The adrenal glands, otherwise known as the “stress glands,” enable our bodies to cope with stress and survive. Shaped like two tiny pyramids, they sit atop the kidneys and from this central location mobilize the response to changes in our environment.
Whether stress comes from outside in the form of a natural disaster, or from within like the anxiety we experience before public speaking, it’s the adrenals’ job to help us adapt to the situation.
 
They accomplish this by secreting key hormones:
Cortisol
The primary stress hormone that fine-tunes our response to the stress of everyday living
DHEA
One of the most abundant hormones in the body, and a precursor to estrogens and testosterone; also balances some of the negative effects of high cortisol
Epinephrine / Norepinephrine
Neurotransmitters that mobilize the body’s natural “fight or flight” response in an emergency
 
Patients can conduct a saliva cortisol test or a urine cortisol test to assess adrenal hormones. This involves collecting four non-invasive samples over the course of one day, from we are able to generate results with a diurnal cortisol curve. This four-point graph reveals cortisol levels throughout the day and allows for us to pinpoint issues with adrenal gland function.