aldosterone

n. the principle mineralocorticoid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal gland. It helps to regulate mineral and water metabolism by promoting potassium excretion and sodium retention in the kidneys. Excess secretion of aldosterone results in a pathological condition called aldosteronism (or hyperaldosteronism), marked by headaches, muscle weakness, fatigue, hypertension, and numbness. Primary aldosteronism is caused by abnormal functioning of the adrenal cortex itself and is called Conn’s syndrome, whereas secondary aldosteronism is the result of a liver, heart, or kidney disease affecting the adrenal glands.

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Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

neurosis

n. any one of a variety of mental disorders characterized by significant anxiety or other distressing emotional symptoms, such as persistent and irrational fears, obsessive thoughts, compulsive acts, dissociative states, and somatic and depressive reactions. The symptoms do not involve gross personality disorganization, total lack of insight, or loss of contact with reality (compare psychosis). In psychoanalysis, neuroses are generally viewed as exaggerated, unconscious methods of coping with internal conflicts and the anxiety they produce. Most of the disorders that used to be called neuroses are now classified as anxiety disorders. Also called psychoneurosis. —neurotic adj., n.