Addisons Disease Symptoms
Published on May 05 2010, in the categories: Addison's
The Addison disease is a very rare, chronic condition that means failure of the adrenal glands. For patients with Addison disease, medication is one of the most common words possible, because they have to constantly take steroids I order to treat the Addison’s disease symptoms. Continuing with medication day after day, most patients with Addison’s disease can go in with their lives. This article will discuss what Addison’s disease is and what the Addison’s disease symptoms are.
I will explain now in a few words what Addison disease means, so that everybody can understand this aspect. The adrenal glands which sit somewhere near the kidneys; on top of them more exactly have an inner core which is called medulla. The medulla is the organ that produces adrenaline. The cortex is very important because it produces cortisol and aldosterone. These two substances are extremely important for the proper functioning of the organism because they fight infections and keep bacteria away. Aldosterone is the one that helps you regulate the consumption of salt and regulates everything I your body. So, as you can see, the medulla and the cortex produce some substances which are essential for life.
Addison’s disease is the disease in which the body is unable to adapt to stress and which may lead to a crisis, called the Addisonian crisis, which is a considered a medical emergency. One of the first causes of Addison’s disease is believed to be discovered by Thomas Addison in 1855 as a result of tuberculosis. In the very poor developed countries, the tuberculosis is considered to be the number one cause of Addison’s disease, because in these countries tuberculosis occurs very often. In other more developed countries, the cause of Addison’s disease seems to be the destructive atrophy. The destructive atrophy affects more women than men and it is a very common cause of Addison’s disease. Unfortunately, the cause of atrophy is yet unknown. In some very rare cases, the causes of Addison’s disease are fungal infections or adrenal cancer.
Now, since we have established what Addison disease is and what are the causes of this disease, we will go on and talk about the Addison’s disease symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of Addison’s disease are extreme weakness and fatigue, as well as nausea, low blood pressure, vomiting and muscular and joint pain. Since the symptoms progress very slowly, patients do not really bother to see a doctor and in most cases do not even believe it id Addison’s disease.
The symptoms I just talked to you about are quite common and can mislead you, but one of the Addison disease symptoms in particular can tell you f you have this disease or not: skin pigmentation. There are many types of Addison diseases. One of them, called polyglandular Addison disease can kill you if you are hocked or surprised. There are only 6 cases known so far worldwide. The polyglandular Addison disease can kill you while you are watching TV and get shocked by a moment or a scene in a movie. Moreover, the patients suffering from polyglandular Addison disease are forbidden scary movies, because the tension and the surprises might kill them.
I will explain now in a few words what Addison disease means, so that everybody can understand this aspect. The adrenal glands which sit somewhere near the kidneys; on top of them more exactly have an inner core which is called medulla. The medulla is the organ that produces adrenaline. The cortex is very important because it produces cortisol and aldosterone. These two substances are extremely important for the proper functioning of the organism because they fight infections and keep bacteria away. Aldosterone is the one that helps you regulate the consumption of salt and regulates everything I your body. So, as you can see, the medulla and the cortex produce some substances which are essential for life.
Addison’s disease is the disease in which the body is unable to adapt to stress and which may lead to a crisis, called the Addisonian crisis, which is a considered a medical emergency. One of the first causes of Addison’s disease is believed to be discovered by Thomas Addison in 1855 as a result of tuberculosis. In the very poor developed countries, the tuberculosis is considered to be the number one cause of Addison’s disease, because in these countries tuberculosis occurs very often. In other more developed countries, the cause of Addison’s disease seems to be the destructive atrophy. The destructive atrophy affects more women than men and it is a very common cause of Addison’s disease. Unfortunately, the cause of atrophy is yet unknown. In some very rare cases, the causes of Addison’s disease are fungal infections or adrenal cancer.
