This can lead to an overproduction of ACTH. Other causes include taking high doses of steroid medicines like prednisone for the long term to treat chronic diseases. This condition is called Cushing’s syndrome. The pituitary gland's overproduction of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (a hormone that controls the adrenal glands) is the main cause of the adrenal glands becoming overactive. What causes adrenal glands to be overactive? Please continue reading to learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment for overactive adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands are overactive, they produce excessive amounts of hormones, which can lead to various health issues. When they don’t produce enough hormones, it can lead to adrenal insufficiency (this condition is called Addison’s disease). The adrenal glands are controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain. They make hormones that control important functions in the body, such as heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, immune function, and stress response. adrenal glands, also called the suprarenal glands, are two small triangular glands located above the kidney on each side. Von Hippel-Lindau disease information page.diseases-conditions/pheochromocytoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20355367 Extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma after operation of congenital heart disease: A case report of 18-year-old boy. DOI: 10.4174/jkss.2012.83 Surgical treatment: Evidence-based and problem-oriented. Medical management of pheochromocytoma: Role of the endocrinologist. DOI: 10.4103/2230-8210.86976 You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. When chromaffin cells grow abnormally within the adrenal glands they are called pheochromocytomas, but when they develop elsewhere in the body they are called paragangliomas.īoth PCCs and paragangliomas can produce excessive hormones called catecholamines. The cells that make up these tumors are known as chromaffin cells. Increased levels of these hormones can put the body into a stress-response state, causing blood pressure to increase. Together these hormones control heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure, and the body’s stress response. The tumor can cause the adrenal glands to make too much of the hormones norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline).

Pheochromocytoma (PCC) is a rare tumor that can form in cells in the middle of the adrenal glands. These hormones regulate vital bodily functions such as: The adrenals produce hormones that give the organs and tissues in your body instructions on how they should function. Your body has two adrenal glands, one located above each of your kidneys. Share on Pinterest Sergio Monti/EyeEm/Getty Images

Adrenal gland above kidney