What it isāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§
The pituitary (in the brain) and adrenal glands (above the kidneys) produce hormones that control stress response, blood pressure, metabolism, and other glands.āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ (āĻŽāϏā§āϤāĻŋāώā§āĻā§) āĻ āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻā§āϰāύā§āĻĨāĻŋ (āĻāĻŋāĻĄāύāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻĒāϰā§) āĻāĻŽāύ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻāϰ⧠āϝāĻž āĻāĻžāĻĒ āĻŽā§āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻž, āϰāĻā§āϤāĻāĻžāĻĒ, āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻā§āϰāύā§āĻĨāĻŋ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāύā§āϤā§āϰāĻŖ āĻāϰā§āĨ¤
Disorders here can cause the body to make too much or too little of these hormones, affecting many systems at once.āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž āĻšāϞ⧠āĻļāϰā§āϰ⧠āĻāĻ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻŽ āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§, āϝāĻž āĻāĻāĻāϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āϏāĻŋāϏā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻā§ āĻĒā§āϰāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāϤ āĻāϰā§āĨ¤
Common symptomsāϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ
- Unusual weight gain or weight lossāĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāύ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻŦāĻž āĻšā§āϰāĻžāϏ
- High blood pressureāĻāĻā§āĻ āϰāĻā§āϤāĻāĻžāĻĒ
- Extreme tirednessāϤā§āĻŦā§āϰ āĻā§āϞāĻžāύā§āϤāĻŋ
- Dizziness, especially on standing upāĻŽāĻžāĻĨāĻž āĻā§āϰāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώāϤ āĻĻāĻžāĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϞā§
- Headaches or vision changesāĻŽāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻŦā§āϝāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻĻā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāύ
- Irregular periods or skin changesāĻ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻŋāϤ āĻŽāĻžāϏāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻž āϤā§āĻŦāĻā§āϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāύ
Important causesāĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ
Pituitary or adrenal tumors, which are usually benign, are a common cause of these conditions.āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻŦāĻž āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ, āϝāĻž āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻš, āĻāĻ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϞā§āϰ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖāĨ¤
Autoimmune conditions, certain medications such as long-term steroid use, and other underlying illnesses can also be responsible.āĻ āĻā§āĻāĻŽāĻŋāĻāύ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž, āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻŽā§āϝāĻŧāĻžāĻĻā§ āϏā§āĻā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻĄ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰā§āϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāώā§āϧ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻ āύā§āϤāϰā§āύāĻŋāĻšāĻŋāϤ āϰā§āĻāĻ āĻāϰ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
How it is evaluatedāĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŽā§āϞā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāύ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ
Hormone blood and sometimes urine tests, often done at specific times of day, are the first step.āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻĻāĻŋāώā§āĻ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āϰāĻā§āϤ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻĒā§āϰāϏā§āϰāĻžāĻŦ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻŽā§āϞā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāύā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽ āϧāĻžāĻĒāĨ¤
Imaging such as an MRI of the pituitary or a CT scan of the adrenal glands is used when indicated.āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ⧠āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻŽāĻāϰāĻāĻ āĻŦāĻž āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻā§āϰāύā§āĻĨāĻŋāϰ āϏāĻŋāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻā§āϝāĻžāύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Common treatment approachesāϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻžāϰ āĻĒāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻŋ
Treatment depends on the specific condition, and may include medication to replace a deficient hormone.āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻž āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻĻāĻŋāώā§āĻ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻžāϰ āĻāĻĒāϰ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻāϰ āĻāϰā§, āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāϤ⧠āĻāĻžāĻāϤāĻŋ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϏā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāύā§āϰ āĻāώā§āϧ āĻ āύā§āϤāϰā§āĻā§āĻā§āϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
Medication to control excess hormone production, or surgery for certain tumors, may also be needed.āĻ āϤāĻŋāϰāĻŋāĻā§āϤ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āĻā§āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāύ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāύā§āϤā§āϰāĻŖā§ āĻāώā§āϧ, āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽāĻžāϰā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻ āϏā§āϤā§āϰā§āĻĒāĻāĻžāϰāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
Care is often coordinated with other specialists depending on the condition.āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧā§ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώāĻā§āĻā§āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āϏāĻŽāύā§āĻŦāĻŋāϤ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
When to see a specialistāĻāĻāύ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώāĻā§āĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§āύ
Unexplained high blood pressure resistant to usual treatmentāϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϏāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āύāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻ āĻāĻžāύāĻž āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖā§āϰ āĻāĻā§āĻ āϰāĻā§āϤāĻāĻžāĻĒ
Symptoms suggesting excess or deficient adrenal or pituitary hormoneāĻ āϤāĻŋāϰāĻŋāĻā§āϤ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻžāĻāϤāĻŋ āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύā§āϰ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŋāϤāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ
A pituitary or adrenal growth found incidentally on a scanāϏā§āĻā§āϝāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻāϏā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻŦāĻž āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ
Long-term steroid use needing monitoringāĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻŽā§āϝāĻŧāĻžāĻĻā§ āϏā§āĻā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻĄ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ⧠āĻĒāϰā§āϝāĻŦā§āĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻšāϞā§
Frequently asked questionsāĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻļāĻ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāϏāĻŋāϤ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύ
What is Cushing's syndrome?āĻā§āĻļāĻŋāĻ āϏāĻŋāύāĻĄā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻā§?
