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Why Your Adrenal Glands Are So Important

There are two little hormone glands, about the size of a grape, that sit just on top of our kidneys. Your adrenal glands are only small but they play such a HUGE part in our wellbeing and they really do appreciate a bit of love and care.

They may not be the largest of the hormone glands but, among the many hormones they produce, are our stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol is absolutely vital to life – it controls our sleep cycle, helps suppress inflammation, gives us energy from non-carbohydrate food and regulates our blood pressure. Adrenaline is a key hormone in our ‘fight or flight’ stress response, designed to help us deal with imminent danger and trauma.

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 Body Basics: What Are Adrenal Glands and What Do They Do?

The well-known “adrenaline rush” – some people deliberately seek it out, some actively avoid it. It is a phenomenon that almost everyone will experience at some point. Often, the adrenaline rush is the only reason to be aware you have adrenal glands. So you might be surprised to know that the adrenal glands are actually critical to multiple normal body functions besides stress.

Articles of Interest

The Adrenal Glands

Using cholesterol as the starting material, the cells of the adrenal cortex secrete a variety of steroid hormones. These fall into three classes: glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol), mineralocorticoids (e.g., aldosterone), androgens (e.g., testosterone).

The Boy Had Common Symptoms, but It Turned Out He Had Something Rare and Dangerous

In children, adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison’s disease, is usually caused by misguided warrior cells of the immune system destroying the thumb-size adrenal gland that sits on top of each kidney.

She Craved Salt and Felt Nauseated for Months. What Was Wrong?

The other disorder known to cause skin darkening is primary adrenal insufficiency (P.A.I.). The adrenals are triangular-shaped glands located on top of the kidneys. The tiny organs get their instructions from a natural chemical, ACTH (adrenocorticotropin hormone), which is made in the pituitary gland in the brain.

Resources

Adrenal.com

Adrenal.com is an educational service of Carling Adrenal Center, the world's leading adrenal surgery center.

EndocrineWeb

But the adrenal glands contribute to your health even at times when your body isn’t under extreme stress. In fact, they release hormones that are essential for you to live.

NICHD

There are several types of adrenal gland disorders, each with its own symptoms and treatments.

Ask The Scientists

The adrenal cortex secretes 3 types of hormones that are essential for life – mineralcorticoids, which are regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain; glucocorticoids that are regulated by signals from the kidneys; and sex hormones to a small degree (most sex hormones are produced by the ovaries and testes).

Live Science

The adrenal glands affect metabolism, blood pressure, the immune system, sex hormones and the body's response to stress. The human body has two adrenal glands.

MedlinePlus

With adrenal gland disorders, your glands make too much or not enough hormones. In Cushing's syndrome, there's too much cortisol, while with Addison's disease, there is too little. Some people are born unable to make enough cortisol.