Adrenals
Trying to describe a good marriage is like trying to describe your adrenal glands. You know they're in there functioning but you don't really understand how they work -- Helen Gurley Brown
image by: Shifting Your Paradigm for Optimum Health & Longevity
HWN Suggests
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.
The…
Resources
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.
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.
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...
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.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
