When a growth forms on your adrenal tumor, an abnormal growth on one or both adrenal glands that can produce excess hormones or remain harmless. Also known as adrenal mass, it can change how your body handles stress, blood pressure, and energy—whether it’s benign or not. These glands sit right on top of your kidneys and make critical hormones like cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone that regulates metabolism and immune response, aldosterone, which controls salt and water balance, and adrenaline. Not every adrenal tumor causes problems, but when it does, the symptoms can be confusing—mimicking anxiety, high blood pressure, or even weight gain.
Some adrenal tumors are silent—found by accident during a scan for something else. Others push out too much hormone and trigger real issues. A tumor making too much cortisol can lead to Cushing’s syndrome: weight gain around the midsection, thinning skin, and muscle weakness. One overproducing aldosterone raises blood pressure and lowers potassium, causing cramps and fatigue. Then there’s the pheochromocytoma, a rare, often noncancerous tumor that dumps adrenaline into your system, causing sudden spikes in blood pressure, sweating, heart palpitations, and panic-like attacks. These aren’t just stress—they’re chemical storms inside your body.
What triggers these tumors? In most cases, we don’t know. A small number run in families, tied to genetic syndromes like MEN2 or von Hippel-Lindau. But for most people, it’s not lifestyle-related—it’s just biology. The good news? Most adrenal tumors are benign. The bad news? You can’t tell just by how you feel. Blood tests, urine tests, and imaging like CT or MRI are needed to confirm what’s going on. Treatment isn’t always surgery. Some tumors are monitored. Others need medication to block hormones first. And if the tumor is cancerous or growing fast, removal becomes urgent.
You might wonder if your headaches, weight gain, or high blood pressure are just aging—or something more serious. If you’ve had unexplained symptoms that don’t improve with standard treatment, an adrenal tumor could be the hidden cause. This collection of articles covers what doctors look for, how tests work, what medications help manage hormone surges, and how surgery fits into the picture. You’ll find real-world insights on diagnosis, treatment trade-offs, and what recovery actually looks like—no fluff, no jargon, just what matters.
Pheochromocytoma is a rare adrenal tumor that causes dangerous spikes in blood pressure, sweating, and heart palpitations. Unlike common hypertension, it can be cured with surgery-but only if correctly diagnosed. Learn the symptoms, tests, and why pre-op preparation saves lives.
Cushing’s syndrome is caused by too much cortisol, often from a tumor. Surgery is the most effective cure - especially for pituitary or adrenal tumors. Learn how it works, what to expect, and why timing matters.
