Patient's question:
Mom has recently had her blood pressure measured and found to be high. She went to the hospital for a thorough examination, and the doctor said it was hyperaldosteronism. So, she wants to understand how hyperaldosteronism is treated?Doctor's answer:
Hyperaldosteronism may be caused by excessive excretion of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex, which may lead to hypertension and hypotension. Primary hyperaldosteronism is due to recurrent inflammation of the adrenal cortex, leading to excessive excretion of aldosterone, causing water and sodium retention, continuously increasing blood volume, and suppressing the renin-angiotensin system. Clinically, it manifests as a syndrome characterized by hypertension and hypokalemia. The majority are caused by aldosterone-producing adenomas of the adrenal gland, and it may also be idiopathic hyperaldosteronism. Hypertension caused by aldosterone tumors can be cured through surgery. If it is familial hyperaldosteronism, some cases can be relieved by taking small doses of glucocorticoid hormones.