Infections of the adrenal glands - traditional Chinese medicine. Restoration of depleted adrenal functions. Diet for adrenal diseases

The adrenal glands are small glands located above the kidneys, which, in fact, explains their name. Despite the small size of these glands, they perform a very important function - they produce hormones without which a person cannot live, including sex hormones, adrenaline, cortisol and aldosterone.

Chronic stress has already become an integral part of our lives, accompanied by fatigue, malnutrition, exhaustion, mood swings and hormonal imbalances.

Research has shown that when people experience chronic stress, the tiny adrenal glands, which help us cope with stress and also regulate other hormones, suffer. The adrenal glands themselves are the size of a walnut each and they weigh 7-10 grams (together).

The adrenal glands also produce cortisol, which is activated in response to increased stress levels, signaling the body to go into “emergency mode.” You need to know that cortisol levels can only be elevated for a short time. If cortisol levels are elevated for a long time, this leads to disruption of many body functions, including immune function, digestive function, as well as problems with sleep and the ability to produce other vital hormones - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid hormones. This can lead to increased blood pressure, blood sugar, belly fat, and inflammation. At this time, our health is at risk, our mood is subject to changes, and there is also a decrease in sexual desire.

When the adrenal glands are exposed to this kind of stress over a long period of time, they are less able to produce cortisol and instead produce excess adrenaline, causing the person to become irritable, jumpy, weak and anxious. Adrenaline fatigue is a syndrome that over time can lead to low blood pressure, allergies, and just plain exhaustion.

These problems can be corrected by treating adrenal dysfunction. Along with reducing chronic stress, regulating our emotional responses to stressors, and changing our diet, we can combat adrenal fatigue.

Proper Eating Timings for Adrenal Health

If we long time we spend without food, our adrenal glands work hard, producing large quantity cortisol and adrenaline to maintain normal body functioning. If blood sugar levels are low for a long time, this leads to a stress response. Therefore, it is important to know that our body needs energy even during sleep. Cortisol plays an important role in regulating sugar levels in the body, so it is very important to eat healthy foods and eat them on time.

Cortisol levels fluctuate according to a person's circadian rhythm: they begin to rise around 6 pm, peak at 8 pm, and throughout the day cortisol levels can rise and fall according to the body's needs. Cortisol levels decrease at night, and the lowest levels of this hormone are observed during sleep.

Therefore, to maintain hormonal balance it is necessary:

more food should be consumed at the beginning of the day;
lighter foods in smaller quantities should be taken towards the end of the day;
exercise also increases cortisol levels, so moderate activity is recommended when treating adrenal fatigue;
More intense exercise is recommended in the morning or late afternoon when cortisol levels are elevated.

Why don't you feel like eating in the morning?

The age-old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is actually true. A nutritious breakfast that contains protein, consumed within an hour of waking up, helps balance your metabolism and keep cortisol levels normal throughout the day. However, it is very difficult to “push” breakfast into yourself if you don’t want to eat at all, even though we know that it is necessary.

Here's why you don't feel like eating in the morning:

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) can suppress appetite by quickly entering the bloodstream in the morning.
Reduced liver function can accompany adrenal fatigue, which can also cause a lack of appetite in the morning.

Eating times to regulate cortisol levels throughout the day:

Try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up or by 8 a.m. to restore low blood sugar levels from the night before.
Have a healthy snack at 9 a.m.
Try to eat between 11 a.m. and lunchtime to prevent low cortisol levels.
Eat a healthy snack between 2 and 3 p.m. to counteract the drop in cortisol levels that occurs around 3 to 4 p.m. By the way, many people at this time feel inexplicably tired and drowsy and, accordingly, reach for a cup of coffee or saturated carbohydrates products, which is not recommended, as it negatively affects hormonal balance.
Try to have dinner between 17:00 and 18:00, and light food is best for dinner. At first it will seem difficult and unusual, but over time your super-adaptive body will get used to such dinners and even love them.
An hour before bedtime, you can also have a light snack, but in no case should this “light” contain refined sugar. Cheeses and vegetables are perfect for this role.

Food and Drinks for Adrenal Health

When a person's blood sugar level is low, he craves sweets. Unfortunately, if a person fights adrenal fatigue with cookies, candy, cola and/or coffee, the energy obtained from such foods and drinks is not “long-lasting.” What you get as a result: a sharp jump in blood sugar levels, accompanied by the same jump in insulin levels, which instantly suppresses such a jump in sugar. And this is also stress for the body.

