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Adrenal Gland Failure Symptoms

When someone suffers an adrenal gland failure, it means that an insufficient amount of hormones, like cortisol and aldosterone, are being produced within the body. This can impact a person in a number of different ways, as these hormones are partly responsible for blood pressure, blood sugar and immune response. If a person experiences a much more significant failure of the adrenal gland, she is often diagnosed with a condition known as Addison's disease. Regardless of the severity, a dip in these hormones causes some very distinct symptoms.

  1. Weakness and Fatigue

    • For many people, an adrenal gland failure causes both weakness and fatigue. As the hormone levels decline, the body experiences an imbalance. This imbalance can tap a person's energy, causing him to become unexplainably weakened and fatigued. This weakness and fatigue may also be attributed to the effect these hormones have on both the blood pressure and the blood sugar.

    Digestive Distress

    • Of all the symptoms involving adrenal gland failure, digestive distress is one of the more common. This is largely due to the affect cortisol has on the digestive system, as it helps stimulate the production of gastric acids. As the level of cortisol wanes, the insufficiency eventually impacts digestion. However, not everyone reacts to this deficiency in the same way. For some, they experience nausea and vomiting. For others, they suffer bouts of diarrhea or constipation. Any of these factors can influence appetite and weight, seeing a decrease in each.

    Hypotension and Hypoglycemia

    • Often accompanying this digestive distress are the symptoms of hypotension (low blood pressure) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When the body sees a decline in the amount of cortisol, the blood vessels experience vasodilation, or a widening. This creates less resistance in blood flow, decreasing its pressure and often causing hypotension. With hypoglycemia, the lack of cortisol actually affects the use of insulin and amino acids, resulting in less sugar (glucose) in the blood. Either condition may cause faintness, lightheadedness or dizziness.

    Pain

    • It isn't uncommon for someone suffering adrenal gland failure to experience pain. For some, this pain is isolated to the abdominal region. For others, it is felt within the muscles and joints of the body. It all depends on how the individual reacts to the change in hormones.

    Cognitive Changes

    • Sometimes, adrenal gland failure triggers cognitive changes. Most of which involve a person's mood. The dip in hormones can cause some to become more irritable, agitated or enraged than normal. It can cause others to become more depressed, despondent or emotional than prior to the insufficiency.

    Skin Discoloration

    • An adrenal gland failure can cause skin discoloration. With this particular symptom, a person notices a darkening to the skin as a result of the change in hormones.

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