Our adrenal glands may be small, but they play a big role in our daily lives. They produce hormones that regulate energy, growth, stress responses, and even your body’s salt and water balance. When your adrenal glands do not function properly, it can have a major impact on your health and daily well-being. There are different types of adrenal disorders.
Adrenal disorder
Living in balance
Living with an adrenal disorder
An adrenal disorder is often a chronic condition and can affect your daily life. The impact varies from person to person. Fatigue, low energy levels or other symptoms can affect your work, social life and daily activities.
With the right treatment and guidance, you and your healthcare professional can work towards finding a balance that fits you and your daily life. It is important to consider not only your hormone levels, but also how you feel and what you need to function as well as possible.
Your quality of life comes first. Are you receiving treatment and still experiencing symptoms? Discuss them with your doctor. Together, you can explore what options may be available within your treatment.
What is Adrenal Insufficiency?
In adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal cortex does not produce enough of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is important for several processes in the body, including waking up, and helps your body cope with physical and mental stress.
Adrenal insufficiency can have different causes. Treatment focuses on replacing the hormones that the body does not produce in sufficient amounts.
How common is adrenal insufficiency?
Adrenal insufficiency is a rare condition. It is estimated that several thousand people in the Netherlands are living with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency can also be caused by certain medications, such as corticosteroids. It is not known exactly how many people are affected by this form.
What symptoms can you experience with adrenal insufficiency?
Adrenal insufficiency is not always easy to recognise, and symptoms can vary from person to person. You may experience:
- fatigue and low energy levels
- muscle weakness
- dizziness
- nausea or abdominal discomfort
- weight loss
- salt cravings
If your doctor suspects adrenal insufficiency, further testing will be carried out. Your doctor will consider your symptoms and hormone levels, including your cortisol levels. A single measurement does not always tell the whole story. Cortisol levels change throughout the day. Your doctor will therefore consider the overall picture and may recommend additional tests to make a diagnosis.
What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)?
One of the most well-known inherited adrenal disorders is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), a condition in which the adrenal glands are unable to produce cortisol and, in some cases, other essential hormones.
In CAH, the production of a certain enzyme does not function as it should. As a result, the adrenal glands produce too little or no cortisol (the stress hormone), too many androgens (sex hormones), and sometimes too little aldosterone (a steroid hormone). This creates a hormonal imbalance in the body.
There are two forms of CAH: the classic form (the most severe type) and the non-classic form (a milder variant). The classic salt-wasting form affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 – 20,000 newborns. In the Netherlands, around 15 to 20 children are born with CAH each year. The non-classic form occurs in approximately 0.1-0.2% of the Dutch population.
Although CAH is considered a rare condition in the Netherlands, hundreds of people live with it, each with their own story and experience.
Possible symptoms
The symptoms someone with CAH experiences depend, among other things, on the form of CAH and can vary from person to person.
In classic CAH with salt loss, symptoms may occur due to a deficiency of cortisol and aldosterone. These may include low blood pressure, fatigue or low energy levels, and problems with growth and development.
In classic CAH without salt loss, symptoms may include:
- virilisation
- early puberty
- accelerated growth
Later in life, CAH can also affect areas such as growth, menstruation, fertility, energy levels and daily functioning.
Other adrenal disorders
Besides adrenal insufficiency and CAH, there are other rare disorders of the adrenal glands. These include Cushing’s syndrome, primary hyperaldosteronism and pheochromocytoma.
Would you like to learn more about these and other adrenal disorders? Visit BijnierNET or one of the other websites listed under ‘Want to know more?’.
Our commitment
Living with a (chronic) adrenal disorder can affect your daily life. Finding the right balance in your treatment is therefore important for how you feel and what you are able to do throughout the day.
Together with healthcare professionals, we are commited to making knowledge and support available that contribute to better care and a better quality of life. Our goal is to help you maintain as much control over your own life as possible.
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