosterone.
 Cushing’s syndrome. In this disorder, your levels of cortisol are too high. This
term can be applied when large doses of steroids are given to treat certain
medical conditions.
 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. This term refers to genetic condition in which
your adrenal glands are not able to make cortisol well. As a result ACTH is
 elevated. Depending on the defect higher levels of male hormone might be
made.
 Adrenal gland suppression. This is a type of adrenal insufficiency that is related
to outside sources of cortisol or related synthetic hormones such as prednisone
or dexamethasone.
 Hyperaldosteronism. If you have this condition, your body produces too much
aldosterone which can lead to blood pressure elevation and potassium loss.
 Virilization. This condition happens when your body produces too much of the
male sex hormones and is only apparent in females or boys before puberty.

There are also conditions of the adrenal glands related to growths (tumors). These
include:

 Adrenal gland tumors. Tumors can disrupt hormone output, but are usually
noncancerous.
 Adrenocortical carcinoma. This rare condition refers to cancer forming in the
adrenal gland’s outer layer.
 Pheochromocytoma. If you have this condition, your glands make too much
epinephrine and norepinephrine which can raise blood pressure or make your
heart race.
 Pituitary tumors. Abnormal growth on the pituitary gland can cause adrenal gland
conditions by disrupting the amount of hormones made by the adrenal glands.
ACTH producing tumors cause Cushing’s disease. If tumors are large enough,
they may press on the normal pituitary cells and cause deficiency of ACTH and
secondary adrenal insufficiency.

How common are adrenal disorders?

Adrenal disorders can happen to anyone. Within the individual conditions, some of them
may happen more often to females than males, such as Cushing’s syndrome.

What is adrenal insufficiency?

Adrenal insufficiency happens when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol
and sometimes aldosterone. The production decreases when the adrenal cortex (the
glands’ outer layer) is destroyed. This occurs most often when you have an autoimmune
disease that causes your body to attack the glands. It can also be caused by tumors,
tuberculosis and other types of infections. This condition is known as primary adrenal
insufficiency.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency, which is more common than the primary form,
happens because you don’t have enough of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), the hormone
secreted by the pituitary gland. If your pituitary doesn’t make enough ACTH, your
adrenal glands don’t make enough cortisol.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency most often happens when you have been taking
glucocorticoids (like prednisone) for an extended amount of time and then stop too
quickly rather than tapering down gradually. It can also develop due to tumors in the
pituitary glands pressing on the normal pituitary cells or from surgery or radiation to the
pituitary gland.

What does adrenal crisis mean?

Adrenal crisis is a medical emergency. It’s the most serious complication of adrenal
insufficiency and happens due to a severe lack of cortisol. An adrenal crisis can be life-
threatening. Symptoms of adrenal crisis include:

 Severe pain in your lower body that comes on quickly.

 Bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.
 Weakness.
 Confusion and loss of consciousness.
 Low blood glucose,
 Low blood pressure.

If you have adrenal insufficiency, you should always have an injectable form of
glucocorticoid medicine with you and you should wear some type of medical alert
jewelry with that information. Make sure your family and friends know how to give the
injection in the case of an emergency.

Other hormone imbalances and symptoms can occur with adrenal disorders. These
include having too much potassium (hyperkalemia) or not enough sodium
(hyponatremia) in your blood.

What are the risk factors for adrenal disorders?

In many cases, the causes for adrenal disorders aren’t known. However, some types of
adrenal disorders are linked to genetics. Others may result more frequency if you have
to take or choose to take certain types of drugs, such as steroids. Steroids are used to
treat many types of diseases, but you should always be aware of their many side
effects.

What causes adrenal disorders?

Adrenal gland disorders are caused by problems with the glands themselves that cause
overproduction or underproduction of hormones. They are also caused by problems in
other glands, such as the pituitary gland. Genetics can also play a part in certain
adrenal disorders. In many cases, no one really knows why the disorders develop.

What are the symptoms of adrenal disorders?

The symptoms of adrenal disorders vary depending on which hormones are involved.
Many of the symptoms of adrenal disorders are similar to those of other illnesses.

Symptoms of high levels of cortisone (Cushing’s disease) include:

 Upper body obesity, while arms and legs stay thinner. (A common trait called a
Buffalo hump refers to a lump in between the shoulders.)
 Being tired and confused.
 Developing high blood pressure and diabetes.
 Skin that bruises easily.
 Wide purplish streak marks on the abdominal skin.

Symptoms of high levels of aldosterone include:

 High blood pressure.

 Low potassium levels.
 Weakness.
 Pain and spasms in your muscles.

Symptoms of high levels of male sex hormones are only apparent in females or in
young boys before puberty. These include:

 Growing facial hair and or balding.

 Developing acne.
 Having a deeper voice.
 Becoming more muscular.
 Developing a greater sex drive.

Developing masculine traits is called virilization.

How are adrenal disorders diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will likely start by asking questions about your symptoms.
They will then order tests to determine the levels of hormones in your saliva, blood and
urine.

If your provider suspects tumors, they might order imaging tests such as CT scans,
MRIs or nuclear imaging tests.

Your regular healthcare provider may refer you to an endocrinologist, a specialist in

hormones and diseases of the endocrine system.

How are adrenal disorders treated?

Treatment of adrenal disorders depend on the disorder itself. Some conditions will
require medications to add to hormone levels. Your provider may suggest surgery or
radiation for disorders that involve tumors.

What are the complications of adrenal disorders?

The adrenal glands and the hormones they control are important to many of your body’s
functions. Untreated disorders can have serious complications. Some of them may be
life-threatening.

How can I prevent adrenal disorders?

Since researchers don’t know why certain adrenal disorders happen, there seems to be
no way to prevent them from happening.

In the cases where you might be tempted to take male hormones to build muscle mass,
you should stop and consider that you may end up damaging other glands.