Stress and exhaustion combined with hunger can interfere with our ability to make healthy decisions. If we are not aware of how much caffeine and refined carbohydrates are entering our body, we do not understand how it affects our hormones and their functioning along with our sleep patterns.

So, what foods are good for the adrenal glands:

fresh, whole, natural foods that are in season (i.e. strawberries are great if they are picked from the garden in the summer and not bought in the supermarket in the winter);
avoid preservatives, hormone additives, artificial colors and chemicals;
Include lean protein foods in your diet that will reduce cravings for caffeine and refined sugar;
Try to always have a supply of ready-made snacks with you so that you can satisfy your hunger if necessary.

As for drinks, everything is extremely simple: limit the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and energy drinks as much as possible.

The role of salt in adrenal health:

You will be surprised, but you should not suppress your craving for salt during adrenaline fatigue. In adrenal insufficiency, salty cravings are associated with decreased levels of the steroid hormone aldosterone. This hormone helps the body maintain mineral metabolism and ion balance, and regulate blood pressure.

When cortisol levels rise, aldosterone levels fall.

Like cortisol, aldosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day and are also affected by stress. Chronically low aldosterone levels can negatively impact fluid balance, and sodium intake helps restore this balance.

By the way, dizziness in the morning or after a bath may indicate low blood pressure, which is side effect adrenal insufficiency. High-quality salt (for example, sea salt) will help alleviate such symptoms.

Other Nutrients Essential for Adrenal Health

Vitamins, minerals and trace elements play an important role in maintaining and restoring adrenal health, as well as supporting the entire endocrine system. The most important of these are:

Vitamins C, E and B (especially pantothenic acid and B6) help regulate stress hormones;
magnesium supplies the adrenal glands with energy;
calcium and trace elements, including zinc, manganese, selenium and iodine, have a calming effect on the body.

Also, in the treatment of adrenaline fatigue, special herbs can be used - adaptogens, which increase the body's resistance to stress.

And remember that food is food, but you still need to see a doctor. Constant fatigue can be a symptom of many diseases, not just adrenaline fatigue. Therefore, along with taking care of the adrenal glands, it is necessary to pay proper attention to other organs.

In 80% of cases, daily ailments are associated with adrenal burnout, or adrenal fatigue syndrome. Constant stress causes a disruption in the production of hormones, which leads to deterioration of the immune system, loss of strength and disruptions in the functioning of various body systems. Read this article to learn how to diagnose adrenal fatigue in time and how to deal with it.

The main factor that causes adrenal fatigue is stress. In response to it, anxiety develops when the glands release increased amounts of hormones into the blood. Then the body resists: first the adrenal glands reduce and then sharply increase their activity. Considering that modern man lives at a frantic pace, is regularly exposed to stress at work, family life and does not find enough time to rest, the stage of exhaustion quickly develops.

Elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which are supposed to fight stress, provoke disruptions in the functioning of various organs and systems. Fatigued adrenal syndrome develops, and the disease is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:

Hormonal imbalances – due to chronically elevated levels of stress hormones, a person feels constant fatigue and may gain excess weight, the skin becomes dry, women's menstrual cycle is disrupted.
Depression – since adrenal burnout is accompanied by hormonal imbalance, it negatively affects mood.
Insomnia – stress makes it difficult to fall asleep, but proper sleep is necessary for the body to recover and gain energy for the new day.
Cravings for salty foods, dizziness, low blood pressure - occur due to insufficient production of the hormone aldosterone, which maintains the balance of ions and minerals.
Digestive disorders – under stress, metabolism slows down, so indigestion, bloating, diarrhea and constipation often occur after eating.

All people with adrenal fatigue have these symptoms, but the first sign is loss of energy. Having felt it, you need to immediately take action, since in the stage of exhaustion the immunity is already dangerously reduced, various inflammations and diseases arise.

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue refers to a condition when they stop coping with their functions. As a result, the body can no longer withstand stress.

The outer part of the glands produces corticosteroids, including cortisol. It is a hormone whose many functions include controlling metabolism and blood pressure. It also prepares the body to survive stress.

