What Are the Adrenal Glands?
Your adrenal glands are two small glands that sit on top of each of your kidneys. These glands have several important jobs. With direction from the Hypothalamus and Pituitary glands, your adrenal glands help regulate your blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, hormone balance, and inflammation.
What are Adrenal Gland Tests?
To test your adrenals, you can do an Adrenal Stress Profile. This test analyzes four saliva samples collected over 12 hours for four cortisol levels and one DHEAs level. It helps us to see the pattern of your adrenal function throughout the day. You can also test blood levels of cortisol, total testosterone, and DHEAs to measure adrenal gland function. OHIP will cover blood adrenal gland tests if your doctor orders them. OHIP does not cover saliva adrenal gland tests.
Signs You Need an Adrenal Test
The following are signs that you may benefit from an adrenal gland test:
- Low energy or fatigue
- Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
- Signs of thyroid problems like the inability to lose weight, feeling cold, and lethargic despite normal thyroid blood tests
- Hair loss
- Excessive stress or long-term stress, whether work or personal life
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hormone Imbalance
- Autoimmune disorders
- Hypoglycemia
- Fainting
- Low blood pressure
What the Adrenal Test Tells Us:
- How well your adrenal glands are helping you cope with stress
- How well your HPA axis is working to direct your adrenal glands
- How heavy the demands that you are placing on your adrenals are
- If you have enough cortisol and/or DHEAs
- If adrenals are working normally and consistently throughout the day, if not what time of day do adrenals need support
- If adrenals need support, specifically what kind, i.e. Cortisol lowering? Cortisol enhancing? DHEAs enhancing?
Imbalances in cortisol and DHEAs are associated with ailments ranging from infertility, hormone imbalances, obesity, fibromyalgia, fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, immune deficiency, autoimmune disease, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you are interested in this or any other testing, book an appointment with Dr. Pamela Frank, Naturopath.