Adrenal disorders

Adrenal disorder symptoms vary depending on which specific disorder you have and how much it affects the levels of hormones in your body. 

Symptoms can include:

• Addison’s disease may cause – fatigue, dizziness or fainting when standing, sweating, diarrhoea or vomiting, stomach pain, muscle cramps, weakness, joint pain, loss of body hair, areas of darkened skin, depression, feeling irritable, and low sex drive in females

• Cushing’s syndrome may cause – weight gain in the body with thinner arms and legs, weight gain in the face (moon face), pink or purple stretch marks on the stomach, hips, thighs, breasts and underarms, thinning skin that bruises easily, slow wound healing

• aldosterone-producing adenoma may cause – headaches, muscle weakness, numbness or tingling, cramps, needing to pee more than usual, and feeling very thirsty

• hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma may cause – high blood pressure, fast heart rate, headaches, and heavy sweating

• adrenal gland cancer may cause – stomach pain, a fast heartbeat, loss of weight without trying to, not feeling hungry, back pain, and excessive hair growth

• congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) may cause – an enlarged penis in male babies, early puberty, such as voice changes, severe acne, and armpit and facial hair, bulky muscles, a deep voice and excess facial hair in females, irregular periods, and infertility

Adrenal gland disorders happen for many different reasons, but sometimes the cause isn't fully understood. Adrenal disorders may be caused by:

• the adrenal glands making too much or not enough of one or more hormones

• an underlying condition that’s affecting another gland in your body, such as the pituitary gland

• medicines or chemicals in your environment – such as steroids, which can raise or lower your hormone levels

• certain types of infection

• changes in your DNA that raise or lower your hormone levels

If you have any symptoms of an adrenal disorder, we recommend making an appointment with one of our consultants in our outpatient Endocrinology centre. 

At a consultation, your specialist will ask you about your symptoms, medical history, and run some other tests, such as:

• blood, urine, and saliva tests – to find out the levels of certain hormones

• imaging scans – such as a CT or MRI scan, if a tumour is suspected

Some adrenal disorders have a clear cause, while others don’t. 

This means there’s no way to prevent them from happening, but you may be able to reduce your risk by not taking male hormones, such as testosterone. These can directly lead to adrenal gland disorders, and damage other glands in the process.

The adrenal glands and the hormones they’re in charge of are vital to many of your body’s basic functions. It means if left untreated, adrenal disorders can have serious complications, such as:

• adrenal crisis – when the adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol

• bone loss (osteoporosis) – leading to broken bones

• high blood pressure

• type 2 diabetes

• electrolyte imbalances

At Welbeck, our endocrinologists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.