What Are The Symptoms Of A Pituitary Tumor?

High Blood Sugar

An individual who has developed a tumor in their pituitary gland may experience high blood sugar. The body has mechanisms in place that are meant to increase blood glucose when it falls to low for the brain to function. When blood sugar becomes too low, the pituitary gland produces a hormone that tells the adrenal glands to produce another hormone: cortisol. Cortisol functions with adrenaline to increase the amount of sugar in the blood so it is more available for the muscles to use when the individual has a fight or flight reaction. However, a tumor of cancerous cells that develops in the pituitary gland can cause it to release too much of the hormone that commands the adrenal glands to produce cortisol and adrenaline. This malfunction results in the excessive production of cortisol and adrenaline in the blood by the adrenal glands, which causes an individual's blood sugar to become and remain too high.