Adrenal glands

Looks like

A small yellow cap on top of each kidney, with a cortex outside and a core inside.

What it does

Makes cortisol, salt-holding aldosterone and the adrenaline of fight or flight.

Keeping it well

Never stop steroid tablets suddenly; the gland goes quiet on them and needs weaning.

Its parts

• Adrenal cortex
• Adrenal medulla
• Right middle suprarenal artery
• Left middle suprarenal artery
• Right adrenal gland
• Left adrenal gland
• Right suprarenal vein
• Left suprarenal vein

Related conditions

• Adrenal insufficiency (Addison's)
• Burnout
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Clotting disorders (thrombophilia & APS)
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Cushing's syndrome
• Deep vein thrombosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hyperthyroidism & Graves' disease
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Hypothyroidism
• Kawasaki disease
• Menopause & perimenopause
• Metabolic syndrome
• Neuroblastoma
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Postnatal depression
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Type 1 diabetes
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)