Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys, creating hormones that are critical for your body to function, which makes adrenal problems particularly troublesome.
An issue with these glands’ hormone production can cause a wide range of unwelcome symptoms while introducing serious health concerns. Some adrenal conditions can be fatal if left unchecked.
Adrenal problems are one of Ashok Kadambi, MD, FACE’s areas of expertise. At Fort Wayne Endocrinology, he and our team can help you determine what’s behind your adrenal problems. Just as importantly, Dr. Kadambi tailors treatment to help your body get the hormones it needs, supporting your overall health.
Adrenal issues can come from several areas:
Issues with your adrenal glands could stem from a direct problem with one or both of the glands, such as an infection.
It could also be a genetic issue. You can inherit congenital adrenal hyperplasia, for example, which limits your glands’ ability to produce hormones.
Problems elsewhere in your body can also turn into adrenal issues. Your pituitary gland, for example, releases hormones that affect how your adrenal glands work. A pituitary problem can become an adrenal problem.
In other people, these glands underperform (doctors call this insufficiency Addison’s disease), causing an autoimmune disorder 75% of the time, which compels your body to mistakenly attack the adrenal glands, hindering their hormone production.
The medication you take for another health issue can affect your adrenal performance, particularly if you take a steroid. That steroid increases the amount of cortisol in your body. Over time, high cortisol levels can contribute to Cushing’s syndrome, an adrenal problem.
At Fort Wayne Endocrinology, Dr. Kadambi diagnoses an adrenal issue with a clinical exam, a full review of your personal and family health history, and lab work. We have an on-site lab that enables us to determine what’s happening with your hormone levels, helping Dr. Kadambi diagnose you.
Once we know what’s occurring, Dr. Kadambi tailors a treatment plan to meet your specific adrenal problem and symptoms.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and Addison’s disease can often be managed successfully with medication and lifestyle changes, for example. With Cushing’s disease, stopping any steroid medication you’re taking might be enough to resolve the issue. In other cases, we can use treatments like surgery or radiation.
In short, the right treatment plan for your adrenal problem depends on what’s causing it. To begin the path toward a diagnosis and getting relief from your symptoms, book your visit online or call our office in Fort Wayne, Indiana, today.
