The adrenal glands are paired organs that produce hormones of different importance. Pathologies of the adrenal glands are divided into two groups: diseases that develop due to insufficient production of hormones, and diseases caused by excess hormones. Treatment measures will be carried out depending on the type of disorder and the degree of damage to the adrenal glands. The main goal of treatment is to restore hormonal levels; complex therapy also includes treatment of the adrenal glands with folk remedies.
Addison's disease
A common pathology, which doctors call Addison's disease, manifests itself in the fact that the glands stop synthesizing cortisol, androgen and aldosterone in sufficient quantities.
- The disease is often diagnosed in middle-aged people who come to see an endocrinologist with complaints of heart rhythm disturbances, hypotension, and kidney dysfunction.
- Symptoms of Addison's disease to look out for include: constant thirst, depression, excessive irritability, rapid loss of body weight, rapid heartbeat and increased pigmentation.
Traditional medicine uses hormonal drugs and dietary nutrition to combat the disease. Patients can improve their condition and get rid of negative symptoms by combining traditional therapy with traditional methods of treatment.
Diagnostic methods
Diagnosis of adrenal diseases requires the use of a whole range of measures. Initially, the doctor examines the patient and collects an anamnesis, which makes it possible to make a preliminary diagnosis. To confirm it, the patient must undergo blood and urine tests.
The patient is also recommended to undergo ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.
Thanks to these research methods, a layer-by-layer examination of the adrenal cortex is carried out, which makes it possible to determine the cause of the disease and prescribe adequate treatment.
Recipes from snowdrops and other plants
Snowdrop tincture has a positive effect on the adrenal glands. To prepare it, you need to collect 80 fresh flowers, put them in a glass jar and pour 500 ml of vodka. Place the jar on the windowsill on the sunny side of the house and infuse the product for 40 days. Then strain the infusion and drink 20 drops 3 times a day 15 minutes before meals. Course duration – 1 month. If you don’t like the taste of the medicine, you can take 1 tsp of it. honey
A decoction of horsetail stimulates the production of hormones, removes excess water from the body and enriches it with silicon. To prepare the medicine, pour 20 g of herb into 250 ml of boiling water and leave for 1 hour. After straining, divide the broth into 3 doses and drink 3 times a day 30 minutes after meals.
Indoor geranium is an indispensable helper for people suffering from Addison's disease. A decoction of it calms irritation, helps cope with depression and improves the functioning of the adrenal glands. To prepare it you need 1 tsp. Pour a glass of boiling water over dried geranium leaves and leave for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid and drink at once 20 minutes after lunch. This remedy for Addison's disease can be used regularly for a month.
What should I do?
One of the safest diagnostic methods is MRI.
When the first signs appear, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. An endocrinologist treats the adrenal glands.
After a survey and initial examination of the patient, the doctor refers him to:
- laboratory blood draws;
- MRI;
- CT;
- laboratory urine analysis.
To identify tumors, MSCT is performed. This method is considered the most informational and safe.
Herbal infusions
When treated at home, traditional medicine offers an effective collection of herbs that helps normalize the production of hormones and improve the general condition of the body.
- To prepare the collection, you need to mix 50 g of horsetail, 100 g each of knotweed and nettle, 75 g of pikulnik, 40 g of dried Icelandic moss in an airtight container.
- To make a decoction, you need to measure 2 tbsp. l. collection, pour 500 ml of water into it, put on fire and cook for 10 minutes. When the liquid has cooled completely, strain it and take 100 ml 4 times a day 2 hours after meals.
The course of treatment should last at least 2 weeks. It is important to prepare a fresh decoction every day.
Flavonoids contained in licorice root restore adrenal function, so decoctions based on it are recommended for the treatment of the disease. To prepare the mixture, you need to mix the crushed roots of licorice, parsley, lovage, dandelion and juniper berries in equal proportions.
The decoction is made in the evening. You need to take 1 tbsp. l. mixture, pour 400 ml of boiling water over it and leave to brew until morning. Before breakfast, strain and drink 100 ml 3 times a day after meals.
General focus of therapy
The medical instructions are as follows:
- Restoration of hormonal levels. For minor disorders, hormonal medications are prescribed that can compensate for the deficiency of a particular hormone.
- Restoration of all adrenal functions.
- Restoration of normal activity of internal organs.
In the most difficult cases, the surgeon decides on surgery. During surgery, the doctor removes the adrenal glands.
Blackcurrant Recipes
Treatment with folk remedies using black currant gives a positive result. This berry with a strong aroma is rich in vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the body. Its juice and decoction of the leaves improve the function of the glands, so with regular consumption of blackcurrant, patients can expect the symptoms of endocrine system disease to disappear.
- For treatment, you need to drink freshly squeezed berry juice 3 times a day in between meals.