Now, since we have established what Addison disease is and what are the causes of this disease, we will go on and talk about the Addison’s disease symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of Addison’s disease are extreme weakness and fatigue, as well as nausea, low blood pressure, vomiting and muscular and joint pain. Since the symptoms progress very slowly, patients do not really bother to see a doctor and in most cases do not even believe it id Addison’s disease.
The symptoms I just talked to you about are quite common and can mislead you, but one of the Addison disease symptoms in particular can tell you f you have this disease or not: skin pigmentation. There are many types of Addison diseases. One of them, called polyglandular Addison disease can kill you if you are hocked or surprised. There are only 6 cases known so far worldwide. The polyglandular Addison disease can kill you while you are watching TV and get shocked by a moment or a scene in a movie. Moreover, the patients suffering from polyglandular Addison disease are forbidden scary movies, because the tension and the surprises might kill them.
Symptoms Of Addison’s Disease
Published on Mar 26 2010, in the categories: Addison's
Addison's disease predominantly affects adults between 30 and 50 years, and especially women. The causes of disease must be identified in all the morbid conditions that lead to the almost complete destruction (over 90%) of the adrenal cortex.
About 70% of cases of Addison's disease are caused by autoimmune aggression of the gland (adrenal atrophy, autoimmune or idiopathic atrophy of the adrenal cortex).
The form of autoimmune Addison's can occur in 3 forms:
Pluriendocrina · involve a type I syndrome (hypoparathyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, primary hypogonadism, mucocutaneous candidiasis, pernicious anemia)
· Involve a pluriendocrina syndrome type II, also called Schmidt syndrome (adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus insulin-dependent)
· Form isolated
Therefore it is important to the detection of auto-antibodies directed to other types of glandular structures.
In 20-25% of cases of Addison's disease is a consequence of the destruction of the gland by granuloma especially tuberculosis (which has recently become more frequent in developing countries), and in rare cases, the Addison is due to destructive lesions of gland by primary or metastatic adrenal tumors (lymphomas), adrenal hemorrhage or infarction, amyloidosis, fungal infections and CMV infections (mainly AIDS). Among the minor causes also remember congenital adrenal hypoplasia, Addison's disease to iatrogenic and that by bilateral adrenalectomy.
Symptoms of Addison’s disease
The symptoms of Addison's disease acknowledge fatigue, physical and mental fatigue, sometimes cramps and muscle pain, impaired concentration, emotional instability and depressed mood, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, orthostatic hypotension, sometimes signs hypoglycaemia. Blood pressure is low enough to cause episodes of circulatory collapse. Characteristic of the primitive form is the effect of intense tan hyperpigmentation, especially the palms of the hands and feet, and skin folds (which is why once the disease took its name badly bronzed). The woman may also occur depletion of hair and amenorrhoea, while in humans occur sometimes impotence and loss of libido.
CAUSE
Primitive forms are distinguished, called Addison's disease in the strict sense, where the alteration affects the adrenal gland directly, and secondary forms, caused by impaired pituitary hormone ACTH, or adrenocorticotropina for pituitary or hypothalamic damage. In the latter case, some scholars speak of white Addison's disease, because the skin color does not change, whereas in primitive forms the skin is usually dark, to increase the deposition of melanin. The disease is chronic and develops slowly, usually in middle-aged, mostly female. The most common causes are primitive forms of tuberculosis of the adrenal gland or autoimmune diseases, those of secondary forms, cranial radiotherapy, surgery sull'ipofisi, brain tumor.
Recommended Therapy
The therapy is chronic and consists of corticosteroids and dietary supplementation with NaCl. The main problem with this type of treatment is the danger of an acute crisis hypoadrenalism in case of suspension of therapy, as may happen in case of febrile episodes, gastroenteritis, trauma etc. In all these situations, therapy dell'iposurrenalismo not only is not completely suspended, but must be adequately strengthened, under strict medical supervision.
About 70% of cases of Addison's disease are caused by autoimmune aggression of the gland (adrenal atrophy, autoimmune or idiopathic atrophy of the adrenal cortex).
