The small but mighty adrenal glands produce a host of hormones that influence the health of both men and women. These glands are located at the top of the kidneys. The adrenal glands have two main parts, the outer cortex, which itself is divided into three layers, and the medulla, which occupies the center of the adrenal gland. Different areas of the adrenal glands manufacture different hormones, each with a unique purpose in stimulating vital bodily functions. A disorder of the adrenal glands can produce numerous problems for women.
Osteoporosis
The chance of experiencing osteoporosis is a common concern for women who are approaching menopause. Osteoporosis, or bone thinning, naturally begins to occur after the third decade of life when the rates of reabsorption of calcium into the bloodstream overtake the rates of bone production. The declining estrogen levels of menopausal women accelerate bone loss, but women who experience adrenal gland disorders can begin to experience osteoporosis well before menopause. In adrenal conditions such as Cushing's syndrome, excess corticosteroid production by the gland impairs the body's ability to absorb calcium from food. This can increase a woman's chances of developing osteoporosis, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Infertility
The presence of increased levels of androgen can be caused by a virilizing tumor of the adrenal glands. The adrenal gland produces androgens such as testosterone, which the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library notes can cause problems with ovulation. When androgen, a male hormone, increases in a woman, her ability to conceive is impaired. Irregular menstrual periods, or failure to menstruate, are sometimes signs of an adrenal gland disorder.
Masculinizing Effects
An abnormal increase in adrenal androgens can result when a woman inherits the genetic disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, this disorder is characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme needed to produce the adrenal hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The lack of these hormones in the female body causes an increase in the production of androgens by the adrenal gland.
Androgens are responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males. When females possess abnormally high androgen hormone levels, they can develop typically male features. A woman's voice may deepen. She can grow excessive amounts of body hair, as well as facial hair. Clitoral enlargement may result in the appearance of ambiguous genitalia that more closely resemble those of a male than a female.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Problems with Ovulation: Infertility
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: Endocrinology: Adrenal Tumors
- MayoClinic.com: Cushing's Syndrome
- University of Washington's Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine: Osteoporosis
