Hyperactive Adrenal Thyroid Symptoms

Our adrenal glands, located atop each of our kidneys, produce needed hormones in our body (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and five groups of steroids). The Thyroid gland, located at the base of our neck, beneath our Adam's apple, also produces important hormones: thyroxine and triiodothyronine. When these two important glands become hyperactive and produce more hormones than needed, our body is adversely affected, producing symptoms that can range from dehydration to diabetes (adrenal gland) or increased appetite to irregular heartbeat (thyroid gland).

Adrenal Gland Purpose

• The main purpose of our adrenal glands is to aid us during times of stress. The adrenal glands do this by producing hormones that help us deal with emotional, mental, and physical stressors like school exams, shopping, hospitalizations, and threats to one's life or limbs.

  The epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones are the ones to aid in our fight or flight reactions to danger and physical threats. And the steroid class (mineralocorticoids--aldosterone; and glucocorticoids--cortisol) aids in maintaining proper mineral, electrolyte, and chemical levels in our bodies, serving to prevent cardiac failure and other health conditions.

Hyperactive Adrenal Gland Symptoms

• When the adrenal glands produce more hormones than is needed, our bodies are bombarded with too much of a good thing. This, unfortunately, can have very negative consequences. For example, the following symptoms can be expected if the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol is over produced: bone formation is inhibited, wound healing is delayed, and the ability to absorb calcium is suppressed.

  Since this hormone affects many systems within the body, over production can result in diseases like Cushing's disease. Cushing's disease affects organ functioning as well as metabolism processes; therefore, its negative metabolic influence can even result in such conditions as diabetes.

Other Adrenal Symptoms

• Another set of symptoms that can result is due to overproduction of the adrenal gland hormone aldosterone, which acts as a regulator of sodium, potassium, blood volume, and blood pressure. Overproduction of this hormone can produce an irregularity in the levels of sodium, potassium, blood volume and even blood pressure.

Thyroid Purpose

• The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating body temperature, weight, and overall metabolism. This means that the thyroid gland also directly impacts the speed the heart will beat at, as well as how quickly and efficiently other organs in the body will operate. No small feat for such a tiny gland.

Hyperactive Thyroid Symptoms

• Nervousness, hands that tremble, skin that is warm and moist, as well as muscle weakness are some symptoms of hyperactive thyroid. Other symptoms of this condition are palpitations, a fast heart rate, breathlessness, insomnia, and fatigue. In addition, these symptoms may also be experienced due to a hyperactive thyroid: an increased appetite, weight or hair loss, an inability to tolerate heat, menstrual periods that are very light or nonexistent, an increase in bowel movements and a staring gaze.