Sometimes Our Body Mixes Things Up!

Working out the cause and detecting the location of a disorder could be very confusing for physicians. Sometimes our body confuses everyone! Our brain releases hormones to control body actions. Several brain hormones are "releasing hormones," which means they effect cells in a target organ and make them release hormones. One of these hormones released by the "pituitary," a gland in brain, is called ACTH.

ACTH stands for Adreno-Cortico-Tropic Hormone. ACTH stimulates a gland which is located above our kidneys called the "Adrenal Gland" (which also means above kidney) to release important hormones. The amount of hormone released from the adrenal gland is precisely regulated in our body. Sometimes the amount of hormones released by the adrenal gland increases into unhealthy amounts. Logically, there should be a problem adrenal-hormones-related hormone centers in brain or in adrenal gland. In some cases, both brain and adrenal gland are healthy but still the hormones are up. Some cells in another unspecified location change and produce ACTH and makes the adrenal gland make the excessive hormone amount which would be very difficult to locate them and apply any treatments.