- In the first week, the recommended dose for 1 dose is a quarter glass.
- From the second week you need to increase the amount and take 100 ml of juice at a time.
- In the absence of an allergic reaction, the juice can be drunk for a long time without interruptions.
Currant leaves are used in folk medicine for decoction. To prepare it, you need to brew 20 g of dry leaves with 400 ml of boiling water and leave for 3 hours. Then strain and take 100 ml 4 times a day after meals.
Adrenal glands and their role in the human body
Before you begin treating the adrenal glands with folk remedies, you need to understand the importance of the endocrine glands for the body.
They synthesize biologically active substances with the help of which metabolism is regulated, and a person is able to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions. The ability to survive for thousands of years is largely due to these paired glands. Most endocrinologist patients, after treatment, take hormones for the rest of their lives in order to maintain their quality of life. Replacement therapy is bearing fruit. Realizing that the threat has subsided, the former patients lead a healthy lifestyle and live peacefully into old age.
Therefore, it is impossible to talk about adrenal gland disease and its treatment using traditional medicine. The use of chamomile infusion in a situation where removal of the adrenal gland or tumor is required may improve the patient’s condition for one or two days, but in the future such therapy will lead to inevitable death. But after the operation, chamomile will be useful in most cases, so these need to be considered.
Conhn's disease and Cushing's syndrome
Conn's disease is characterized by excessive production of aldosterone. This hormone is responsible for the levels of sodium and potassium in the blood. When there is too much of it, the balance of chemical elements in the blood is disrupted. This leads to cramps, increased blood pressure, increased fatigue and headaches. Cushing's syndrome most often affects women. The disease often begins to progress after childbirth or abortion. It appears:
- a sharp increase in body weight;
- the appearance of stretch marks on the stomach and chest;
- constant thirst and frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- increased hair growth on the face and body;
- high blood pressure.
During illness, the face becomes round, puffy and often red.
To treat pathologies that are caused by an excess amount of hormones produced by the adrenal glands, consultation with an endocrinologist and long-term therapy are required. Its effectiveness can be improved using traditional methods.
Adrenal gland diseases in women
There are various pathologies associated with disruption of the pair of endocrine glands above the kidneys, which are classified depending on the causes of occurrence:
- due to too much production by the pituitary gland of hormones that control the adrenal glands, conditions such as Cushing's disease may develop;
- if changes occur in the glands themselves, leading to excessive production of hormones, hyperaldosteronism occurs;
- with weak synthesis of hormones, adrenal insufficiency develops, which can be primary, acute or become chronic;
- When the pituitary gland produces little adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs.
Symptoms of these pathologies appear gradually as problems in the body increase:
- First, frequent and rapid fatigue occurs, which is accompanied by weakened muscle tone.
- Then periodic nausea and vomiting appear. Anorexia develops, due to which a person rapidly loses weight.
- There is a general decrease in vitality, initially after severe stress, and then regardless of their influence.
The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system; when they do not function properly, it affects the entire body. Symptoms of adrenal disease in women are quite broad and occur for a variety of reasons. In the female body, mineral metabolism and water-salt balance are immediately disrupted. Hormonal levels change due to insufficient production of necessary hormones. It is extremely important to promptly diagnose impaired adrenal function and restore it.
Basic functions of the adrenal glands
The adrenal glands in women perform significant functions in the body. If the adrenal glands do not function properly, the entire female body weakens and many complications arise. The adrenal glands are classified as organs that are located above the kidneys. They include the medulla and cortex. The following are the main functions of the adrenal glands:
- Synthesis of hormones such as cortisol and corticosterone. Dysfunction of the adrenal cortex provokes a decrease in their production.
- Synthesis of sex hormones using the cortex. It is the adrenal glands that are responsible for the formation of secondary sexual characteristics. When there is an excess of these hormones, a woman develops male characteristics.
- Control of water and electrolyte balance.
- With the help of the medulla, adrenaline and norepinephrine are synthesized in the body. These hormones produced have a stimulating effect on the heart muscles and increase the amount of glucose in the blood and increase the pressure in the arteries.
- In stressful situations, the hormones of the paired organ produce a reaction.
Recipes for excessive hormone production
Lungwort is a plant whose stems and leaves can be eaten fresh to improve health. It has a slightly sweet taste and contains many vitamins and minerals. To treat hyperfunction of the adrenal glands, you can prepare a decoction from lungwort that stimulates the production of hormones.
You need to take 30 g of dried herb and pour 1 liter of boiling water over it. Leave the mixture until it cools completely and then strain through cheesecloth. Drink the resulting decoction 250 ml 4 times a day 20 minutes before meals for several months.
