What is adrenal insufficiency (AI)
The adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys, make hormones that are essential for body functions. The outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal glands makes three types of steroid hormones. In adrenal insufficiency (AI), the cortex does not make enough steroid hormones.
There are two kinds of AI:
Primary AI, also called Addison's disease. In this rare condition, the adrenal glands do not work properly and cannot make enough cortisol (a “stress” hormone). Usually, production of aldosterone and androgens (the two other types of steroid hormones made by the adrenal glands) is also low.
Secondary AI. This far more common type of AI results when the pituitary gland, a small gland near the brain, does not signal the adrenal glands to make cortisol.
The adrenal glands do not get “adrenal fatigue” or lose function because of mental or physical stress. True AI is a rare health problem. Only an endocrinologist, an expert in hormones, should diagnose it using standard tests.
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