Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon Adrenal DisordersSymptomsDiagnosisAnatomyFunction
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Adrenal Disorders
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Anatomy
Function
The adrenal glands are two small glands located on top of the kidneys. They produce hormones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, the immune system, physical stress response, and other functions.
Certain medical disorders cause the adrenal glands to produce too much or too little of these hormones.
The Most Common Adrenal Disorders
Overall, adrenal gland disorders are generally rare.The most common disorders happen when either too much or too little hormones are produced.
Adrenal glands can also be impaired if there is a disorder in the pituitary gland, as it signals the adrenals to make certain hormones like cortisol and aldosterone.
Adrenal gland disorders include:
Symptoms of Adrenal Disease
The symptoms of an adrenal gland disorder depend on which hormones are affected, such ascortisol.adrenaline, oraldosterone.
Because symptoms can resemble those of other conditions, it’s essential to get a diagnosis from your healthcare provider.
Cortisol
Symptoms of high cortisol levels include:
Symptoms of low levels of cortisol may start slowly and include:
Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?Adrenal fatigue is theorized to occur in response to long-term stress, which causes the adrenals to produce less cortisol. This is thought to induce brain fog, low energy, depression, salty/sweet cravings, weight gain, and other symptoms. Neither the Endocrinology Society nor any other medical specialties recognize adrenal fatigue as an official medical diagnosis.If you suspect adrenal fatigue and have similar symptoms, visit your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?
Adrenal fatigue is theorized to occur in response to long-term stress, which causes the adrenals to produce less cortisol. This is thought to induce brain fog, low energy, depression, salty/sweet cravings, weight gain, and other symptoms. Neither the Endocrinology Society nor any other medical specialties recognize adrenal fatigue as an official medical diagnosis.If you suspect adrenal fatigue and have similar symptoms, visit your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Adrenal fatigue is theorized to occur in response to long-term stress, which causes the adrenals to produce less cortisol. This is thought to induce brain fog, low energy, depression, salty/sweet cravings, weight gain, and other symptoms. Neither the Endocrinology Society nor any other medical specialties recognize adrenal fatigue as an official medical diagnosis.
If you suspect adrenal fatigue and have similar symptoms, visit your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Adrenaline (Epinephrine)
Symptoms of high adrenaline levels include:
Too little adrenaline rarely occurs but could limit the body’s response to stress or danger, and cause symptoms such as:
Aldosterone
Symptoms of high aldosterone levels include:
Symptoms of low levels of aldosterone include:
Testing
There are several tests your healthcare provider can do to assess adrenal gland function, typically through blood and/or urine samples.
Some tests of the adrenal glands include:
As mentioned, the adrenal glands are two small, roughly triangular glands that sit directly on top of thekidneys.
Adrenal Cortex
The cortex is the outer layer and is the largest part of the adrenal gland. It is divided into three zones—all of which are responsible for producing different hormones:
Adrenal Medulla
The medulla is the inner layer of the adrenal gland that makes a group of hormones called catecholamines (the “fight or flight” hormones that help you respond to stress).
The major hormones in this category are adrenaline (also known asepinephrine) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
Anatomical Variations
Sometimes, there may be variations in the adrenal arteries, the arteries responsible for supplying blood to the adrenal glands.
Variations of adrenal veins appear to be relatively common. This can have significance during surgery. Normally, one central vein drains each adrenal gland, yet there are many variations.
Adrenal glands produce cortisol in response to signals fromthe pituitary gland(a pea-sized gland located in the brain just behind the bridge of the nose) and thehypothalamus(a small region near the base of the brain close to the pituitary gland). This interaction is often referred to as thehypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis(HPA axis).
For example, the hypothalamus will release a hormone called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and this tells the pituitary gland to secrete a separate hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
ACTH is what stimulates the adrenal glands to make and release cortisol into the bloodstream. This process is regulated as the hypothalamus and pituitary gland monitor how much cortisol is in the blood and whether or not more is needed.
