What is the most common cause of Addison disease?
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of Addison’s disease worldwide, but it’s rare in the UK. TB is a bacterial infection that mostly affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of your body. It can cause Addison’s disease if it damages your adrenal glands.
What is the outcome of Addison’s disease?
With adrenal insufficiency, the inability to increase cortisol production with stress can lead to an addisonian crisis. An addisonian crisis is a life-threatening situation that results in low blood pressure, low blood levels of sugar and high blood levels of potassium. You will need immediate medical care.
Can you live with Addison’s disease?
Addison’s disease is a rare condition. Only one in 100,000 people has it. It can happen at any age to either men or women. People with Addison’s disease can lead normal lives as long as they take their medication.
Is Addison’s disease serious?
Addison’s disease is a rare but serious adrenal gland disorder in which the body can’t produce enough of two critical hormones, cortisol and aldosterone. Patients with Addison’s will need hormone replacement therapy for life.
What does an Addison crisis feel like?
An Addisonian crisis usually starts out with a person experiencing symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. As the crisis worsens, the person will experience chills, sweating, and fever.
What are the long term effects of Addison’s disease?
Long-lasting fatigue is a common symptom of adrenal insufficiency. People with Addison’s disease may also have darkening of their skin. This darkening is most visible on scars; skin folds; pressure points such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, and toes; lips; and mucous membranes such as the lining of the cheek.
What organs are affected by Addison’s disease?
Addison’s disease is a condition that affects your body’s adrenal glands. These glands are located on top of your kidneys. They make hormones that affect your mood, growth, metabolism, tissue function, and how your body responds to stress.
What age is Addison’s disease diagnosed?
Addison’s disease can potentially affect individuals of any age, but usually occurs in individuals between 30-50 years of age. Addison’s disease was first identified in the medical literature in 1855 by a physician named Thomas Addison.
What were your first symptoms of Addison’s disease?
Initial symptoms of Addison’s disease can include:
- fatigue (lack of energy or motivation)
- lethargy (abnormal drowsiness or tiredness)
- muscle weakness.
- low mood (mild depression) or irritability.
- loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss.
- the need to urinate frequently.
- increased thirst.
- craving for salty foods.