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What Are Adrenal Disorders?

Your adrenal glands are small glands above each of your kidneys. These glands make two main types of hormones, cortisol and aldosterone. These hormones help to:

Balance salt, potassium and water in your bloodstream.
Control your immune system and stress response.
Maintain normal blood pressure.
Manage sexual development.
Regulate blood sugar levels.

Adrenal disorders happen when your glands make too many or not enough hormones. Some common types of adrenal disorders include:

Adrenal cortical cancer: This cancerous tumor begins in the outer layer of your adrenal glands.
Adrenal gland suppression: This condition occurs when your adrenal gland activity lessens due to steroid use, such as for arthritis and asthma.
Adrenal gland tumors: These abnormal growths on your adrenal glands usually aren’t cancerous but can cause high hormone levels.
Adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease): This disorder occurs when your adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and aldosterone hormones.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH): This genetic disorder causes your adrenal glands not to produce enough cortisol.
Cushing’s syndrome: This disorder happens when your adrenal glands produce too much cortisol.
Hyperaldosteronism: This condition occurs when your adrenal glands make too much aldosterone.

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Symptoms of Adrenal Disorders

Common Symptoms

Some common symptoms of adrenal disorders include:

Abdominal pain and weight loss
Constipation or diarrhea
Craving salty foods
Fatigue
Headaches
High blood pressure
Mouth sores
Muscle weakness
Nausea or vomiting

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Causes of Adrenal Disorders

Providers don’t always know the cause of adrenal disorders. Causes may include:

Genetics

Changes in genes (mutations) may lead to problems with your adrenal glands.

Infections

An infection can damage your adrenal glands, causing them to produce too much or too little hormones.

Medications

Certain medications, such as steroids, may harm your adrenal glands.

Problems in Other Glands

Issues in your other glands, such as your pituitary gland, can affect the function of your adrenal glands.

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Adrenal Disorders Risk Factors

Anyone can develop an adrenal disorder. But the chances are higher if you also have one or more of these risk factors:

Autoimmune Disease

People with autoimmune diseases, such as Graves’ disease or lupus, may be at higher risk of an adrenal disorder.

Chronic Disease

Having chronic diseases, such as tuberculosis, may increase your risk.

Surgery on Your Adrenal Glands

Having a previous surgery to remove part of your adrenal gland increases your risk of an adrenal disorder.

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Diagnosing Adrenal Disorders

Our renowned providers at UC Davis Health specialize in diagnosing adrenal disorders. We first ask you about your symptoms and family history. Then we will do blood, urine and saliva (spit) tests to check your hormone levels.

We may also recommend imaging tests, such as a CT scan, MRI or X-ray, to check for adrenal tumors.

Adrenal Disorders Treatments at UC Davis Health

At UC Davis Health Division of Endocrinology, we specialize in providing comprehensive care for people with adrenal disorders. Treatments we offer include:

Medication

We may treat some adrenal disorders, such as Addison’s disease and Cushing’s disease, with daily medications. These medications can supplement or suppress your adrenal glands’ production of hormones.

Radiation Therapy

We may use radiation therapy to shrink adrenal tumors.

Surgery

We may recommend endocrine surgery to remove any tumors from your adrenal glands. We often use minimally invasive surgery, depending on the size of the tumors.

Adrenal Disorders