Adrenal insufficiency - Symptoms & Causes

Edited By Irshad Anwar | Updated on Oct 03, 2024 08:42 PM IST

Adrenal insufficiency is a disease that occurs in the adrenal gland when it doesn't secrete the required amount of “cortisol,” which helps to regulate metabolism and cardiovascular function, and aldosterone. Adrenal controls the body's blood pressure and maintains the balance of salt and water. Other names for this are “Addison’s disease” or “hypocortisolism.” An autoimmune reaction causes it. As the function of the adrenal glands is to produce the hormones responsible for survival, when the hormones are not released in the required amount, this leads to this disorder. Adrenal glands are one of the important biology topics from the chapter Chemical Coordination and Integration CBSE class 11. It has a 2-3% weightage in the total marks in the entrance exams like NEET, Paramedical, and Pharmacy.

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This Story also Contains

Causes of Adrenal Insufficiency
Types of Adrenal Insufficiency
Detection of Adrenal Insufficiency
Symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency
Treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency
Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Adrenal Insufficiency
Types of questions asked on Adrenal Insufficiency in Different Exams
Weightage of Adrenal Insufficiency in Different Entrance Exams
Recommended Video on Adrenal Insufficiency

Causes of Adrenal Insufficiency

Type	Reason	Explanation
Primary causes	Autoimmune Disorders	Adrenal insufficiency can lead to autoimmune disorders like Addison’s disease.
	Infections	Due to insufficiency of adrenal, you can also have diseases like tuberculosis and fungal infections that can damage the adrenal gland.
	Cancer	Due to the imbalance of adrenal hormones, it can also lead to cancer in the adrenal glands.
	Genetic disorders	There can be genetic conditions that affect adrenal gland production. This often leads to adrenal insufficiency.
Secondary causes	Long-term use of medications	Long-term use of medicines and certain drugs leads to the weakening of adrenal function. Due to this, there is adrenal insufficiency.
	Pituitary gland issues	Certain tumour removal surgeries or radiation can damage the pituitary gland. This leads to reducing hormone signals to the adrenal gland which further results in adrenal insufficiency.
Tertiary cause	Hypothalamus problems	There can be hormonal signal problems from the hypothalamus related to tumours or trauma. This can lead to adrenal insufficiency.
Other risking factors	Genetical history of auto union disorders	If there has been a family history of developing autoimmune diseases related to adrenal insufficiency. This can also be one of the affecting factors.
	Surgery or radiation near the brain	Surgical processes can also affect the pituitary or hypothalamus signals. Especially the area near the brain due to the radiation. This reduces hormone production and leads to Adrenal Insufficiency.
	Use of steroids	Regular use of steroids can also suppress the adrenal gland activity.

Types of Adrenal Insufficiency

There are three types of adrenal insufficiency. They are described below.

Type	Reason	Explanation
Primary adrenal insufficiency	Damage in the adrenal glands	Adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone to meet the body's requirements.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency	The issue with the pituitary gland	The pituitary gland fails to produce enough ACTH which is responsible for stimulating the production of cortisol in the adrenal gland. This further leads to adrenal insufficiency.
Tertiary Adrenal insufficiency	The problem in the hypothalamus	A condition where the hypothalamus fails to produce enough CRH for the body and ultimately results in Adrenal Insufficiency.

Detection of Adrenal Insufficiency

Down below some of the common methods are discussed using which you can detect the adrenal insufficiency in your body.

Testing method	Purpose
Blood Tests	Checks the adrenaline level in the body
ACTH stimulation Test	Checks the response of the adrenaline gland
Imaging test	Checks for any abnormality or damage in the adrenal gland
Other diagnostic tools	Detects if there is any imbalance of electrolytes or glucose in the body.

Symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency

The common symptoms of this disease include:

Weakness
Fatigue
Dizziness
Vomiting
Weight loss
Lack of appetite
Muscle aches
Fluid loss
Diarrhea
Low blood pressure
Low glucose levels
Irregular menstrual cycle
Abdominal pain

Treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency

There are effective treatment methods for adrenal and sufficiency which is very important for restoring the hormonal balance in the body. You can go for therapy which can be compensation for deficient hormones that the adrenal gland is unable to produce.

There are other methods such as regular monitoring and tracking of hormone levels apart from this there is daily medication which will also help you accordingly. Some of the general treatment methods for adrenal insufficiency are discussed below:

Hormone Replacement Therapy: There are daily medications that help to replace missing cortisol and aldosterone.
Checking Upon Hormone Level: There are regular blood tests that help to track down the hormone level and then there is lifelong hormone management for chronic adrenal insufficiency.
Lifestyle And Diet: One of the general management adrenals balances high sodium diet for those individuals who have Aldosterone insufficiency.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Adrenal Insufficiency

It becomes hard to remember everything in a single click. We have dispatched some of the bricks below which you can use to keep important points of adrenal insufficiency in mind.

ADDISON: Autoimmune attack

Autoimmune
Damage cortisol
Damage to adrenal glands
Insufficient aldosterone
Symptoms ( fatigue, weakness)
Ongoing treatment
Need for monitoring

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ACTH = Adrenal Call to Action

Three A’s

Autoimmune
Addison's
Activity

Types of questions asked on Adrenal Insufficiency in Different Exams

During the preparation for several exams, students may come across different types of questions from the topic Adrenal Insufficiency. They are discussed below.

Exam type	Types of questions asked
CBSE	Definition of adrenal insufficiency ( Addison's Diseases) and its symptoms. Difference between adrenal insufficiency and other endocrinological disorders.
NEET	Hormonal test and diagnostic methods. Detailed discussion of adrenal insufficiency and its causes. Treatment and other medications related to it.
Paramedical	Management of adrenal insufficiency disorders. Importance of adrenal glands.