The adrenal glands produce cortisol, aldosterone and adrenaline. Both under- and over-production cause serious illness, and both are frequently missed because the symptoms overlap with common conditions.
Conditions managed
These include Addison's disease and other forms of adrenal insufficiency, Cushing's syndrome, primary aldosteronism, phaeochromocytoma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and the assessment of adrenal masses found incidentally on imaging.
Why specialist assessment matters
Adrenal testing is easy to get wrong — sample timing, medication interference and stress all affect results, and a misinterpreted cortisol can lead either to unnecessary surgery or to a missed diagnosis. Where an adrenal cause of high blood pressure is confirmed, treatment can sometimes resolve hypertension that has resisted several drugs.
Anyone on long-term steroid treatment should understand sick-day rules and carry appropriate identification.