A condition caused by excess cortisol hormone, leading to weight gain, high blood pressure, and other changes; it can result from a tumor or long-term steroid medication.āĻ āϤāĻŋāϰāĻŋāĻā§āϤ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϏāϞ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύā§āϰ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖā§ āĻšāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž, āϝāĻž āĻāĻāύ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ, āĻāĻā§āĻ āϰāĻā§āϤāĻāĻžāĻĒ āĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāύ āĻāĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ; āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻž āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻŽā§āϝāĻŧāĻžāĻĻā§ āϏā§āĻā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻĄ āĻāώā§āϧā§āϰ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖā§ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
What is adrenal insufficiency?āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻ āĻĒā§āϰāϤā§āϞāϤāĻž āĻā§?
A condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisol, causing fatigue, low blood pressure, and other symptoms; it needs hormone replacement.āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž āϝā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻā§āϰāύā§āĻĨāĻŋ āĻĒāϰā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϏāϞ āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻāϰ⧠āύāĻž, āϝāĻžāϰ āĻĢāϞ⧠āĻā§āϞāĻžāύā§āϤāĻŋ, āĻāĻŽ āϰāĻā§āϤāĻāĻžāĻĒ āĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϝ āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻĻā§āϝāĻŧ; āĻāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϏā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāύ āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻāύāĨ¤
Are pituitary tumors cancerous?āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŋ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ?
Most pituitary tumors are benign, not cancer, though they can still affect hormone levels and sometimes nearby structures like vision.āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋāϰāĻāĻžāĻ āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻš, āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ āύāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύā§āϰ āĻŽāĻžāϤā§āϰāĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻĻā§āώā§āĻāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āĻāĻļā§āĻĒāĻžāĻļā§āϰ āĻāĻ āύāĻā§ āĻĒā§āϰāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāϤ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
Why would I need a 24-hour urine or late-night saliva test?āĻā§āύ ⧍ā§Ē āĻāĻŖā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϏā§āϰāĻžāĻŦ āĻŦāĻž āϰāĻžāϤā§āϰ āϞāĻžāϞāĻž āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§?
Some hormones like cortisol vary through the day, so these tests help capture a more complete picture than a single blood draw.āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϏāϞā§āϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻšāϰāĻŽā§āύ āĻĻāĻŋāύāĻāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻžāĻā§āϞ⧠āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āϰāĻā§āϤ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻžāϰ āĻā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻāϰāĻ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āĻāĻŋāϤā§āϰ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧠āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāϝā§āϝ āĻāϰā§āĨ¤
Can stress alone cause these conditions?āĻļā§āϧ⧠āĻŽāĻžāύāϏāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻžāĻĒā§āĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻāϏāĻŦ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻž āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§?
Ordinary stress doesn't cause adrenal or pituitary disease, though these conditions can sometimes be mistaken for stress-related symptoms, which is why proper testing matters.āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻŽāĻžāύāϏāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻžāĻĒ āĻ ā§āϝāĻžāĻĄā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻžāϞ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻāĻžāϰāĻŋ āϰā§āĻā§āϰ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āύāĻž, āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāĻ āϏāĻŽāϏā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϞā§āĻā§ āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻāĻāύ⧠āĻāĻžāĻĒ-āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϤ āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻā§āĻŦā§ āĻā§āϞ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻžāĻ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