Adrenaline is produced inside the glands, which helps cope with shock. It is useful in small doses, but under constant stress it is produced frequently, which leads to disruptions in the body.

Weakness, or exhaustion of the adrenal glands, is aggravated by a number of provoking factors:

acute stress;
prolonged stress, causing a feeling of helplessness;
bad ecology;
low quality food;
sedentary lifestyle;
constant lack of sleep.

Healthy foods

Adjusting the diet will help improve the functioning of the adrenal glands in men and women with increased fatigue, depression, and insomnia. The main rule is that meals should be fractional, including only high-quality products.

It is recommended to take vitamins and microelements. These are, for example, Omega-3 and Omega-6, the amino acid tyrosine, which takes part in the formation of proteins in the body and the production of adrenaline. Every day you need a full, good food, consisting of natural products high in proteins, animal fats, vitamins A, C, E and group B.

The following foods benefit the adrenal glands:

Product	Properties
Fatty sea fish (salmon, halibut)	Source of Omega-3 and Omega-6.
Liver, peanuts, radish, bran	Rich in vitamin B5, deficiency of which negatively affects the adrenal glands.
Eggs	A storehouse of proteins, vitamins E and B5.
Salo	A complete source of energy for the body.
Carrot	Contains vitamin A, which is necessary for the adrenal cortex. Since it is not absorbed without vitamin E, it is recommended to eat carrots with butter.
Sprouted grains	Sources of vitamins E and group B.
Unrefined sunflower oil	Contains natural vitamin E.
Freshly squeezed juice (orange, currant), rosehip decoction	Rich in vitamin C. You need to drink little and often.
Unrefined sea salt	Maintains normal blood pressure, enriched with minerals.
Licorice	Helps the adrenal glands rest by protecting the hydrocortisone they secrete.

You can also include natural dark chocolate in your diet. It is high in monounsaturated fats, which are important for the brain and normalize cortisol production.

Harmful products

In case of diseases and disorders of the adrenal glands, the following foods should be excluded from the diet or at least limited:

Caffeine. It increases cortisol levels and decreases insulin sensitivity. The maximum dose of coffee per day is 1 cup, but it is better to avoid it completely to avoid insomnia. The adrenal glands repair themselves during sleep, so rest is very important for their healing.
Sugar and its synthetic substitutes. Eating sweets sharply increases the concentration of sugar in the blood. When the adrenal glands malfunction, they produce excess cortisol. It also increases sugar levels - this trick of the body appeared as a result of evolution so that a person could quickly escape from or overcome a predator.
Chips, sausages, noodles instant cooking– they contain many harmful additives, including flavor enhancers, artificial flavors and colors.
Allergen products - fermented milk products, soy, gluten, etc. If you have an individual intolerance to any product, its consumption puts the body under stress.

It is also recommended to remove alcohol from the diet - it destroys the adrenal glands, and reduce salt intake, since it retains moisture in the tissues and provokes an increase in blood pressure. Before going to bed, you should not eat carbohydrates - rice, pastries, pasta, as they increase the synthesis of cortisol and lead to insomnia.

What dietary supplements will help overcome adrenal fatigue?

Various bioactive supplements also help normalize the functioning of the adrenal glands when they are depleted:

fish oil (Omega-2 complex);
Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng, widely used in Ayurveda for stress);
magnesium;
zinc;
vitamins B5, B12;
vitamin D3;
vitamin C.

Dietary supplements will help fill the deficiency of substances that the adrenal glands need for normal functioning.

Physical exercise

Moderate physical activity – effective method improve adrenal function in women. Girls should do simple exercises - jogging, dancing, swimming, just walking more. Yoga and Pilates are helpful. Such exercises help normalize weight and help eliminate toxins through sweat. As a result, endurance increases and metabolism improves, which forces the adrenal glands to work. Cardio training is contraindicated because it causes gland fatigue.

How to quickly recover from adrenal insufficiency

You need to be mentally prepared for the fact that recovery of the adrenal glands will take some time: from six months for mild fatigue to 2 years for severe fatigue. The following recommendations should be followed:

Go to bed at 22.00 - 23.00, observing biorhythms, and sleep 8 hours a day.
Rest when feeling tired.
Laugh more – Laughter reduces stress levels.
Stick to healthy balanced nutrition.
Fulfill physical exercise.
Form your surroundings from positive people.
Dedicate time to yourself, take relaxing baths.

