Excessive thirst and polyuria combined with excessive sodium in the blood can be signs of a serious health problem. All three conditions can be tell-tale symptoms of chronic diseases: Visit your doctor at the first sign of any of them. Three...
Numerous conditions can cause low potassium and electrolyte levels. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, potassium is both a mineral and an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity in the...
A hormone made by the adrenal gland, aldosterone has a role in your potassium levels. When it is released, it tells the kidneys to reabsorb sodium and excrete potassium. A person with a high level of aldosterone will have a high level of sodium in...
It is important to consult with a physician for the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. Problems such as low blood potassium and hypertension, or high blood pressure, if they have a single underlying cause, may be from Conn's syndrome....
The adrenal glands are small, endocrine organs located just above each kidney. They are partially controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland in the brain. These organs produce several hormones and play a critical role in the body's...
The body produces carbon dioxide as a waste product during cellular metabolism. This substance helps transport oxygen from the bloodstream to the organs and tissues of the body. It also plays a role in cardiovascular system function and the...
The paired adrenal glands, located atop the kidneys, secrete hormones that influence blood pressure, including aldosterone and epinephrine. Noncancerous and cancerous adrenal gland tumors that produce excess aldosterone or epinephrine typically...
Connecticut may be one of the smallest states in the country, but there are plenty of vacation spots for families and kids. Summer activities include swimming, hiking, and amusement parks, and winters provide kids with places to ski and snowboard....
Stamina, the ability to resist fatigue, is also referred to as endurance. Building stamina is important for runners for several reasons. It allows runners to increase their distances without tiring, and increases health as well as performance,...
A benign adrenal adenoma is a non-cancerous growth of the glandular tissue of the adrenal gland. Under normal conditions, a pair of adrenal glands--which sit atop the kidneys--help regulate hormone levels, producing hormones to meet the needs of...
Approximately 65 million American adults have high blood pressure, reports Maureen O’Hara Padden, M.D., in “Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Family Medicine.” It is estimated that only 70 percent of people with hypertension...
An adrenal gland is found on the upper edge of each kidney, where it is attached to the kidney. Composed of two parts, the inner part of the gland is called the adrenal medulla. The outer part is the adrenal cortex. There are three areas, or...
The level of carbon dioxide in the blood is indicative of the health of the acid/base balance of the blood. Both acidic and alkaline conditions can cause an abnormally high carbon dioxide level in a blood test. Carbon Dioxide--also known as...
The adrenal glands are a pair of small organs that are located just above both kidneys. The adrenal gland is divided into two main parts: the adrenal medulla and the adrenal cortex. The adrenal cortex is responsible for producing hormones that are...
According to "Conn's Current Therapy 2010," acute tubular necrosis can result due to the effects of computed tomography, or CT, contrast material. Acute tubular necrosis is a condition where the kidneys begin to fail at a rapid rate and the urine...
The adrenal glands secrete hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, aldosterone and catecholamines. The adrenal gland is made up of an outer cortex and an inner medulla, which secrete distinct hormones, according to the National Cancer Institute....
One of the daily functions of the body's cells is maintaining the right amount of water and electrolytes. Maintaining the right amount of electrolytes involves balancing the ones that have a negative charge with those that have a positive charge....
Potassium is necessary for muscle and nerve function in the body. Low potassium, or hypokalemia, can result in dangerous arrhythmias (heart rate abnormalities) and rhabdomyolysis (destruction of muscle tissue). Fortunately, the treatment for...
A healthy weight is usually determined by your gender and your height. Height and weight charts are a simple way to measure if your weight is within acceptable limits. For example, if you are a 5 ft. 6 in. tall woman, your ideal weight is between...
Hyperaldosteronism results when one's adrenal glands create elevated levels of the hormone aldosterone. Causes of hyperaldosteronism include a benign tumor in an adrenal gland (Conn's syndrome) or enlarged adrenal glands. Elevated levels of...
Many people think of the fatty substance cholesterol as a sort of toxin to be completely removed from the body. It is true that too much cholesterol can lead to life-threatening diseases of the heart and blood vessels. At the same time, a certain...
A bit of sunshine has been credited with health benefits as varied as easing depression to providing necessary vitamins to the body. Although the sun has many benefits for people, health and otherwise, it does not give off vitamins. However,...
Your skeleton provides support for your body and protects your internal organs, but keeping your bones healthy gets more difficult as you get older. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that half of all females and 25 percent of males...
Calories have a bad reputation. Calories are to blame for excess weight gain and are the reason people do not eat certain foods. Put simply, a calorie is a unit of energy. Your body converts the calories from the foods you eat into energy for your...
There is one adrenal gland on top of each kidney, which is why the gland is also referred to as the suprarenal gland. The inner area of the gland is the adrenal medulla, which makes epinephrine and norepinephrine. The outer area is called the...
Approximately 20 percent of women and 2 percent of men have iron deficiency anemia, notes a report in "American Family Physician." The most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, iron deficiency anemia causes severe fatigue in women and mental...
Since adults spend about half of their waking hours at work, the workplace provides the ideal setting for a health promotion intervention. Employee physical activity programs may result in improved health and increased job satisfaction. If you are...
Simply stated, a rash is any change in the skin's normal condition, usually affecting the skin's color, appearance and texture. Numerous factors can cause rashes in people of all ages; they could result from contact with irritants, allergens or...
Lovastatin is a prescription drug used to lower cholesterol. Lovastatin works in the liver by blocking the action of an enzyme that the liver uses to make cholesterol. This forces the liver to pull circulating cholesterol out of the bloodstream...