The form of autoimmune Addison's can occur in 3 forms:
Pluriendocrina · involve a type I syndrome (hypoparathyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, primary hypogonadism, mucocutaneous candidiasis, pernicious anemia)
· Involve a pluriendocrina syndrome type II, also called Schmidt syndrome (adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus insulin-dependent)
· Form isolated
Therefore it is important to the detection of auto-antibodies directed to other types of glandular structures.
In 20-25% of cases of Addison's disease is a consequence of the destruction of the gland by granuloma especially tuberculosis (which has recently become more frequent in developing countries), and in rare cases, the Addison is due to destructive lesions of gland by primary or metastatic adrenal tumors (lymphomas), adrenal hemorrhage or infarction, amyloidosis, fungal infections and CMV infections (mainly AIDS). Among the minor causes also remember congenital adrenal hypoplasia, Addison's disease to iatrogenic and that by bilateral adrenalectomy.
Symptoms of Addison’s disease
The symptoms of Addison's disease acknowledge fatigue, physical and mental fatigue, sometimes cramps and muscle pain, impaired concentration, emotional instability and depressed mood, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, orthostatic hypotension, sometimes signs hypoglycaemia. Blood pressure is low enough to cause episodes of circulatory collapse. Characteristic of the primitive form is the effect of intense tan hyperpigmentation, especially the palms of the hands and feet, and skin folds (which is why once the disease took its name badly bronzed). The woman may also occur depletion of hair and amenorrhoea, while in humans occur sometimes impotence and loss of libido.
CAUSE
Primitive forms are distinguished, called Addison's disease in the strict sense, where the alteration affects the adrenal gland directly, and secondary forms, caused by impaired pituitary hormone ACTH, or adrenocorticotropina for pituitary or hypothalamic damage. In the latter case, some scholars speak of white Addison's disease, because the skin color does not change, whereas in primitive forms the skin is usually dark, to increase the deposition of melanin. The disease is chronic and develops slowly, usually in middle-aged, mostly female. The most common causes are primitive forms of tuberculosis of the adrenal gland or autoimmune diseases, those of secondary forms, cranial radiotherapy, surgery sull'ipofisi, brain tumor.
Recommended Therapy
The therapy is chronic and consists of corticosteroids and dietary supplementation with NaCl. The main problem with this type of treatment is the danger of an acute crisis hypoadrenalism in case of suspension of therapy, as may happen in case of febrile episodes, gastroenteritis, trauma etc. In all these situations, therapy dell'iposurrenalismo not only is not completely suspended, but must be adequately strengthened, under strict medical supervision.
Addison’s Disease Symptoms
Published on Mar 02 2010, in the categories: Addison's
Addison's disease is a relatively rare disease that occurs when the glands blockers, located in the upper part of the kidney, do not produce sufficient amounts of hormones, especially cortisol and aldosterone.
Cortisol acts on most organs and is important for normal functioning of the body. Glands release cortisol blockers to help the body respond to stress by the country's disease, surgical procedures, births or other causes. Aldosterone retains salt and water in the body and maintains blood pressure.
Hormone production in the gland blockers is regulated by the brain, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland (pituitary). The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to produce an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which will stimulate the production of the adrenal cortisol. If the production of cortisol secretion is low due to insufficient adrenergic blockers failure, this disease is called the Addison’s disease.
If the hypothalamus or pituitary gland is not working properly and a low amount of ACTH, the disease is insufficient secondary blockers. The most common Addison’s disease symptoms develop gradually and slowly install.
Most frequent Addison’s disease symptoms are:
- Muscle weakness and fatigue that is worse with time
- Weight loss. Massive weight loss is a common symptom
- Drop to the lack of appetite.
