Function of adrenaline

Beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are medications that reduce blood pressure. Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Beta blockers cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force, which lowers blood pressure. Beta blockers also help widen veins and arteries to improve blood flow. Some beta blockers mainly affect the heart, while others affect both the heart and blood vessels. Your doctor will choose which beta blocker is best for you based on your health conditions. Examples of beta blockers taken by mouth include: • Acebutolol • Atenolol (Tenormin) • Bisoprolol (Zebeta) • Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) • Nadolol (Corgard) • Nebivolol (Bystolic) • Propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran XL) Beta blockers aren't recommended as a first treatment in people who have only high blood pressure. Beta blockers aren't usually prescribed for high blood pressure unless other medications, such as diuretics, haven't worked well. Also, a doctor may prescribe a beta blocker as one of several medications to lower blood pressure. Beta blockers may not work as effectively for black people and older people, especially when taken without other blood pressure medications. Beta blockers are used to prevent, treat or improve symptoms in people who have: • Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) • Heart failure • Chest pain (angina) • Heart attacks • Migraine • Certain types of tremors Your doctor may prescribe bet...

Overview What are adrenal disorders? There are many conditions that can lead to problems with the adrenal gland function. The adrenal glands are small and shaped liked triangles and are located just above each kidney. They are sometimes called suprarenal glands. Their job is to make hormones that you need to keep your metabolism, blood pressure, immune system and stress response in balance. Adrenal disorders are the result of your glands making too much or not enough of certain hormones. Hormones produced by the adrenals include hydrocortisone (also called cortisol), adrenaline and aldosterone. You can think of dominoes and how one movement by one domino sets off a chain reaction, making the next domino in line fall down. If something happens and the next domino doesn’t get the message, the effect is ruined. What are common types of adrenal disorders? There are different conditions related to your adrenal glands. Some of the most common include: • • • • Adrenal gland suppression. This is a type of adrenal insufficiency that is related to outside sources of cortisol or related synthetic hormones such as prednisone or dexamethasone. • • Virilization. This condition happens when your body produces too much of the male sex hormones and is only apparent in females or boys before puberty. There are also conditions of the adrenal glands related to growths (tumors). These include: • Adrenal gland tumors. Tumors can disrupt hormone output, but are usually noncancerous. • • Pheochro...

Adrenal fatigue isn't an accepted medical diagnosis. It is a lay term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term "adrenal insufficiency" refers to inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease or surgery. Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include: • Fatigue • Body aches • Unexplained weight loss • Low blood pressure • Lightheadedness • Loss of body hair • Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation) Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and special stimulation tests that show inadequate levels of adrenal hormones. Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. Existing blood tests, according to this theory, aren't sensitive enough to detect such a small decline in adrenal function — but your body is. It's frustrating to have persistent symptoms your doctor can't readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnosis from an unqualified practitioner may leave the real cause — such as depression or fibromyalgia — undiagnosed, while it continues to take its toll. • Nieman LK. Clinical manifesta...

• Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys. • Adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions. • Adrenal glands are composed of two parts — the cortex and the medulla — which are each responsible for producing different hormones. • When adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones, this can lead to adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease). • Adrenal glands may develop nodules that can be benign or malignant, which can potentially produce excessive amounts of certain hormones leading to various health issues. Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands An adrenal gland is made of two main parts: • The adrenal cortex is the outer region and also the largest part of an adrenal gland. It is divided into three separate zones: zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. Each zone is responsible for producing specific hormones. • The adrenal medulla is located inside the adrenal cortex in the center of an adrenal gland. It produces “stress hormones,” including adrenaline. The adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla are enveloped in an adipose capsule that forms a protective layer around an adrenal gland. Hormones of the Adrenal Glands The role of the adrenal glands in your body is to release certain hormones directly into the bloodstream. Many of these hormones have to do with how the body responds to stress, and...

Key actions of adrenaline include increasing the heart rate, increasing blood pressure, expanding the air passages of the lungs, enlarging the pupil in the eye (see photo), redistributing blood to the muscles and altering the body's metabolism, so as to maximise blood glucose levels (primarily for the brain).

The adrenal glands are small glands that sit above the kidneys. The hormones they produce affect metabolism, blood sugar regulation, blood pressure, and many other essential functions. A range of medical conditions can affect the adrenal glands. These include Addison’s disease, Cushing’s syndrome, and adrenal cancer, as well as high blood pressure due to the overproduction of aldosterone. Read on to learn more about the functions of the adrenal glands and some of the conditions that affect them. We also discuss the causes, diagnoses, and treatment options related to adrenal gland disorders. The adrenal glands have two parts: the cortex and the medulla. The cortex is the outer part of the gland. It produces the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The medulla, meanwhile, is the inner part of the gland. It produces the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. These four hormones are essential to normal functioning in the body. They control many important functions, including: • metabolism • blood sugar levels • blood pressure • salt and water balance • pregnancy • sexual development before and during puberty • stress response • the balance of sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone Sometimes, the adrenal glands produce too much or not enough of their hormones. When this happens, it is known as an adrenal gland disorder. The following sections discuss the most common adrenal gland disorders. Adrenal insufficiency and Addison’s disease When the adrenal glands do not make...

Epinephrine more affects your heart, while norepinephrine more impacts blood vessels. Both play a role in your body’s natural fight-or-flight response to stress and have important medical uses. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are two neurotransmitters that also serve as hormones, and they belong to a class of compounds known as catecholamines. As hormones, they influence different parts of your body and stimulate your central nervous system. Having too much or too little of either can have noticeable effects on your health. Chemically, epinephrine and norepinephrine are very similar. Both epinephrine and norepinephrine work on alpha and beta receptors. However, epinephrine has a greater effect on beta receptors compared with norepinephrine. Alpha receptors are only found in the arteries. Beta receptors are in the heart, lungs, and arteries of skeletal muscles. It’s this distinction that causes epinephrine and norepinephrine to have slightly different functions. Epinephrine Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, has powerful effects on the body. These include: • increased blood sugar levels • increased heart rate • increased contractility (how hard the heart squeezes) • relaxation of smooth muscle in the airways to improve breathing These effects are designed to give your body extra energy. When you’re very stressed or afraid, your body releases a flood of epinephrine. This is known as the fight-or-flight response, or Norepinephrine Norepinephrine, also called noradrenaline, h...