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Addision Disease |
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Addison's disease: Adrenal Insufficiency
Addison's disease is an endocrine or hormonal disorder that occurs in all age groups and afflicts men and women equally. The disease is characterized by weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, and sometimes darkening of the skin in both exposed and no exposed parts of the body. Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormone cortisol and, in some cases, the hormone aldosterone. The disease is also called adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism. Addison's disease is a rare disorder that results in your body producing insufficient amounts of certain important hormones. The disorder affects your adrenal glands, which are located just above each of your two kidneys. The adrenal glands are part of your endocrine system, and they produce hormones that give instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in your body. In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol, which is one of the hormones in a group called the glucocorticoids. Sometimes, Addison's disease also involves insufficient production of aldosterone, one of the hormones called the mineralocorticoids. Addison's disease can be life-threatening. Before the availability of cortisone and related hormones to replace those that were missing, Addison's disease was usually fatal. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms of Addison's disease usually develop slowly, often over several months, and may include:
Sometimes, however, the signs and symptoms of Addison's disease may appear suddenly. In acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis), the signs and symptoms may include:
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