부신기능저하증 증상There are many organs in the body. Among them, the ‘adrenal gland’ is not only unfamiliar to the general public, but its role is also unknown. The small adrenal gland located above the kidney is an endocrine gland that secretes various hormones that regulate the functions of the entire body. If there is a problem here, various diseases occur. In order to help understand and treat/manage the small but important adrenal gland, we are serializing the ‘Encyclopedia of Adrenal Diseases’.
Adrenal insufficiency refers to all cases where the secretion of adrenal cortex steroid hormones does not meet the body’s needs.
Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency vary depending on the degree of hormone deficiency and the duration of occurrence. The main symptoms are non-specific, and they usually occur gradually, so diagnosis and treatment are often delayed.
▶ Why does ‘adrenal insufficiency’ occur?
The causes of adrenal insufficiency are very diverse. It is largely divided into cases where the adrenal gland is the cause and cases where the adrenal gland is not the cause. First of all, cases where the adrenal gland is the cause are caused by △autoimmune disease △tuberculosis △fungal infection △acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, etc. that destroy adrenal tissue.
In rare cases, it can be caused by adrenal hemorrhage, cancer metastasized from other organs, amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, and other congenital causes.
Adrenal insufficiency can appear as a problem in the adrenal gland itself, but it can also be caused by abnormalities other than the adrenal gland, such as △long-term use of steroids △lesions in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland that regulate adrenal hormones △after pituitary adenoma resection due to Cushing’s syndrome. ※ Two causes of adrenal insufficiency
① When the adrenal gland is the cause
– Adrenal tissue destroyed by autoimmune disease, tuberculosis, fungal infection, etc.
– Adrenal bleeding
– Cancer metastasized from another organ
– Amyloidosis
– Hemochromatosis
– Other congenital causes
② When the cause is not the adrenal gland
– Long-term use of steroids
– Lesions of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that control adrenal hormones
– After pituitary adenoma resection due to Cushing’s syndrome
Among these, adrenal insufficiency related to the use of steroid drugs is common.
Steroid drugs are a general term for steroid hormone drugs used as drugs, and among them, drugs containing adrenal cortex hormones are mainly used for anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic treatment. Adrenal cortex hormones are used to suppress inflammation and immune responses in various diseases such as △skin △eye △gastrointestinal △respiratory △blood △nervous system △allergic △tumor △spine and joint diseases.
If you take steroids for a long time, your body’s ability to produce adrenal cortex hormones decreases, which can lead to adrenal insufficiency.
▶Symptoms & Signs of Adrenal Insufficiency
Adrenal cortex insufficiency comes gradually, and in chronic cases that last for a long time, it can be difficult to diagnose early because it shows nonspecific symptoms such as △worsening of the whole body △asthenia △nausea △vomiting △weight loss due to changes in appetite △hypotension △hypoglycemia.
Acute adrenal insufficiency shows △sudden loss of appetite △nausea △vomiting, and may be accompanied by abdominal pain and fever. In addition, severe dehydration symptoms, electrolyte abnormalities, shock, or even loss of consciousness may be observed, if the symptoms are severe.
※ Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency
① Acute
– Sudden loss of appetite
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Abdominal pain
– Fever
– Severe dehydration
– Shock
– Loss of consciousness
② Chronic
– General weakness
– Asthenia
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Weight loss due to changes in appetite
– Hypotension
– Hypoglycemia
In the tenth installment of the Encyclopedia of Adrenal Diseases, we learned about ‘Symptoms and Signs of Adrenal Insufficiency’ with the advice of Professor Park Se-eun of the Department of Endocrinology.
