Adrenal and Pituitary glands Symptems and causes

 The Adrenal Glands Each of the adrenal glands, one atop each kidney, has a cortex, or outer portion, and medulla, or central section. The cortex secretes about 30 hormones and regulates many metabolic processes. The medulla produces the hormone epinephrine, more commonly called adrenaline. Adrenaline output is stepped up when you become fearful, angry, or excited-leading to a speed-up of heartbeat and many chemical changes that prepare the body for action. 

Among the major functions of the adrenal cortex and its hormones are the control of salt and water content of the body, and the control of sugar and protein metabolism. The cortex also secretes a hormone similar to that put out by the testes. In some tumors of the cortex, women develop masculine characteristics such as a deep voice and facial hair, and menstruation may slow or cease. In men with such tumors, the masculine secondary sex characteristics become more pronounced.

 Underfunctioning of the adrenal cortex produces a rare disorder, Addison's disease, discussed elsewhere. With cortisone and other preparations, Addison's disease can be controlled and the afflicted person can lead a normal life.

Both cortisone, an adrenal hormone preparation, and various derivatives of it, can replenish the body's supply when the adrenals function improperly. In addition, these medications may bring about favorable results in such diseases as arthritis, asthma, sarcoidosis, and rheumatic fever. The reason is not yet clear, for people with such diseases do not appear to be deficient in adrenal hormones and yet additions to the normal output sometimes produce striking improvement. 

The Pituitary Gland If you think of one line drawn through the head from ear to ear and another drawn backward from between the eyes, the pituitary lays at the spot-at the base of the brain-where the two lines cross. It consists of an anterior or front lobe; an intermediate part; and a posterior or back lobe. The secretions of the pituitary are many and perhaps still more remain to be discovered. From the anterior lobe come powerful agents that influence other endocrine glands as well as various body regions. ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, stimulates the adrenal cortex.

Thyro-trophic, or thyroid-stimulating hormone, often called TSH, regulates size and activity of the thyroid gland. Also from the anterior pituitary comes a hormone called the growth hormone, which has an important influence on height. During the years when a child is moving toward adulthood, the anterior pituitary secretes gonadotrophic hormone which stimulates the reproductive organs. After childbirth, the anterior lobe secretes lacto- genic hormone which causes milk to flow. One of the posterior pituitary hormones, vasopressin, helps regulate water balance in the body. 

Another, oxytocin, stimulates smooth muscles such as those of the digestive organs and the uterus. Research is constantly revealing new facts about the pituitary and the relationship among the various glands of the endocrine system. Scientists are trying to unravel the mysteries of the thymus and pineal glands. When such problems are solved, it can be expected that many more dis- eases may become not only curable but preventable.

 Pituitary gland diseases are rare. Inadequate pituitary secretion causes some types of dwarfism; excessive secretion stimulates growth to gigantic proportions. Pituitary tumors may press on the optic nerves and produce some loss of vision and headaches. Acromegaly, in which bones increase in size, particularly the bones of face, hands and feet, is caused by an overactive pituitary. Cushing'sdisease also is sometimes caused this way. Underactivity of the anterior lobe of this complex gland leads to a thin, malnourished condition, Simmonds' disease. 

Pituitary insufficiency can cause children to become excessively fat. In some cases, a condition called Frohlich's syndrome develops; children who have it are excessively obese and sexually underdeveloped. If given an extract of pituitary gland in time, they become normal and are spared unhappy lives. If pituitary secretion decreases after puberty, fat may accumulate around certain portions of the body, particularly the hips. When the back lobe of the pituitary fails to function properly, excessive urination results-as much as 30 quarts a day.

This rare malady is diabetes insipidus, not to be confused with" ordinary" diabetes mellitus. While effective replacements for all pituitary hormones are not avail- able, treatment of the organs affected by specific hormones is often possible. Thus, cortisone, thyroid, and sex hormones are often employed for patients suffering from specific pituitary hormone problems. 

For patients affected by dwarfism, human growth hormone has become available; it is effective only in specific cases and only if administered before the normal growth period has ended. The Sex Glands (Gonads) The gonads(derived from the Greek word meaning seed) consist of the testes in men, the ovaries in women. In addition to producing sperm and ova, the glands elaborate hormones that are responsible for the special male and female characteristics.