The adrenal glands are two small almond shaped glands that rest on top of each kidney. Among other functions, the adrenals are responsible for stimulating the production of the hormones adrenaline, cortisol and testosterone. When the adrenal glands are functioning properly, the body is able to respond well to stress. If the function of the glands is suppressed, severe fatigue, depression and other serious symptoms may occur. Left untreated, an adrenal crisis may develop, which is a life-threatening event, according to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health.
Stress
The primary function of the adrenal glands is to respond to stress by facilitating the body's fight or flight response, an appropriate reaction to a life threatening circumstance. The stress response increases the blood flow to the muscles, raises blood pressure and blood sugar and increases the heart rate. The adrenal glands respond to everyday lifestyle stresses in the same manner, and because modern lifestyles tend to provoke chronic stress, the constant release of the cortisol and adrenaline necessary to keep the body energized, gradually wears the adrenals down.
Disease
Infectious diseases, cancer, liver disease or a sudden trauma may raise the risk of an adrenal crisis in people who already have compromised adrenal glands. However, not all medical practitioners believe in adrenal fatigue, according to Dr. Marcelle Pick, as reported on the information website Women to Women. In Western medicine, the two extremes of adrenal imbalance--Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease--are generally identified quickly and treated accordingly. According to Pick, conventionally trained doctors are not taught to recognize or treat the signs of adrenal dysfunction until the body reaches a crisis point. Adrenal exhaustion is borderline Addison's disease, and a history of adrenal fatigue combined with a major or minor life crisis can be the final blow that causes the adrenals to stop functioning.
Corticosteroids
High doses of steroids drugs, such as prednisone, can suppress the adrenal glands, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Normal adrenal function is dependent upon hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, and corticosteroids can inhibit that production. For this reason, patients who receive extended steroids treatments must withdraw gradually to allow the adrenal glands to return to normal function.
