Adrenal glands are a pair of glands of triangular shape located on the tops of the kidneys.
They perform the most important function for the whole body - regulation of the metabolism, development of male and female hormones( estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) contained in one or another volume in each of the sexes.
The importance of the adrenal glands
The adrenal glands in the body of a woman in certain vital moments work in a strengthened mode. Therefore, it is in the weaker sex that the diseases of these glands are especially dangerous, and the violations in their work can lead to the most serious consequences.
One of the most important periods of a woman's life, in which the role of the adrenal glands is more important than ever, is pregnancy. In the early stages of fetal formation, if the adrenal glands do not work at full strength, the expectant mother periodically experiences malaise. In the last trimester, the function of the adrenal glands is performed by the baby's endocrine system, as a result of which a child who has been born has problems with the functioning of these glands.
The next high-risk age period is premenopause and menopause. If in men the production of testosterone decreases gradually and the adrenal glands are able to maintain the tolerable level of this hormone without problems, then in women the extinction of sexual functions is rapid. At the same time, the adrenal glands can not cope with the need to fully take over the work on the production of estrogen in a short time.
With such a load it is difficult to cope with even healthy endocrine glands, which also need to produce other, equally important hormones. As a result, in addition to menopause, which is quite a serious stress for a woman, other malfunctions can begin in the body.
To prevent possible problems with the adrenal glands, it is necessary to undergo tests and diagnostics of these important glands for a woman's health in a timely manner.
Clinical diagnosis of
It is not always possible to recognize the first clinical manifestations of poor adrenal gland functioning on time. The most common symptoms( severe weight loss, digestive disorders, low blood pressure) can also refer to other diseases. However, all these signs should not be ignored.
Most doctors recommend testing the adrenal glands for women who have taken contraceptive hormones for years, even if they do not complain about any disturbing manifestations. The fact is that taking hormonal contraceptives suppresses the reproductive system of a woman and provokes the appearance of so-called "hormonal stress".How and how much such stress will affect women's health, depends on the type of contraceptive, and on the individual characteristics of the body.
On the existing problems of adrenal function are most likely indicated by the following symptoms:
- increased body hair( the appearance of mustaches, hard black hair), increased roughness of the voice,
- hyperpigmentation( formation of black and blue spots on the gums and the sky, darkening of the skin),
- depigmentationVitiligo( the appearance of light spots on the skin).
Before examining the adrenal glands, the patient should be consulted by an endocrinologist, and then pass urine and blood tests for hormones. During a general examination, the doctor measures blood pressure, appoints ultrasound, if necessary - a computerized tomography, or an MRI.
Blood test for hormones
Adrenal diseases lead to hormonal disorders, therefore, in preparation for diagnosis it is necessary to determine the hormonal status of the patient. The procedure for taking blood tests for men and women is no different. Before the research it is recommended to refrain from physical training, before giving the tests do not smoke, for a day - to refuse to drink alcohol.
When analyzing blood, the following hormones are tested:
- hormone-androgen DEA-SO4, by means of which it is possible to distinguish abnormalities of the ovaries from adrenal diseases, as well as various tumor diseases,
- hormone cortisol, regulating metabolism involved in the immune system,
- aldosterone, controlling reproduction of sex hormones and equilibrium levelelectrolytes in the blood,
- adrenocorticotropic hormone( ACTH) - responsible for the body's response to stressful situations.
If men have the opportunity to donate blood to the ACTH at any time, then women should come immediately after the end of menstruation, on the 6-7 day of the cycle or as directed by the doctor.
Salivary analysis for cortisol
The cortisol test performed when analyzing saliva is considered to be more accurate than a blood test. The test is able to show the level of cortisol throughout the day in four periods of time, and also allows you to consider changes in the work of the adrenal glands.
The following test results indicate that the adrenal glands are healthy: the
- is the highest cortisol in the morning, the
- is lower by noon,
- is a significant difference in the second half of the day,
- is the lowest level of cortisol in the evening hours.
The test of saliva is most often prescribed to patients with thyroid diseases, since the rate of hormone release from the body is significantly reduced. Thus, the actual level of cortisol in these people is significantly lower than the blood test can show.
Instrumental diagnostics of
Adrenal gland disorders can be detected without special effort by diagnostics performed in the laboratory. The cause of the same disorders is much more difficult to identify, especially if it is caused by various neoplasms.
In the initial studies of possible adrenal diseases or pathologies,
- ultrasound,
- computed tomography( CT),
- magnetic resonance imaging( MRI of kidney and adrenal gland),
- in rare cases - PET( positron emission tomography).
When performing ultrasound, you can see the location of the adrenal glands, their size, possible extraneous inclusions. But with ultrasound, there is a high probability that small tumors will not be noticed and missed, since this method of research does not allow us to examine in detail the cerebral body and the cortex of the endocrine glands.
PET and MRI are able to tell in more detail about the existing problems. The main disadvantages of these methods is the high cost of PET, and MRI has limitations for people suffering from claustrophobia - the procedure is performed in a device resembling a sarcophagus.
Thus, the most accessible method for diagnosing adrenal diseases is computed tomography. It is used mainly:
- in order to confirm or remove suspicions of the presence of tumors in treatment,
- for checking the presence of vascular pathologies,
- for injuries and mechanical injuries of the adrenal glands.
When carrying out a computer tomography, one can consider even the most insignificant at first sight neoplasms and to reveal their origin( cysts, benign or malignant tumors).The images received during diagnostics are saved to the hard disk of the computer, if necessary they can be printed.
The CT procedure of the adrenal glands can be performed with or without the use of contrast. The procedure with contrast does not provide for the fulfillment of any conditions or special training. When performing the procedure without contrast, it is necessary to refrain from eating at least 4 hours before the CT scan. In any case, patients during the procedure must remove the metal jewelry, watch, disconnect the mobile phone.
Self diagnosis
If there are no serious worsening of well-being, but a woman is aware of some risk factors( for example, severe symptoms of menopause, complicated PMS), you can try to determine the condition of the adrenal glands on your own using two simple tests that do not require the presence of a tool or special preparation:
- Pressure test. It is necessary to lie down, relax and after 5 minutes to measure the pressure, then stand up and repeat the measurement. If the adrenal glands are okay, then the pressure in the upright body will be higher. This procedure should be repeated several times throughout the day.
- Test for cortisol. During the day, it is necessary to measure body temperature every 3 hours for 5-6 days, determining the average temperature for the day. If the temperature is constantly normal and changes by 0.2 degrees and no more, then you should think about the state of the adrenal glands.
If the temperature is less than normal and constantly changes, then you should take tests and about the work of the thyroid gland. With a consistently low temperature, the most likely problems with the thyroid gland, while with the adrenal glands, most likely, everything is in order.
The normal work of the adrenal glands greatly affects the health of women. These glands are responsible for the production of both male and female sex hormones, which are the most important for the human body.
