Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH, is a genetic disorder that affects adrenal gland functioning. The disorder impairs adrenal glands’ ability to produce vital hormones called corticosteroids. CAH causes these glands to not produce...
According to Tobias Else, M.D., of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan in "Pathophysiology of Disease," congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a fairly common disorder. One out of every 5,000 to 15,000 children is born...
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH, is a genetic condition that affects the adrenal glands in newborns. Specifically, the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone, which are hormones necessary for stress response and blood...
The adrenal glands produce three types of steroid hormones: corticosteroids ("stress hormones"), androgens and mineralocorticoids. Steroid production occurs in steps; for example, progesterone can be made into the corticosteroids cortisol or...
Adrenal hyperplasia is a genetic condition that may affect males or females. It causes the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, to produce abnormally high levels of sex hormones--androgens--and cortisol--a stress-related hormone. Dr....
Primary amenorrhea is a condition in which menstruation is absent, according to MedlinePlus. This absence may or may not occur in the presence of puberty. Sometimes, underlying medical diseases can lead to primary amenorrhea. Fortunately, most of...
The adrenal glands are an important part of the endocrine system. One important hormone that they make, cortisol, has profound effects on the body's metabolism, bone density and its ability to heal. Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia...
Numerous conditions cause low sodium or potassium levels. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center decreased sodium levels, or hyponatremia, is a metabolic condition characterized by a lack of sodium in the body fluids outside your...
Congenital diseases refer to diseases that are present at birth. Sometimes, the congenital condition affects a certain body part or is an inherited condition that affects growth and development. Congenital diseases are typically present at birth,...
Pediatric endocrine diseases encompass a variety of hormone disorders that present in infancy through adolescence. Hormones are essential chemicals secreted by the endocrine glands to regulate functions in specific body tissues. Pediatric...
One out of every 10,000 to 18,000 babies are born each year with adrenal hyperplasia. Patients who have this disease are equally likely to develop weight problems as the general population. For these patients to maintain adequate health, it is...
The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland regulate the amount of cortisol and aldosterone the adrenal glands produce. If the cycle is broken in any area, the adrenals produce too much or too little cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol, an important...
Dihydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is the most abundant sex hormone produced by the adrenal glands; it is a reservoir for the synthesis of estrogen, the most potent sex hormone in women. The normal concentration of DHEA in blood decreases with age,...
Hirsutism refers to a condition in which women grow hair in places such as the face, chest and back. In other words, women display a male-pattern of hair growth. The Mayo Clinic says that signs of hirsutism include a deepening of the voice, acne,...
The adrenal glands secrete hormones that have various functions. They make and release corticosteroids, catecholamines, mineralocorticoids and androgens. These hormones affect blood pressure, fluid balance, electrolyte balance, immune response and...
The reality of a newborn baby's appearance is not always the pretty picture you might have inside your head. The soft and creamy-skinned and sweet-smelling bundle of joy you've expected may take some time to arrive--the reality is that many babies...
Adrenal hyperplasia, commonly referred to as congenital adrenal hyperplasia or CAH, is a malfunction of the adrenal system. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and produce hormones called cortisol and aldosterone. People with CAH do...
Cortisol, a naturally-occurring corticosteroid hormone, is produced by your adrenal glands, which are situated atop the kidneys. It helps control your blood's sugar levels, as well as blood pressure and circulation. Cortisol also plays a major...
Cortisol is a hormone produced and secreted by the adrenal glands. The adrenals are a pair of triangular-shaped glands that sit atop each kidney. The adrenals secrete cortisol in response to another hormone, called ACTH, secreted from the...
The adrenal glands are located in the trunk of the body just above each kidney. As part of the endocrine system, these glands produce hormones that are vital for coordinating the proper balance of activity between the body's other organ systems....
Excessive, unwanted facial hair in women has its own medical term. Hirsuitism is used to describe a condition in which women experience male-pattern growth of coarse, dark hair, says the Mayo Clinic. Unwanted facial hair is a symptom of hirsutism,...
The adrenal glands are located at the tops of both kidneys and are responsible for producing hormones that regulate fluid and electrolyte balances and blood pressure levels. Several medical conditions affect these glands and can cause hormone...
If you are experiencing unwanted hair growth on your chest, you may feel embarrassed, but more often than not it is mostly just a nuisance. Contact your doctor if you are concerned, as it could indicate an underlying issue. Unwanted hair growth on...
When women suffer from excessive or unwanted hair growth, the National Institutes of Health characterizes this as hirsutism. It's a condition that causes women to experience hair growth similar to that of a man. They can begin to grow visible hair...
An endocrinologist is a medical doctor that specializes in the area of studying the endocrine system--the system of glands in your body and associated hormones that the glands produce. Pediatric endocrinologists are physicians that not only...
Women usually grow unwanted facial hair when the levels of male hormones, called androgens, are too high in her body or if her hair follicles are especially sensitive to androgens. Different medical conditions or factors can cause facial hair to...
Excessive hair growth, called hirsutism, can cause enormous embarrassment to young girls. Hirsutism is most often caused by an excess of male hormones, called androgens. Hair often grows in more typical male hair growth patterns in hirsutism, with...
Excessive hair growth in women, called hirsutism, is a common problem that is usually not a cause for concern. Women with hirsutism grow hair in a way that is more typical for men. Thick, dark hair may grow on the face, chest, abdomen and back....
Many women continue to experience acne well beyond adolescence, and hormone fluctuations likely cause these breakouts. But women in their 30s who experience acne combined with facial hair growth might actually be suffering from polycystic ovary...
