Cortisol is a hormone produced in your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys. It performs functions that include maintenance of your blood sugar levels and blood pressure, as well as the regulation of fat, carbohydrate and protein...
Diamox is the brand name for the generic drug acetazolamide. This medication is used to treat patients with glaucoma, a type of eye disease. Diamox can also be used to limit and control symptoms associated with altitude sickness. Certain people...
Adrenal exhaustion occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce an adequate supply of cortisol, which is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex, to keep the body functioning at an optimal level during periods of high stress. Low...
Adrenal insufficiency, also called Addison's disease, is a condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones that mediate many cellular processes. Caused by damage to the adrenal glands by an autoimmune disorder or direct trauma,...
The adrenal glands, two small organs located on top of each kidney, produce hormones that are vital to many functions throughout the body. The adrenals have two main parts: the cortex (outer portion) which produces vital hormones such as cortisol...
Affecting around five out of 1,000 people, hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, according to the United States Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research. Many persons with...
Adrenal insufficiency is a disorder in which the adrenal glands, endocrine organs that sit atop each kidney, fail to produce adequate amounts of hormone. The adrenal glands produce a number of hormones that help in regulating levels of sodium and...
Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, is important for normal cell functioning because it operates on a range of body systems. This vitamin is part of the B complex, which contains eight vitamins that were once believed to be a single vitamin....
Young and old, everyone feels cold from time to time. Usually it is just our body's way of telling us to cover up and it is nothing to be alarmed about. However, a child who persistently feels cold in environments where others are not could be...
Sodium, or natrium in Latin, is an essential mineral, which is necessary for the maintenance of blood volume and pressure, as well as muscle and nerve functioning. Approximately 90 percent of sodium is found in the extracellular fluid, or ECF,...
Adrenal glands are small glands on top of the kidneys that produce hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone and the sex hormones. Addison's disease is the result of reduced hormone production by the adrenal glands. Damage to the cortex of the...
Adrenal gland function plays an important role in overall health. When a person experiences stress, the adrenal glands respond by secreting hormones that enable the body to adapt to the situation. However, when an individual experiences relentless...
The adrenal glands are situated above the kidneys. They are divided into layers that secrete several hormones crucial for survival. The outer layer, called the cortex, secretes three types of hormones: mineralocorticoids, glucorticoids and...
Low cortisol levels, which result in Addison's disease, occur when the adrenal glands are damaged and insufficient amounts of human cortisol are produced. The adrenal glands are small glands located above the kidneys that secrete hormones...
Addison's disease is a type of adrenal gland insufficiency, which is a disorder characterized by the inability of the adrenal glands to produce adequate amounts of hormones. In those with Addison's disease, the adrenal glands don't produce...
MedlinePlus, of the National Institutes of Health, states that Addison's disease is a disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough of their hormones. The adrenal glands are small organs on top of the kidneys that secrete hormones...
The endocrine system of the body produces hormones that regulate cellular functions and contribute to body type. The adrenal glands, a pair of small triangle-shaped glands located on top of each kidney, produce hormones that regulate the storage...
Borage, known botanically as Borago officinalis, is a member of the Boraginaceae family. It is an annual plant that grows up to 4 feet high and has succulent and hollow stems. The leaves are oval shaped and it has bright blue, star shaped flowers...
Addison's disease is a hormonal disorder of the adrenal gland, which is a hormone producing, or endocrine organ, located above the kidneys. The outer shell of the adrenal gland releases stress hormones, sex steroids and mineral regulating...
Getting cortisol therapy to strengthen your adrenal glands may improve or even cure chronic fatigue syndrome. The adrenals are essential to energy and their function has been found to be reduced in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. If the...
When the adrenal glands are damaged, they can't produce sufficient quantities of the vital hormones cortisol and aldosterone. This condition is known as Addison's disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency. This relatively rare disease saps energy,...
Your endocrine system is a complex group of hormone-producing organs. Your adrenal glands are part of this system, sitting atop your kidneys, producing key hormones for physiological functioning. Adrenal dysfunction, also known as insufficiency,...
Potassium is responsible for proper muscle function, normal digestion and metabolism, and maintaining body homeostasis. High serum potassium, or hyperkalemia, occurs when there is an increase in potassium accumulation in the body or when cells...
Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition that can be cosmetically troublesome. The skin's pigment is primarily made up of a compound called melanin, which is produced by cells called melanocytes. Treating hyperpigmentation requires either removing...
The adrenals are two small crescent-shaped glands that sit atop the kidneys. The inner part of the glands, the medulla, produces epinephrine and norepinephrine, important hormones in the body's response to stress. The outer part of the glands, the...
Metabolism is a body process in which energy is acquired from ingested food. Chemicals in the body break food down into sugars and acids, which provide energy to the body. This energy may be used immediately or stored in the body for later use,...
Cortisol is a hormone released in times of stress that helps regulate the body's stress response. A number of tissues throughout the body respond to cortisol in the blood to help regulate blood sugar, sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and...
Dark skin occurs when your body experiences an increase in the production of melanin, the pigment that colors your skin. This darkening can occur on any part of your body, including your face, and in any size. Many causes are behind these...
Potassium is a nutrient that is involved in many bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, chemical and electrical processes. The normal level of potassium in the blood is 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L, according to MayoClinic.com. Hyperkalemia, any...
