![Main Cause of Addison's Disease](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/addisons-disease.jpg?output-quality=75)
The main cause of Addison's disease is an autoimmune response that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissues without any reason. When the immune system attacks the adrenal glands, they may fail to produce enough hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone.
Other reasons for adrenal gland failure may include:
- Tuberculosis
- Infection of the adrenal glands
- Bleeding in the adrenal glands
- Adrenal gland tumors
What causes Addison's disease?
Addison's disease is primarily caused by adrenal gland damage, which results in insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production.
The adrenal glands are composed of two parts:
- Medulla. The interior part that produces adrenaline hormones
- Cortex.The outer portion that produces corticosteroids, such as:
- Glucocorticoids
- Mineralocorticoids
- Androgens
Other reasons for adrenal gland failure may include:
- Tuberculosis
- Infection of the adrenal glands
- Bleeding in the adrenal glands
- Adrenal gland tumors
What is Addison’s disease?
Addison's disease is a rare disorder that occurs when the adrenal gland does not produce sufficient hormones. Adrenal glands are small triangular-shaped endocrine glands present on the top of kidneys, which produce certain hormones that regulate the body's most important functions. The hormones include cortisol, aldosterone, and adrenaline.
Cortisol is an essential hormone that helps regulate stress during injury, surgery, or illness. Cortisol also helps regulate blood pressure, heart function, and blood sugar levels.
Aldosterone is a hormone that regulates sodium and potassium in your blood. This hormone regulates blood volume and pressure and controls the amount of fluid removed through the urine by the kidneys.
In Addison's condition, the adrenal gland produces little or very little aldosterone. Addison's disease occurs in both men and women across all age groups.
What are the symptoms of Addison's disease?
Few signs and symptoms of Addison's disease appear suddenly when there is an acute adrenal failure or Addison's crisis which can be life-threatening.
Addison's disease may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Severe fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Unusual weight loss
- Hyperpigmentation
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar levels
- Craving for salt
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Irritability
- Muscle pain or joint pain
- Loss of body hair
- Depression or other unusual behavior
- Sexual dysfunction in women
The following are the signs and symptoms of acute adrenal failure:
- Weakness
- Confusion
- Severe pain in lower back and legs
- Severe abdominal pain
- Vomiting and diarrhea that leads to dehydration
- Loss of consciousness
What are the ways to diagnose Addison's disease?
Addison's disease can be diagnosed through the following tests:
- Blood tests: Are done to test the levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
- ACTH-stimulating test: This test measures how adrenal glands respond after giving a shot of artificial ACTH.
- Insulin-induced hypoglycemia test: This test is done when the doctor suspects adrenalin insufficiency. This test will check your blood sugar and cortisol after a dose of insulin injection. In healthy people, the blood glucose level decreases, whereas the cortisol level increases.
- Imaging tests: Few imaging tests, such as CT scans and MRI, are also done to check the adrenal glands and pituitary glands for adrenal insufficiency.
How to treat Addison's disease
Mostly, the treatment of Addison's disease is done using hormone replacement therapy:
- Hydrocortisone, prednisone, or methylprednisolone are given in place of the cortisol
- Fludrocortisone acetate
Other treatment recommendations include:
- Always carry a glucocorticoid injection
- Keep extra medications handy
- Stay in contact with your doctor
- Get your health checkups done regularly
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350296
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15095-addisons-disease
https://medlineplus.gov/addisondisease.html
Top What Is the Main Cause of Addison's Disease Related Articles
10 Foods to Eat If You Have Addison's Disease
What is Addison's disease and how can you manage it? Learn which 10 foods can help manage your Addison's disease symptoms.Addison’s Disease: How Is It Treated and Can It Be Cured?
Learn what causes Addison's disease, how your doctor diagnoses tit, and the treatment available to help you live a healthy life.Addison's Disease Picture
Addison’s disease. Patients with Addison’s disease experience an increase in pigmentation of the skin which turns their skin brown or almost black as shown in the hands on the left of this image. The disease itself is a rare endocrine disorder in which the adrenal gland produces insufficient amounts of steroid hormones. Addison’s can be successfully treated with medications.Can Hormonal Imbalance Cause Weight Gain?
Hormonal imbalance is a common issue that affects many people. Learn the signs of hormonal imbalance, how it can cause weight gain and other symptoms, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it.How Does Addison's Disease Affect the Skin?
Addison's disease is a rare and serious condition involving the adrenal glands. These glands sit above the kidneys and make hormones like cortisol and sex hormones.Life Expectancy of a Person With Addison Disease
Addison’s disease is a rare disease of the adrenal glands. Adrenals are two small organs situated atop the kidneys. They secrete hormones (chemical substances) in the blood that help maintain salt and water balance and other essential body functions. In this disease, the adrenal glands no longer produce the required hormones, which may cause life-threatening complications.What Are the Side Effects of Having Your Left Adrenal Gland Removed?
The adrenal glands are triangular glands located above the kidneys. They provide essential hormones that control the body's fluid and salt regulation. They also produce hormones that control our fear, anger, blood pressure, muscle development, sexual drive and sugar metabolism. A laparoscopic adrenalectomy or adrenal gland removal procedure is necessary for some tumors.What Are the Side Effects of Having Your Right Adrenal Gland Removed?
The adrenal glands are triangular glands located above the kidneys. They provide essential hormones that control the body's fluid and salt regulation. They also produce hormones that control our fear, anger, blood pressure, muscle development, sexual drive and sugar metabolism. Right adrenal gland removal or adrenalectomy is indicated for tumors in the gland.Tuberculosis (TB)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Symptoms and signs of TB include bloody sputum, fever, cough, weight loss, and chest pain. Treatment depends upon the type of TB infection.Tuberculosis Skin Test (PPD Skin Test)
The tuberculosis skin test is based on the fact that infection with M. tuberculosis produces a delayed-type hypersensitivity skin reaction to certain components of the bacterium. The standard recommended tuberculin test is administered by injecting 0.1mL of 5 TU (tuberculin units) PPD into the top layers of skin of the forearm. "Reading" the skin test means detecting a raised, thickened local area of skin reaction, referred to as induration. The area of induration (palpable, raised, hardened area) around the site of injection is the reaction to tuberculin.What Are the 5 Hormones Involved in Hunger?
Hormones play an important role in regulating hunger and satiety. The 5 main hormones involved in hunger include leptin, ghrelin, GLP-1, cortisol, and insulin.What Are the Stages of 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. There are five stages of progression in Addison's disease.