There are ways to make your adrenal glands work folk remedies. To normalize their functions, adaptogen herbs are used:

Eleutherococcus;
ginkgo biloba;
liquorice root;
ginger root;
St. John's wort tincture;
Rhodiola rosea.

To restore the adrenal glands and normalize the production of hormones, you can prepare a decoction of lungwort: 30 g of dry herb, pour 1 liter of boiling water, cool and strain. Drink a glass 4 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most common causes of loss of energy and bad mood, but in the future it leads to a decline in immunity and various diseases. The glands begin to produce excess amounts of hormones due to stress, so the first thing to do is to protect yourself from irritants as much as possible. You also need proper rest, balanced diet and moderate physical activity. All this will normalize the functions of the adrenal glands, making you feel healthy and full of energy again.

Having worked with my patients for 25 years, I have become accustomed to the fact that for many of them, restoring adrenal function is often difficult. And I understand this state when you feel tired, but still excited, as I was at the age of thirty-five. And the last thing you want to hear from your doctor is that you need to stop drinking coffee or stop eating biscuits. As one of my clients put it: “Dr. Sarah, if you want me to give up coffee, you will have to pry this cup from my tenacious, cold, dead fingers.”. But giving up coffee and baked goods is what works when it comes to restoring your adrenal glands.

I know what I'm talking about because I was diagnosed with adrenal dysregulation based on symptoms and lab tests. I couldn't lose weight, I felt overwhelmed and exhausted, I was too tired to have sex, and I was bingeing on caffeine.

The condition when you continuously overload your adrenal glands is akin to taking out a bank loan with a high interest rate and should pay it off soon. I only began to get better when I began to incorporate the basic principles of functional medicine into my life: eliminating the factors that cause imbalance and adding things into my life that helped me get better.

What you need to know about the adrenal glands

The adrenal gland is an endocrine gland located above the top of the kidneys. They play an important function in regulating metabolism and are always ready to release cortisol when we are under stress or in danger. Cortisol is also known as the hormone released in our body when we are in a “flight or fight” state.

When I began helping men and women restore hormonal balance in the early 90s, I had no idea then that the roots of any hormonal problem lay in adrenal dysregulation.

It's important to understand this because restoring your hormonal balance starts with restoring your cortisol levels, which means healing your adrenal glands even if you're too exhausted to do so. There is simply no other way.

Symptoms indicating malfunction and the need to restore the adrenal glands

Have you experienced the following symptoms in the past 6 months?

Feeling of constant rush and race when doing things.
Feeling tired and on edge, for example when you want to sleep but are unable to relax and fall asleep.
You have trouble sleeping and constantly wake up in the middle of the night.
Feeling anxious and nervous – you are unable to stop worrying about things and events that you cannot control.
You often break down and scream - you can quickly be thrown out of balance.
Forgetfulness and constant distraction while doing some work, especially under pressure.
Sweet cravings – after every meal you are missing something, usually chocolate.
Increase in waist size, more than 88 cm (the appearance of fat around the abdomen is not a feeling of bloating).
Skin problems such as eczema or thinning (both physiological and psychological).
Bone loss (your doctor may have diagnosed you with osteoporosis or osteopenia).
High blood pressure or rapid heartbeat.
High blood sugar (prediabetes or diabetes, and insulin resistance).

If you observe three to five symptoms, then it is likely that your adrenal glands are not functioning properly. I recommend getting a urine or saliva test. Please note that these symptoms indicate increased level cortisol.

As you age, cells become more resistant to cortisol, which increases serum levels and may be associated with decreased cortisol in your cells. Such an imbalance in the blood and in the cells of your body indicates that you are tired (low cortisol) and at the same time nervous (high cortisol).

Let's not forget that the system that controls adrenal function, which I call the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid-gonadal axis, is complex but wise. If you suspect or believe you have an adrenal problem, see a functional medicine practitioner to learn how to work with your body's innate intelligence.

Stress and the adrenal glands: foods to avoid from your diet

The main thing you need to do to restore your adrenal glands is to reduce the amount of stress in your life and learn how to behave correctly in stressful situations. Stress also causes the consumption of certain foods and some of our habits.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine increases cortisol and reduces insulin sensitivity in cells. Many people, including myself, are genetically predisposed to metabolize caffeine slowly. I try to take no more than 200 mg. caffeine per day (ideally, it is better not to drink caffeinated drinks at all) to avoid insomnia.

