The adrenal glands are located in the trunk of the body just above each kidney. As part of the endocrine system, these glands produce hormones that are vital for coordinating the proper balance of activity between the body's other organ systems.
The endocrine system uses hormones in the same way that the nervous system uses nerve impulses, as a form of communication that instructs organs to decrease or increase various functions. High adrenal hormone levels can cause serious health problems. The adrenal gland can be influenced by a number of factors that can increase hormone output.
Secondary Glandular Disorder
The adrenal gland requires prompting from two other glands in order to increase its secretion of adrenal hormones. These glands are the hypothalamus and the pituitary glands, both located within the brain. The hypothalamus initiates the production of adrenal hormones by sending releasing hormones to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland responds by secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone, or ACTH. This hormone then stimulates the adrenal gland to increase production of glucocorticoids.
This hormonal chain of command results in a cascade of increased glandular activity. When a disease or injury affects the hypothalamus or pituitary gland in such a way that their output of hormones is abnormally elevated, a subsequent increase in adrenal levels ensues. MayoClinic.com notes that pituitary tumors can increase that gland's productivity of ACTH and cause high adrenal levels.
Congenital Disorders
Sometimes a genetically inherited disorder can result in elevated adrenal hormone levels. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a genetic disease that boosts the levels of androgen produced by the adrenal gland. This occurs because those with this disorder do not have an enzyme that is needed in the production of cortisol and aldosterone. Thus, those with congenital adrenal hyperplasia have higher than normal levels of adrenal androgen, but lower levels of cortisol and aldosterone, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Adrenal Tumors
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center explains that tumors of the adrenal gland can be functioning, meaning they produce hormone, or non-functioning. The existence of a functioning tumor, whether malignant or benign, will increase the levels of hormone secreted by the adrenal gland.
Tumors secrete different hormones depending on what part of the adrenal gland they occupy. Conn's syndrome results from an aldosterone-producing tumor. Cushing's syndrome can be caused by a cortisol-secreting tumor. Tumors that secrete sex hormones also plague the adrenal gland, and can result in feminizing symptoms in men, such as enlarged breasts, and masculinizing symptoms in women, such as facial hair.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center: Adrenal Tumors
- MayoClinic.com: Cushing's Syndrome: Causes
- The Human Body in Health and Disease; Gary Thibodeau, PhD and Kevin Patton, PhD; 2002