Other symptoms are:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Appetite for salt
- dark skin- This manifests itself most often in areas with scars on the envelope, on the lips or skin around the mouth or nose, in the knee, elbow, finger joints of the feet or hand
- Feeling dizzy when rising from a sitting position. This is called orthostatic hypotension
- Tremors. People with Addison's disease sometimes have low levels of glucose (blood sugar level)
- Difficulty in concentrating increased irritability or depressive syndrome.
As the symptoms gradually install, they most often are not detected until it is installed adrenergic crisis. This crisis is caused by a stressful event such as a severe infection, trauma, a surgical procedure or dehydration. The body is unable to make enough cortisol to cope with stress. If this crisis is not treated the patient may die from the shock caused by a drop in blood.
Adrenergic crisis symptoms are:
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea leading to loss of large amounts of fluids (dehydration)
- Extreme weakness, faint feeling of imminent
- Pain suddenly appeared in the abdomen, back or legs
- Abnormal behavior: restlessness, confusion, feeling of fear leave
- High fever
- Extreme pale cyanotic lips and ear lobes (red-violet).
Treatment is usually for life, if you have Addison's disease. Once established therapy people with Addison's disease lead a normal life.
Treatment includes hormone replacement, medication, cortisol and aldosterone. - Often is used hydrocortisone because it can substitute for both hormones. If you are using another medicine instead of hydrocortisone, such as prednisolone, methylprednisolone or dexamethasone and the administration of a compound will replace aldosterone. Doses are increased during childhood, during periods of stress: injuries, surgical procedures or severe infection and if that produces a strong emotional stress.
Cortisol acts on most organs and is important for normal functioning of the body. Glands release cortisol blockers to help the body respond to stress by the country's disease, surgical procedures, births or other causes. Aldosterone retains salt and water in the body and maintains blood pressure.
Hormone production in the gland blockers is regulated by the brain, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland (pituitary). The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to produce an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which will stimulate the production of the adrenal cortisol. If the production of cortisol secretion is low due to insufficient adrenergic blockers failure, this disease is called the Addison’s disease.
If the hypothalamus or pituitary gland is not working properly and a low amount of ACTH, the disease is insufficient secondary blockers. The most common Addison’s disease symptoms develop gradually and slowly install.
Most frequent Addison’s disease symptoms are:
- Muscle weakness and fatigue that is worse with time
- Weight loss. Massive weight loss is a common symptom
- Drop to the lack of appetite.
Other symptoms are:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Appetite for salt
- dark skin- This manifests itself most often in areas with scars on the envelope, on the lips or skin around the mouth or nose, in the knee, elbow, finger joints of the feet or hand
- Feeling dizzy when rising from a sitting position. This is called orthostatic hypotension
- Tremors. People with Addison's disease sometimes have low levels of glucose (blood sugar level)
- Difficulty in concentrating increased irritability or depressive syndrome.
As the symptoms gradually install, they most often are not detected until it is installed adrenergic crisis. This crisis is caused by a stressful event such as a severe infection, trauma, a surgical procedure or dehydration. The body is unable to make enough cortisol to cope with stress. If this crisis is not treated the patient may die from the shock caused by a drop in blood.
Adrenergic crisis symptoms are:
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea leading to loss of large amounts of fluids (dehydration)
- Extreme weakness, faint feeling of imminent
- Pain suddenly appeared in the abdomen, back or legs
- Abnormal behavior: restlessness, confusion, feeling of fear leave
- High fever
- Extreme pale cyanotic lips and ear lobes (red-violet).
Treatment is usually for life, if you have Addison's disease. Once established therapy people with Addison's disease lead a normal life.
Treatment includes hormone replacement, medication, cortisol and aldosterone. - Often is used hydrocortisone because it can substitute for both hormones. If you are using another medicine instead of hydrocortisone, such as prednisolone, methylprednisolone or dexamethasone and the administration of a compound will replace aldosterone. Doses are increased during childhood, during periods of stress: injuries, surgical procedures or severe infection and if that produces a strong emotional stress.
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