Sleep is an important part of adrenal healing. During sleep, the process of their restoration occurs. It has a beginning, middle and end. And if you miss one of these steps, it will manifest itself later in the form of various symptoms.

2. Sugar and artificial sweeteners

When consuming sweet foods, sharp jumps in blood sugar occur, which intensify when the adrenal glands malfunction.

The relationship between sugar and cortisol is bidirectional: stress increases cortisol levels, and cortisol increases blood sugar levels - a clever trick our bodies evolved to allow us to fight or flee from a predator.

Because of the relationship between cortisol and blood sugar, you can get into a vicious cycle of sugar and adrenal issues if you don't eat a diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber, which helps stabilize your blood sugar.

3. Food intolerances including gluten, dairy and soy

Eating allergenic foods also causes stress in your body. The irony is that the foods on this list are addictive, so it will take an iron will to eliminate them from your diet.

This is not a situation where moderation is your friend. If you're not sure what foods your body can't tolerate, try an elimination diet or get tested for food allergens.

However, this is far from full list. It is necessary to keep in mind other factors that affect the functioning of the adrenal glands. For example, a low-carb diet can increase your cortisol levels and overload your adrenal glands. Alcohol, mold, an unloved job or an unhappy marriage... This is the topic of a separate article.

Foods to restore adrenal function

1. Eat organic, natural foods rich in protein. In the right dosage for you

This means neither too much nor too little. For most women, the protein requirement is 20-30 grams per meal, and 75 to 100 grams per day. People who lead a more active lifestyle need more protein.

When I was trying to lose weight before my wedding, I went on a low-carb diet and didn't lose an ounce, only making my thyroid and adrenal glands worse.

2 . Add Peruvian Maca to your drink

Typically, women with low libido and increased anxiety often report that adding 1-2 teaspoons of maca powder to their morning protein shake makes them feel better.

Maca powder is a natural adaptogen that helps fight anxiety, depression, low sex drive, and sleep disorders. If you exceed the recommended dose, breast sensitivity will increase.

To stabilize cortisol levels in the blood, you can also take ashwagandha, a popular Indian adaptogen. I take it at night before bed.

3. Turn on healthy fats into your daily diet.

On my menu you can find cold sea fish, salmon and halibut, coconut oil rich in medium chain triglycerides that do not require processing gallbladder, as well as dark chocolate, rich in monounsaturated fats, which are necessary for brain function and affect cortisol.

I struggled with adrenal dysregulation for many years, in part because I didn't study it in medical school and thought my lack of energy was related to my morale. Don't let this happen to you. Study the biological symptoms, starting with problems with the adrenal glands, since these, in my experience, are the main cause of almost any hormonal imbalance.

Thanks for the translation to Alexandra Lukicheva

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The adrenal glands are endocrine glands, anatomically located above the kidneys, consisting of the cortex and inner medulla and producing the most important organic substances for human life -.

Any failures or disruptions in the functioning of the hormonal sphere cause irreparable harm to health, cause pain, neurotic and depressive states, and pose a threat to life.

Therefore, if the first signs appear, you must consult a doctor and start treatment in a timely manner.

Treatment can be medication, using hormonal therapy, to restore the imbalanced hormonal balance. However, in some cases surgical intervention is necessary. To prevent it, it is important to carry out drug treatment at the earliest stages.

Effective drugs of the new generation are Medrol, prescribed in combination with other drugs for, Polcortolone, containing the hormone Glucocorticoid, and Cortef, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is used for reduced production of hormones by the adrenal glands.

General Approaches to Adrenal Restoration

Approaches to the treatment of adrenal glands in medical practice are divided into innovative and conservative, radical and gentle. But no matter what approach doctors take, they agree on one thing: in order to cure a person suffering from adrenal dysfunction, it is necessary to normalize his hormonal levels.

Hormonal medications are taken under the supervision of a doctor. Antibacterial and antiviral medications are often prescribed along with them, and always a complex of vitamins and dietary supplements.

A strict diet is also required, avoiding excesses, spicy and fatty foods, nuts and dried fruits, alcohol and nicotine.

