Where Are My Adrenal Glands and What Role Do They Play in My Overall Well-Being?

Whether you just won a load of cash or saw a snake slither across the floor, your body reacts physically to excitement, stress, and fear. From elevated blood pressure to dilated pupils, you can thank your adrenal glands for pumping out the necessary hormones that prep your body for action.

In addition to revving you up for flight or flight, these small glands play a monumental role in maintaining your overall well-being. Here, our experts at The Endocrine Center in Houston, Texas, explain how adrenal glands work and how they fit into your overall health and well-being.

Get to know your adrenal glands

These small, triangular-shaped glands are located on top of each kidney. Despite their modest size, they’re central to some of your body’s most crucial functions. Each of the gland’s two main parts — the cortex and the medulla — is responsible for producing different hormones that regulate various aspects of your health.

The cortex

The outer part of the adrenal gland, the cortex, produces hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens. 

Cortisol helps control your metabolism and your body’s response to stress. Aldosterone regulates blood pressure by maintaining a balance of sodium and potassium. Androgens contribute to the development of male traits and reproductive activity.

The medulla

The medulla is the inner part of the adrenal gland, and it produces adrenaline and noradrenaline, which trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response. When you’re stressed or in danger, these hormones increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supply.

How adrenal glands affect your well-being

Your adrenal glands produce the hormones that help you deal with dangerous situations, process food and turn it into usable energy, and keep your blood pressure from rising out of control. Here’s a closer look at your adrenal glands’ life-saving abilities.

Adrenal glands are your bodyguards in life-threatening situations

You rely on your adrenal glands to manage stress. When you face imminent danger, your adrenal glands release hormones that prepare your body to handle the challenge — known as the fight-or-flight response. While this mechanism is crucial for survival, constant stress can overwork your adrenal glands, leading to fatigue and other health issues.

Adrenal glands give you energy 

Thank your adrenal glands every time you work out, jog, take the stairs, or run errands. They produce cortisol in the adrenal cortex, which regulates your metabolism. Cortisol helps convert fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy so you can function from day to day. 

Adrenal glands keep your blood pressure in check

Aldosterone, another hormone produced in the adrenal cortex, helps control blood pressure by regulating the balance of sodium and potassium in your blood. An imbalance can lead to high or low blood pressure, affecting your heart health.

What can go wrong with adrenal glands? 

Like any organ, your adrenal glands are susceptible to several impairments, disorders, and adrenal disease. 

Adrenal cancer is relatively rare and very serious. High blood sugar, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain are classic symptoms.

Tumors called adrenal incidentaloma usually don’t cause any symptoms, but when they do, the most common are headaches, sweating, abdominal pain, and high blood pressure. 

Addison’s disease occurs when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and aldosterone. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, and low blood pressure. It’s a rare condition that requires lifelong treatment and management.

Cushing’s syndrome is the opposite of Addison’s disease. It occurs when there’s too much cortisol in your body. Symptoms are weight gain, high blood pressure, and changes in skin appearance. Treatment often involves medication or surgery to remove the source of excess cortisol.

Adrenal fatigue isn’t a recognized medical condition, but it’s a term used to describe a collection of symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, and sleep disturbances. It suggests that your adrenal glands are overworked and can’t keep up with your body’s demands.

Our experienced specialists at The Endocrine Center run various tests to check aldosterone, cortisol, DHEA sulfate, and bone density to determine the source and severity of your adrenal gland issues. Depending on what we find, we may recommend treatments that range from medication to radiation to surgery. 

If you have signs of an adrenal disorder, call The Endocrine Center or request an appointment online.