The most common symptoms are fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Adrenal insufficiencyAdrenal insufficiency is a disorder that occurs when the adrenal glands don't make enough of certain hormones. The adrenal glands are located just above the kidneys. Adrenal insufficiency can be primary, secondary, or tertiary. Primary adrenal insufficiency is often called Addison's disease.https://www.niddk.nih.gov › definition-facts
Symptoms of Addison's disease
lack of energy or motivation (fatigue) muscle weakness. low mood. loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss.
Muscle pain (myalgia), muscle spasms and joint pain may also occur. Dehydration can also affect individuals with Addison's disease. An additional symptom that may occur is low blood pressure (hypotension), which can cause lightheadedness or dizziness upon standing.
Most people with the condition live a normal lifespan and are able to live an active life, with few limitations. However, many people with Addison's disease also find they must learn to manage bouts of fatigue and there may be associated health conditions, such as diabetes or an underactive thyroid.
Results: The results show that patients with Addison's disease have not only increased levels of anxiety and fear, and over-reaction to stimuli, but decreased performance efficiency and need for social contact as well.
Addison's disease is caused by damage to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands sit just above the kidneys. As part of the endocrine system, they make hormones that affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Damage to these glands results in too little of the hormone cortisol and, often, the hormone aldosterone.
Addison's disease can be a life-threatening condition, but it is often not diagnosed until weeks or even months after the first vague symptoms present themselves.
Regardless of the specific terminology used, it is clear that some patients with Addison's disease have a disturbance in brain function and may develop a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms as a result.
It is frequently mistaken for psychiatric disorders, such as depression, apathy, anxiety or even psychosis, and already in the originally described cases by Addison it is obvious that these traits often precede other symptoms.
Ocular Features: Virtually all patients have visual symptoms. Loss of acuity, hemianopia, visual agnosia, optic atrophy, and strabismus are the most common features.
Women are more likely than men to develop Addison's disease. This condition occurs most often in people between the ages of 30 and 50, 2 although it can occur at any age, even in children. Secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs in people with certain conditions that affect the pituitary.
Symptoms tend to come and go and may include abdominal pain, dizziness, fatigue, weight loss, salt craving, and the darkening of the skin. 1 During periods of extreme stress or poor health, Addison's disease can trigger a rapid drop in cortisol levels and a potentially life-threatening event known as an adrenal crisis.
Autoimmune Addison disease affects the function of the adrenal glands, which are small hormone-producing glands located on top of each kidney. It is classified as an autoimmune disorder because it results from a malfunctioning immune system that attacks the adrenal glands.
Symptoms of lower-than-normal cortisol levels, or adrenal insufficiency, include: Fatigue. Unintentional weight loss. Poor appetite.
Addison's disease stages
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 high renin levels and low aldosterone levels. Renin is an enzyme produced in your kidney.
In its early stages, adrenal insufficiency can be hard to diagnose since symptoms come on slowly. Your health care professional may suspect it after reviewing your medical history and symptoms. The next step is blood testing to see if your cortisol levels are too low and to help find the cause.
In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, produce too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone. These hormones regulate important body functions and help the body respond to stress. Addison's disease can cause a salt craving that's new, ongoing and excessive.
Medicine for Addison's disease
A medicine called hydrocortisone is usually used to replace the cortisol. Other possible medicines are prednisolone or dexamethasone, although these are less commonly used. Aldosterone is replaced with a medicine called fludrocortisone.
This is called an autoimmune disorder. Addison's disease can develop if your immune system attacks your adrenal glands and severely damages your adrenal cortex. When 90% of the adrenal cortex is destroyed, your adrenal glands will not be able to produce enough of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone.
The most common triggering event is GI infection. Any other condition that can cause stress on the body can lead to an acute crisis. Addisonian crisis can occur both in those previously undiagnosed or those diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency.
Key points about adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease)
The primary type is known as Addison disease. It's rare. It's when the adrenal glands don't make enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The secondary type occurs when the pituitary gland doesn't make enough of the hormone ACTH.