Hormone therapy is not always effective. If hormonal levels do not decrease and the patient’s condition worsens, one has to resort to a radical method: surgery. involves removal of the adrenal gland (or both, depending on the severity of the situation). There are two approaches:

traditional (abdominal surgery, in the form of a small incision in the sacral area or a large incision in the abdomen);
endoscopic (by inserting endoscopes into small holes on the stomach or back).

After endoscopic surgery, the patient adheres to bed rest for one day, after a couple of days he is sent home from the hospital and recovers quickly.

Unilateral adrenalectomy gives you a chance to forget about the disease forever. But removing both adrenal glands requires taking hormonal medications for the rest of your life.

Nutritional features and vitamin therapy

Regardless of the specific adrenal disease and treatment methods chosen, it is necessary proper nutrition, properly selected foods and vitamins in the diet.
Proteins, fats and carbohydrates must be properly balanced. Lean meat and fish, greens and dairy products are healthy. Fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as juices and fruit drinks, are part of any healthy diet.

obesity with fat localizations on the abdomen, chest, neck and face;
swollen, often purple face;
characteristic compact fatty hump on the back;
thinness, “transparency” of the skin on the palms;
wasting of the abdominal and thigh muscles;
stretch marks, like those of pregnant women (not only on the stomach and hips, but even on the chest and shoulders);
saggy “frog” tummy;
local hyperpigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes;
osteoporosis, which causes brittle bones, and subsequently scoliosis and other postural disorders (teenagers are especially susceptible);
concomitant cardiovascular diseases;
disorders of the central nervous system, neurotic and depressive manifestations;
diabetes (without insulin deficiency in the body); phenomena of excessive production of androgynes in women and girls: body hair, mustache, beard, absence of menstruation;
deviations in men - feminization, breast obesity, testicular atrophy, impotence.

Women suffer from this disease 10 times more often than men. Itsenko-Cushing syndrome, depending on the severity of the course, is treated both radically (surgically) and systemically, as well as symptomatically.

Surgical treatment methods include the following:

pituitary tumor removal– when a tumor is the cause of the disease;
unilateral adrenalectomy(removal of one of the adrenal glands) in combination with proton irradiation of the pituitary tumor;
destruction of the adrenal glands(introduction of sclerosing agents under CT or MRI control) as an auxiliary method.

Drug treatment is carried out with hormonal drugs, blockers of ACTH and corticosteroid synthesis and cortical cell destructors.

Symptomatic treatment is carried out along with eliminating the cause of the disease. The patient receives antidepressants and other psychoactive drugs that normalize the state of mind. He is also given potassium, calcium, vitamins, anabolic steroids, drugs that lower blood sugar (if necessary) and normalize blood pressure. Also effective: mulberry decoction, infusion of medicinal lungwort and its fresh leaves and stems.

Addison's disease

Addison's disease (on behalf of the doctor Thomas Addison, who first described it) is also called bronze disease - due to the pronounced darkening (to a bronze tint) of the skin. This disease, which is quite rare, occurs due to the fact that hormones are no longer produced in the required quantities.

In some cases, hormone synthesis stops completely. Often the cause of hormonal imbalance is an autoimmune process (for example, caused by renal tuberculosis or HIV). But the disease may also have genetic background. Addison's disease occurs in men and women and first appears between 30 and 50 years of age.

Clinical manifestations of Addison's disease: malfunctions gastrointestinal tract, hyperpigmentation of skin and mucous membranes, hypotension and muscle weakness, pronounced mood changes, up to severe depressive states.

Patients eat more salt than they usually need, and women experience problems menstrual cycle, blood glucose levels in children decrease. Unlike Cushing's syndrome, which is characterized by obesity, Addison's disease is associated with weight loss.

Addison's disease is highly treatable if it is not advanced. In the absence of medical supervision, an adrenaline crisis may develop: a sharp lack of hormones, up to the complete cessation of their production. The crisis is manifested by severe abdominal pain, gastrointestinal upset, a critical decrease in blood pressure, and sometimes loss of consciousness.

This condition can lead to the death of the patient. Therefore, monitoring and diagnostics must be carried out constantly. If a crisis does occur, hydrocortisone with sugar and saline is injected into the patient’s vein, and his condition improves dramatically.

Hormone replacement therapy will compensate for the lack of cortisol and other hormones that the adrenal glands cannot synthesize on their own. Most often, after diagnosis, patients are given hydrocortisone and mineralcorticoid tablets. Medicines containing radium are also prescribed.

