US Medical Term · anatomy
Adrenal Glands
Glándulas suprarrenales
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Adrenal Glands |
| Spanish (Español) | Glándulas suprarrenales |
| Chinese (中文) | 腎上腺 |
| Korean (한국어) | 부신 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Tuyến thượng thận |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Adrenal na glandula |
| Portuguese (Português) | Glândulas suprarrenais |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ต่อมหมวกไต |
| Japanese (日本語) | 副腎 |
What it means
The adrenal glands are two small, triangular glands — one sitting on top of each kidney — that produce hormones essential to life. The outer part, the adrenal cortex, produces cortisol — a stress hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and the immune response — and aldosterone, which controls salt and water balance. The inner part, the adrenal medulla, produces adrenaline and noradrenaline — the hormones responsible for the fight-or-flight response. When the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol — a condition called Addison's disease — it can cause fatigue, low blood pressure, and weight loss. A tumor on the adrenal gland called a pheochromocytoma can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My doctor found a small nodule on one of my adrenal glands on the CT scan.
Mi médico encontró un pequeño nódulo en una de mis glándulas suprarrenales en la tomografía.
I was diagnosed with Addison's disease, which means my adrenal glands do not make enough cortisol.
Me diagnosticaron enfermedad de Addison, lo que significa que mis glándulas suprarrenales no producen suficiente cortisol.
The high blood pressure spikes I have been having might be caused by a tumor on my adrenal gland.
Las subidas repentinas de presión arterial que he tenido podrían ser causadas por un tumor en la glándula suprarrenal.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026