It is useful to use a decoction of white and black mulberries. To prepare it, you need to collect leaves from these trees, wash them under running water, and chop them finely. Measure out 4 tbsp. l., put in a saucepan and add 1 liter of clean water. Place on the stove and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Turn off and wait until the liquid cools down. Strain and drink the decoction throughout the day instead of tea after each meal. To improve the taste, you can add 1 tsp to the medicine. honey
To prevent the development of adrenal hyperfunction, you must adhere to a diet. You need to exclude chocolate, cocoa, beans, peas, walnuts, and strong tea from your diet. Instead, it is advisable to enrich your diet with fresh herbs, onions, baked apples, homemade cottage cheese and raw chicken yolks.
Features of drug therapy
For diseases of the adrenal glands, the following groups of drugs are prescribed:
- glucocorticoids;
- mineralcorticoids;
- antagonist drugs.
Additionally, adults are prescribed calcium supplements, vitamin D, and medications that help normalize digestion.
Young children require urgent hormone replacement therapy. Otherwise, the newborn dies. The drugs are administered to the child orally.
Use of glucocorticoids
Drugs in this group are prescribed for the treatment of the adrenal cortex. Medicines based on hydrocortisone are prescribed.
The most expensive drug with hydrocortisone is Methylprednisolone
Use of mineralcorticoids
Drugs in this group are prescribed for acute adrenal insufficiency.
Table 5. The most effective mineralcorticoids.
| A drug | Description | Price |
| A synthetic product that has the effect of one of the active hormones of the adrenal cortex - 11-deoxycorticosterone. | From 267 rubles. |
| Fludrocortisone is a corticosteroid with mineralocorticoid properties and glucocorticoid activity. Helps replenish hormone deficiency in case of adrenal insufficiency. | From 458 rubles. |
| Magnesium-potassium sparing diuretic. It is an aldosterone antagonist. Prescribed for severe symptoms of hypertension. | 389 rubles. |
Use of antagonist drugs
Medicines in this group are prescribed to reduce the production of adrenal hormones.
Table 6. Recommended antagonists.
| Medicine | Description | Price |
| An effective antitumor drug. | From 657 rubles. |
| An inhibitor of the aromatase enzyme, which takes part in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones. | From 589 rubles. |
| The medicine has a mineralocorticosteroid effect. Prescribed for Itsenko-Cushing syndrome. | From 627 rubles. |
Antagonist drugs selectively eliminate the effects of mineralcorticoids and help block their effects.
Note! Some of these drugs are very toxic.
Peptides
Such drugs are used as stimulants for the restoration of glands at the initial stage of their dysfunction. The drugs are prescribed for the treatment of many diseases of the glands, thereby accelerating the recovery of the adrenal glands, normalizing the metabolic process in them, stimulating normal functioning. Peptides are effective in regulating the body's hormonal levels.
Treatment with such drugs is carried out in courses. These may be the drugs Suprenamine and Glandocort.
The latter remedy belongs to peptide regulators of the functioning of the adrenal glands and is used in the treatment of their diseases in combination with other drugs from this group. Suprenamine contains amino acids and proteins that provide stimulation and regeneration of the structural elements of the glands.
Preventive recommendations
Preventive recommendations will help prevent problems with the adrenal glands.
Table 9. Prevention of adrenal diseases.
| Recommendation | Description |
| Breathing exercises will help you cope with the effects of stress. It is also recommended to rest well and get enough sleep. Sleep duration should be 7-9 hours. |
| With reduced cortisol concentrations and adrenaline fatigue, moderate sports activity is recommended. With increased cortisol concentrations, training should be more intense. You should exercise in the first half of the day. |
| It is recommended to undergo periodic tests and medical examinations. |
Surgery
Surgery may be prescribed if a tumor develops in the adrenal gland. In addition to surgical intervention, in this case, hormonal therapy is required, which helps maintain the normal state of the immune system and prevent the spread of metastases from the primary site.
When a tumor develops, minimally invasive or abdominal surgery is performed. A minimally invasive technique is used if the course of the pathology is benign and the tumor is small in size. During abdominal surgery, the doctor makes an incision in the abdominal wall and in the process examines other organs of this section for tumors. It is prohibited to perform surgery with the concomitant development of diabetes mellitus, pathologies of the kidneys and other organs of the genitourinary system. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are often prescribed.
Other indications for surgical intervention include:
- ongoing disease in which excessive synthesis of hormones is observed;
- significant enlargement of glands of unknown etiology;
- the development of a tumor in the upper pole of the kidney, which can also affect the gland;
- damage to the adrenal gland during surgery.
In any case, only a doctor can determine how to treat the adrenal glands. Self-medication has never led to a complete recovery, but on the contrary, it can aggravate the course of the underlying disease and cause irreversible consequences.