There is evidence of the effectiveness of treating the disease with folk remedies. The most effective of them are:

a decoction of licorice root (an undesirable side effect may be an increase in blood pressure);
a potion made from crushed walnuts (with shells), oats, nettles, lemon and pine needles;
mustard seed powder (should be added to food);
tincture of snowdrop flowers with vodka;
geranium infusion;
infusions of blackcurrant stems and leaves.

Addison's disease usually cannot be cured by any folk remedies.

Tumor diseases

affect either their cortex or the inner medulla. They are benign and malignant, primary and secondary (the latter are always malignant and metastatic, with primary localization in another organ).

Benign tumors do not cause trouble for patients and are discovered by chance during a comprehensive examination. Malignant tumors are fast-growing and cause intoxication of the body.

Primary tumors are divided into hormonally inactive (they are often benign: myoma, fibroma, less often malignant: teratoma, melanoma) and hormonally active.

Hormone-active tumors of the adrenal cortex are relatively rare. These are corticosteroma, aldosteroma, corticoestroma, androsteroma and others. Hormonally active tumors of the inner medulla are pheochromocytoma (the most common) and ganglioneuroma.

Hormonally active tumors are treated by adrenalectomy: the diseased adrenal gland is removed, and if the tumor is malignant, adjacent lymph nodes are also removed.

Pheochromocytoma

It occupies a special place among tumors. This is most often a benign formation. If it is malignant, it is usually a secondary tumor. Occurs mainly in women.

The worst outcome of the disease is pheochromocytoma crisis, which is manifested by a rise in blood pressure, severe headache, rise in temperature, panic, and loss of consciousness.

Peculiarity surgical treatment pheochromocytoma is that it exhibits greater hormonal activity, and after adrenalectomy there is a high risk of hemodynamics (circulatory disorders). Preparation for surgery includes a competent choice of anesthesia that counteracts pheochromocytoma crisis.

After surgery, patients suffer from tachycardia (with systematic monitoring it is corrected and does not interfere with life) and hypertension (increased blood pressure due to hemodynamics).

In addition to surgical methods, treatment is practiced by injecting a radioactive isotope into a vein to affect the tumor and reduce it in size, as well as suppress metastases. Chemotherapy using mitotane and intravenous injections of nitroglycerin, phentolamine and other antitumor drugs are also possible.

Adrenal hyperplasia

If we are talking about (increased cell growth of) the adrenal glands, then most often it is meant that their cortex is affected.

Hyperplasia is caused by excessive hormone production and can be combined with Cushing's syndrome. Often hyperplasia is not the main, but a concomitant diagnosis. The disease is genetic, that is, hereditary in nature.

Types of hyperplasia:

nodular (with single and multiple, up to four centimeters in diameter, nodules, manifests itself in old age);
(difficult to diagnose, detected using CT or MRI);
diffuse nodular;
nodular (manifests and is diagnosed in the first two years of life, more often in girls).

The clinical symptoms of hyperplasia coincide with the manifestations of Itsenko-Cushing syndrome. Closer to puberty, girls with the nodular form may also experience the following symptoms:

too tall;
early pubic and axillary hair growth;
acne;
absence of menstruation at the onset of early adolescence;
bald patches at the temples.

A side effect of hyperplasia in an older patient is infertility. Treatment is carried out with hormonal drugs: Prednisolone, Dexamethasone and Hydrocortisone.

In adolescence, additional hormones are introduced to normalize hormonal balance: estrogens for girls, androgens for boys (although this pathology is rare in boys).

Finally, babies with severe pathology, in which it is difficult to determine the baby’s gender characteristics, undergo adrenalectomy in the first year of life.

Disease Prevention

Prevention of Itsenko-Cushing syndrome lies, first of all, in controlling hormonal levels. If close relatives suffered from this disease, it means there is a hereditary predisposition.

It is necessary to undergo regular examinations, eat a healthy and balanced diet, healthy image life. It is also necessary to monitor for signs of obesity, localized fat deposits, changes in areas of skin color and mucous membrane, and at the first appearance of signs similar to early symptoms diseases, contact an endocrinologist.

