Your health is a process that has no end. On the one hand, there is optimal health, and on the other hand, there is chronic disease. The health of your adrenal glands also works on a similar principle. It can work great, but you can also deal with Addison's disease, which is characterized by impaired adrenal function. We point out that these are two extremes, and most people are somewhere in between.
In order to be diagnosed with Addison's disease, the function of the adrenal gland must be severely impaired (at least 90% of the adrenal cortex is damaged), but you can also have problems with these glands without this diagnosis. Everything that lies between optimal adrenal health and Addison's disease is considered adrenal fatigue / burnout, which involves various adrenal dysfunction due to excessive stress.
Addison's disease or primary failure of the adrenal cortex was first described in the middle of the 19th century by the English physician Thomas Addison. "Despite the fact that it is actually more than 150 years since its discovery, recognizing the disease is still causing great problems for doctors today. Statistics show that each patient with Addison's disease visits an average of three doctors before making a proper diagnosis.
Sometimes many tests are needed before a diagnosis of Addison’s disease is confirmed.
-Already a clinical examination can show possible signs of brown discoloration (hyperpigmentation) of the skin, which is most common in sun-exposed areas, elbows, knees, nipples, joints, palm lines are also dark, brown spots appear in the mouth). -Biochemical and blood tests show possible anemia, low sodium, high potassium. -Determination of basal cortisol. If cortisol is very low in the morning or does not rise despite stressful events, sometimes this is enough to make a diagnosis. -A rapid ACTH test means that the patient receives a small dose of adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates adrenal function. If the cortisol level does not rise adequately within half an hour, this is a sign of adrenal insufficiency. Such a test is in most cases sufficient for diagnosis. -The adrenal glands are imaged by computed tomography - CT (they are too small for ultrasound imaging and hidden in a fat capsule). If they are reduced (atrophic), it is a sign of autoimmune disease, and if they are not, they are looking for possible other causes of failure.
What significance do the adrenal glands have for the human body?
The adrenal glands are small organs that lie above the kidneys in the abdomen and form and secrete vital hormones into the bloodstream. They consist of a crust and a core. The most important cortical hormones are cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol has many important functions, including stress hormone, it is involved in the regulation of the immune response, healing, metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, regulation of blood sugar. Aldosterone regulates the volume of body fluids, the concentration of sodium and potassium in the blood, the acid-base balance. The core secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline. Adrenaline is a stress hormone that significantly affects many functions in the body, e.g. heart rate and heart rate, blood vessel tone, blood pressure, blood sugar formation, bronchodilation. Completely absent function of the adrenal glands is fatal, without properly functioning adrenal glands we cannot live.
The role of adrenal gland:
The primary role of the adrenal gland is the production and regulation of the stress hormone cortisol. The adrenal glands also produce the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, both of which are responsible for the production of the neurotransmitters adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. These hormones and neurotransmitters regulate your metabolism and take care of communication with other organs such as the brain, kidneys and reproductive system. Chronic stress can weaken the functioning of our adrenal glands, causing less of the aforementioned hormones to be released.
What causes stress?
-Lack of sleep -Poor eating habits (eating large amounts of processed fast food) -Consumption of various stimulants (caffeine, sugar) -A strenuous work rhythm -Various emotional upheavals (unhealthy interpersonal relationships, death of a loved one) -Excessive exercise (training without the necessary rest) -Lack of fun and relaxation.
We live in a very stressful world. We work too much, sleep too little, sometimes only large amounts of coffee keep us upright, we reach for foods rich in sugar due to fatigue - all these unhealthy habits affect our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual spheres.Our body responds to stress with a so-called "fight or flight" response, providing us with enough energy to survive. The main stress hormone in our body is cortisol. Its job is to supply our body with the energy it needs in a stressful situation. Constantly elevated cortisol levels can lead to insulin resistance, weakened immune systems, and muscle breakdown.
What are the symptoms of impaired adrenal function?
If it is a disease of insufficient functioning of the adrenal glands themselves (actually the cortex), we speak in medicine of Addison's disease. The disease is rare and in the developed world most often of autoimmune origin, ie the result of impaired functioning of the immune system. It is manifested by excessive fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, dark spots on the skin and mucous membranes, nausea, abdominal pain, depression, and in women it can also be caused by sexual disorders. In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about adrenal fatigue, which is not a medically recognized condition. Proponents associate it with a number of nonspecific and diverse symptoms that are thought to be due to inadequate cortisol concentrations, but they cannot be explained by established hormonal tests. Some drugs offered to treat adrenal fatigue / exhaustion have been shown to be potentially or overtly harmful and dangerous.If the level of hormones is very low or if the body's needs increase, for example with infection or injury, there may be an acute exacerbation of Addison's disease or t.i. Addison crisis. It is characterized by vomiting and dehydration, abdominal pain, and confusion. if not recognized and treated properly, blood pressure drops and shock develops. The condition can escalate into coma or even death.
Glucocorticoids increase the risk:
Much more common than Addison's disease is a decrease in adrenal function that occurs indirectly (secondary adrenal insufficiency) due to a damaged pituitary gland. This adrenal superior gland stimulates their function by adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). In the absence of this stimulus, the production of adrenal hormones is also insufficient.This can happen due to a tumor, pituitary surgery, after radiation, bleeding, stroke and especially due to glucocorticoid treatment, which stops the production of its own hormones.
How is adrenal gland treatment treated?
In case of insufficient adrenal gland function, the missing hormones are replaced in the form of tablets, in urgent cases also in the form of injections.
What can we do ourselves to make the adrenal gland work well?
The best way to deal with this problem is to reduce the stress in your life. Think about all the daily stressors and take health into your own hands. It is important to organize your life and establish some order in it.
-Go to bed at the same time every night (preferably before 10 a.m.) and get 8 hours of quality sleep. -Learn to say no. -Take time every day for things that relax you (bath, walk, yoga, meditation, massage). -Don’t overdo it with exercise. -Learn to listen to your body. -Eat enough protein. -Avoid alcohol, sugar, gluten, and milk and dairy products. -After consultation with a specialist, you can enjoy the B complex in the form of a dietary supplement. -All B-complex vitamins are very important for the smooth functioning of processes in the adrenal glands. In addition to this supplement, we also recommend magnesium, vitamin C and omega 3 fatty acids.
Thanks to advances in therapy, people with Addison's disease can enjoy better health and an almost normal life expectancy.
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