It is becoming increasingly common for individuals to develop adrenal gland tumors. A majority of the adrenal gland tumors that are diagnosed within individuals turn out to be benign, despite this the amount of adults that are diagnosed with adrenal cortical cancer every year is steadily increasing. The tumors that end up being diagnosed as benign are more commonly found in individuals that are middle aged or senior citizens.
Our adrenal glands have a yellowish orange color and can be found right above the kidneys. One of their jobs is to help our physical body deal with stress. Another name for adrenal glands is suprarenal glands; ‘supra’ means above while ‘renes’ means kidneys. They are referred to as being endocrine glands and are shaped in the form of a star. One of the adrenal glands’ functions is to release the hormones whose job is to synthesis catecholamine and corticosteroids.
Adrenal glands are positioned within the region of the abdomen thoracic and each of the adrenal glands comprises the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. The cortex and the medulla are two very distinct structures that receive information from our body’s nervous system. The adrenal cortex is found on the outer area and it is responsible for producing steroid hormones which has the job of regulating specific body functions and the balance of salt and water within our body. The adrenal medulla is found within the inner area and it is responsible for producing the hormones adrenaline and noradrenalin. These two hormones help the body deal with stress; some of the responses that are generated by these two hormones include palpitations, perspiration, and trembling of the hands.
When the secretion of hormones that occurs with the adrenal cortex of the adrenal medulla found within the adrenal gland is unbalanced the result may be adrenal tumors. When hormones are secreted in excess it may trigger a tumor to be formed which will also trigger steroid hormones, aldosterone, and catecholamine to be produced in excess. Depending on the factor of the trigger along with the amount of time that goes by before adrenal tumors are diagnosed they can either be benign, non-cancerous, and in some cases they may be malignant.
Some signs and symptoms that could be occurring due to adrenal gland tumors include having high blood pressure, developing diabetes, having a low level of potassium, palpitations, excess nerves, panic attacks, perspiring excessively, headaches, pain in the abdomen, and gaining weight or losing weight that cannot be explained.