It is difficult to prevent Addison's disease because the disease is autoimmune in nature. Here we are more likely talking about the prevention of primary diseases that negatively affect the immune system (such as tuberculosis) and a healthy lifestyle. Quitting nicotine and avoiding contact with toxic substances, chemicals and poisons will help significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Prevention of tumors, including pheochromocytoma, is difficult because the causes of their occurrence are not clear. It is possible to prevent the appearance of new tumors after surgery. It is also important to remember that adrenalectomy is fraught with complications. To avoid them, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, avoid alcohol, excessive nervousness and physical activity, psychotropic and sedative drugs.

Prevention of adrenal hyperplasia should be carried out by the parents of the unborn child during pregnancy, visiting a geneticist, and also avoiding intoxications and infections (this applies to the child’s mother).

Finally, effective means, allowing you to identify the problem early stage and to prevent the development of a disease with a complicated course, medical examination serves, provided that it is carried out regularly.

Chinese medicine: the connection between allergies and the adrenal glands

Kirill BELAN. The Epoch Times (The Epoch Times) http://www.epochtimes.ru/content/view/58324/7/

Allergy -This is the excessive sensitivity of the immune system to some external irritant. There are many external reasons that contribute to the occurrence of allergies, which are difficult to influence (genetics, ecology), but there are also internal ones that can be corrected.

Standard methods of treating allergies, as a rule, involve the use of antihistamines or hormonal drugs that inhibit inflammatory reactions, that is, the mechanism of allergy. Unfortunately, they do not act on the cause, so they cannot lead to a radical cure.

Kozma Prutkov said: “Look at the root.” Treatment that is not aimed at eliminating the true cause cannot lead to a true cure. And this is especially true in the case of allergies. The use of popular treatment methods can temporarily eliminate or minimize allergy symptoms, but after a while they recur.

Disadvantage of traditional treatment methods is that they do not pay enough attention to an important point - the role of the adrenal glands in the development of allergies. Most suffer from allergies due to deficiency adrenal hormones. This is one of the internal causes of allergies.

The adrenal glands are no larger in size than a walnut, but are shaped like a pyramid. They are located at the upper pole of each kidney . Adrenal cortex hormones reduce the excessive activity of inflammatory reactions, optimizing it according to need. With increased activity of the adrenal glands, the severity of allergies decreases, and with weakened activity, it increases. For frequent allergies, the level adrenal hormones turns out to be reduced.

Most of allergic reactions accompanied by an inflammatory process. Repeated allergies exhaust the adrenal glands, making it easy for allergens to cause a severe reaction. A kind of vicious circle arises. The functions of the adrenal glands can be impaired for other reasons. For example, from stress, which stimulates the release of cortisol ( adrenal hormone).

As a result, we have no choice but to resort to hormone therapy, that is, replacement. But there is another way. Dr. Sheri L. Ackerman recommends turning to traditional Chinese medicine, which has a deeper understanding of the true causes of disease.

Chinese medicine tips

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the functions of the adrenal glands are closely dependent on qi ( vital energy). There are two types of qi: original (Yuan qi) and postpartum. We receive the first type of qi from our parents at birth. It determines our constitution and adrenal function. We produce or waste the second type of qi in the process of life. When postpartum qi is depleted, the body begins to use up the original qi.

When the body completely wastes the supply of original qi, which is stored in the adrenal glands and gonads, its health begins to deteriorate sharply. Western medicine says that adrenal insufficiency has appeared. Chinese medicine believes that the body has lost vital Qi.

Lack of original qi and exhaustion of the adrenal glands leads to allergies. Thus, one of the components of allergy treatment is the restoration of postpartum qi.

This is not easy as it requires lifestyle changes. It is usually much easier to take a “magic pill” than to change your existing lifestyle pattern. However, lifestyle changes are necessary as there are no magic pills.

Here are some tips to help restore qi and treat allergies.

Eliminate the influence of stress on you. This is the most important step. This requires a change in perspective on many things, as well as a revision of life values. When everyday problems no longer cause you dissatisfaction, your body will no longer experience stress.

Rest and sleep are extremely important. You may need at least nine hours of sleep each day to restore your qi.

Intense physical activity exhausts the adrenal glands. Do qigong or yoga. Practice meditation, keep your mind calm and your heart peaceful.

Negative thinking is a bad habit that ultimately wastes energy. Anxiety, fear and anger put stress on the adrenal glands and destroy vital organs.

Be healthy.