Aldosterone, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine
Summary
The adrenal glands are two small, roughly triangular glands that sit on top of the kidneys. They make steroid hormones (like cortisol), adrenaline, aldosterone, and norepinephrine, which help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, the immune system, physical stress responses, and more.
Certain medical disorders cause the adrenal glands to produce too much or too little of these hormones. Examples include Addison’s disease, Cushing’s syndrome, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Adrenal Gland Disorders.Endocrine Society.Adrenal Hormones.Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.Is adrenal fatigue “real”?MedlinePlus.Aldosterone test.UCLA Health.Adrenocortical Tumors and Cancer.MedlinePlus.Cortisol blood test.MedlinePlus.Cortisol urine test.MedlinePlus.DHEA sulfate test.MedlinePlus.17-Hydroxyprogesterone.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Adrenal glands.Priya A, Narayan RK, Ghosh SK.Prevalence and clinical relevance of the anatomical variations of suprarenal arteries: a review.Anat Cell Biol. 2022;55(1):28-39. doi:10.5115/acb.21.211Cesmebasi A, Du Plessis M, Iannatuono M, Shah S, Tubbs RS, Loukas M.A review of the anatomy and clinical significance of adrenal veins.Clin Anat. 2014;27(8):1253-1263. doi:10.1002/ca.22374
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Adrenal Gland Disorders.Endocrine Society.Adrenal Hormones.Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.Is adrenal fatigue “real”?MedlinePlus.Aldosterone test.UCLA Health.Adrenocortical Tumors and Cancer.MedlinePlus.Cortisol blood test.MedlinePlus.Cortisol urine test.MedlinePlus.DHEA sulfate test.MedlinePlus.17-Hydroxyprogesterone.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Adrenal glands.Priya A, Narayan RK, Ghosh SK.Prevalence and clinical relevance of the anatomical variations of suprarenal arteries: a review.Anat Cell Biol. 2022;55(1):28-39. doi:10.5115/acb.21.211Cesmebasi A, Du Plessis M, Iannatuono M, Shah S, Tubbs RS, Loukas M.A review of the anatomy and clinical significance of adrenal veins.Clin Anat. 2014;27(8):1253-1263. doi:10.1002/ca.22374
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Adrenal Gland Disorders.Endocrine Society.Adrenal Hormones.Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.Is adrenal fatigue “real”?MedlinePlus.Aldosterone test.UCLA Health.Adrenocortical Tumors and Cancer.MedlinePlus.Cortisol blood test.MedlinePlus.Cortisol urine test.MedlinePlus.DHEA sulfate test.MedlinePlus.17-Hydroxyprogesterone.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Adrenal glands.Priya A, Narayan RK, Ghosh SK.Prevalence and clinical relevance of the anatomical variations of suprarenal arteries: a review.Anat Cell Biol. 2022;55(1):28-39. doi:10.5115/acb.21.211Cesmebasi A, Du Plessis M, Iannatuono M, Shah S, Tubbs RS, Loukas M.A review of the anatomy and clinical significance of adrenal veins.Clin Anat. 2014;27(8):1253-1263. doi:10.1002/ca.22374
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Adrenal Gland Disorders.
Endocrine Society.Adrenal Hormones.
Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.Is adrenal fatigue “real”?
MedlinePlus.Aldosterone test.
UCLA Health.Adrenocortical Tumors and Cancer.
MedlinePlus.Cortisol blood test.
MedlinePlus.Cortisol urine test.
MedlinePlus.DHEA sulfate test.
MedlinePlus.17-Hydroxyprogesterone.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Adrenal glands.
Priya A, Narayan RK, Ghosh SK.Prevalence and clinical relevance of the anatomical variations of suprarenal arteries: a review.Anat Cell Biol. 2022;55(1):28-39. doi:10.5115/acb.21.211
Cesmebasi A, Du Plessis M, Iannatuono M, Shah S, Tubbs RS, Loukas M.A review of the anatomy and clinical significance of adrenal veins.Clin Anat. 2014;27(8):1253-1263. doi:10.1002/ca.22374
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