Addison disease

Primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease) In adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands do not produce enough adrenal hormones. Adrenal insufficiency may be caused by a disorder of the adrenal glands, a disorder of the pituitary gland... read more (Addison disease, a disorder of the adrenal glands themselves) • Secondary adrenal insufficiency In adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands do not produce enough adrenal hormones. Adrenal insufficiency may be caused by a disorder of the adrenal glands, a disorder of the pituitary gland... read more (a disorder affecting the pituitary gland, which controls the adrenal glands) When the adrenal glands become underactive, they tend to produce inadequate amounts of all of the adrenal hormones, including corticosteroids (particularly cortisol) and mineralocorticoids (particularly aldosterone, which controls blood pressure and the levels of salt [ sodium chloride] and potassium in the body). The adrenal glands also stimulate the production of small amounts of testosterone and estrogen and other similar sex hormones (androgens, such as dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]), levels of which also are reduced in people with adrenocortical insufficiency. Thus, insufficient adrenal hormones can affect About Body Water Water accounts for about one half to two thirds of an average person’s weight. Fat tissue has a lower percentage of water than lean tissue and women tend to have more fat, so the percentage... read more , Overview of Sodium's Ro...

Addison’s disease (or Addison disease) is a rare condition in which your body doesn’t make enough of two hormones: cortisol and aldosterone. There are five stages of progression in Addison's disease. Addison’s disease (or Addison disease) is a rare condition in which your body doesn’t make enough of two hormones:cortisol and aldosterone. It's also known as primary adrenal insufficiency. Causes of Addison’s disease Addison’s disease is caused by damage to the outermost layers of youradrenal glands. This is where your body makes the hormones aldosterone and cortisol. Cortisol helps your body respond to • Maintain • Regulate water • Control blood Aldosterone affects your body’s balance of sodium and potassium. If you don’t have enough aldosterone, it lowers yourkidney’s ability to filter salt and water, resulting in In about 75% of people with Addison’s disease, this damage to the adrenal glands is due to anautoimmune reaction. This is when your body’s immune system wrongly attacks healthy tissue. Other causes of Addison’s disease include: • Bleeding in your adrenal glands • • Genetic disorders that affect how your adrenal glands function or develop • Adrenal gland removal • Some medications like antifungal Addison’s disease stages There are five stages of progression in Addison's disease: • Stage 0: Normal adrenal function. • Stage 1:You may have increased plasma renin with normal or low levels of aldosterone but no other abnormal results. • Stage 2: You're likely to have hi...

Sometimes symptoms can develop quickly. When this happens, it is known as acute adrenal failure or an addisonian crisis. Stress like surgery or a severe infection can cause this type of crisis, which can cause kidney failure and be life-threatening. Symptoms include a sudden loss of strength and severe pain in the lower back, abdomen, or legs. What Causes Addison’s Disease? Addison’s disease usually happens when your immune system mistakenly damages the adrenal cortex, which is the outermost layer of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are two hormone-producing glands on top of the kidneys. When the glands' adrenal cortex is damaged, the glands can't make enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The two hormones are needed for many of your body's basic functions. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, plays a role in managing blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and inflammation. Aldosterone works to manage your body’s level of sodium and potassium, which in turn helps to control your muscle and nerve function, blood pressure, and heartbeat. • Infections like • Certain cancers like sarcoidosis and lymphoma • Genetic conditions that affect the adrenal glands • Heavy bleeding into the adrenal glands • Surgical removal of the adrenal glands as part of treatment for another condition • Certain medications like the antifungal Nizoral (ketoconazole) or the anesthetic etomidate How Is Addison’s Disease Diagnosed? Addison's disease is often first suspected afte...

Every member of “the greatest generation” can tell you where they were on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese Air Force bombed Pearl Harbor. And every Baby Boomer has a similar clarity of mind when recalling the horrors of Nov. 22, 1963. That, of course, was the day 56 years ago when Lee Harvey Oswald murdered President John F. Kennedy as his motorcade drove through the streets of Dallas. Yet it is only in the past few decades we have had a more thorough understanding of President Kennedy’s complex medical history. To put it bluntly, long before he died at age 46, Kennedy was a very sick man. As a child, Kennedy nearly died from scarlet fever and also had serious digestive problems — most likely spastic colitis or irritable bowel syndrome, which plagued him for the rest of his life. As a young man, he suffered from urinary tract infections, prostatitis, and a duodenal ulcer. Better known was his notorious spine and back problems that began while playing football in college. His lower back pain was so severe, he was initially rejected by the both U.S. Army and the Navy when he first volunteered for service in World War II. The chronic use of steroids over his lifetime likely caused osteoporosis of various bones in his body, most notably his spine. Through his own tenacity and father’s connections, Kennedy joined the Naval Reserve and became an officer on a P.T. (patrol torpedo) boat. During a battle in the Solomon Islands, on Aug. 1, 1943, the ship was strafed in half by the Ja...

Autoimmune disease happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. Depending on the tissue that’s affected, this can lead to a variety of symptoms. In autoimmune adrenalitis, the immune system attacks the adrenal glands. This can cause a condition called primary adrenal insufficiency, or Addison’s disease. Below, we’ll examine autoimmune adrenalitis in more detail, including its symptoms, causes, and treatment. Keep reading to learn more. Autoimmune adrenalitis is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your adrenal glands. You have two Autoimmune adrenalitis specifically affects the adrenal cortex, which is the outer part of the adrenal gland. The immune system attacks and destroys this area, resulting in the loss of the production of two hormones: • Cortisol. One of the main hormones involved in your responses to • Aldosterone. Helping to maintain the balance of A lack of these hormones is what causes symptoms. Potentially life threatening complications can occur if the condition isn’t treated. Autoimmune adrenalitis is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency. The more common name for this condition is The symptoms of autoimmune adrenalitis can come on slowly and be nonspecific. Because of this, they may sometimes be mistaken for other health conditions. Many people with autoimmune adrenalitis won’t have symptoms until severe damage to the adrenal cortex has occurred. In fact, the National Organization for Rare Disorders ...

What Is Addison's Disease? One way the body keeps itself in balance is by using chemical messengers called hormones to regulate various functions. Just above each of your In Addison's disease, called primary adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands don't make enough of a hormone called cortisol, or less often, a related hormone called aldosterone. Cortisol's most important function is to help the body respond to stress. It also helps regulate your body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; helps maintain Aldosterone helps your What Causes Addison's Disease? Most cases of Addison’s disease result from a problem with the adrenal glands themselves (primary adrenal insufficiency). Long-lasting infections -- such as Less commonly, adrenal glands can be affected by "secondary adrenal insufficiency," which is caused by a problem with the pituitary gland, or "tertiary insufficiency," which is a problem with the