|
|
CareNotes System - Addison's Disease (General Information)
Addison's Disease
GENERAL INFORMATION:
What is Addison's disease? Addison's disease is an illness caused by the adrenal (uh-dree-null) glands. This illness may also be called adrenal insufficiency. An adrenal gland is found above each kidney. These glands release hormones that are important to your body. Hormones are special chemicals that your body makes. The job of hormones is to control how different parts of your body work.
- With Addison's disease, the adrenal glands do not make enough cortisone-like hormones. These hormones affect almost every organ and tissue in your body. They have many jobs, such as keeping the fluid balance in your body normal. Other jobs are to monitor your blood pressure and to be involved in how your body uses sugar and protein. The adrenal hormones also monitor the amount of energy you have to do day-to-day activities.
- Adrenal crisis is when the symptoms of Addison's disease get much worse. These symptoms can put your life in danger. Low levels of adrenal hormones and stress caused by an infection, surgery, or trauma may cause adrenal crisis. The problem must be treated right away with cortisone-medicine. Addison's disease is not a common illness. You can live a normal life if your disease is treated correctly with medicine. Without treatment, it can cause you many severe health problems and even death.
Causes: It is not always known what causes Addison's disease. The following are possible causes of this disease.
- An autoimmune (ah-toe-ih-mewn) reaction. This means that your own body attacks the adrenal glands. The cells that make the adrenal hormones are killed when this happens.
- Long-term use of cortisone-like drugs, such as steroids (stair-oids). This may cause the adrenal glands to slow down or stop working.
- Other diseases may attack the adrenal glands to cause problems. These diseases include tuberculosis (too-ber-q-lo-sis), cancer, AIDS, and pituitary (puh-too-uh-tare-e) gland disease.
Signs and Symptoms: Signs and symptoms may show up slowly over months or years. You may have a few or many of the following signs.
- Blue-black colored patches inside your mouth.
- Brown-colored skin with white patches. You may look sun-tanned even though you have not been in the sun.
- Constipation (kon-stuh-pay-shun). This means hard BMs.
- Decrease in sex drive.
- Desire to eat salt or salty foods.
- Diarrhea (die-uh-ree-uh). This means loose BMs.
- Dizziness and faintness.
- Feeling cold.
- Hair loss.
- Headache.
- Low blood pressure.
- Mood changes, such as feeling depressed, anxious, or irritable.
- Muscle, joint, back or abdominal (belly) pain.
- Nausea (upset stomach) and vomiting (throwing up).
- No interest in eating.
- Skin freckles (small brown spots), scars, and nipples may be darker.
- Stopping of monthly menstrual periods in women.
- Weakness and tiredness.
- Weight loss.
Care: Addison's disease can be treated and controlled most of the time. At first, you will probably be seen in a clinic or caregiver's office. But, at times, you might need to go into the hospital for tests and treatment. You may need x-rays, a CT scan, blood and urine tests. Ask your caregiver for information about Addison's disease to help you understand about the different tests and treatments. You may need to take steroid-like medicine. You may also need a special diet to keep the amount of sodium and potassium normal in your body.
Support: Accepting that you have Addison's disease is hard. You and those close to you may feel angry, sad, or frightened. These feelings are normal. Talk to your caregivers, family, or friends about your feelings. Let them help you. Encourage those close to you to talk to your caregiver about how things are at home. Your caregiver can help your family better understand how to support a person with Addison's disease.
- You may also want to join a support group. This is a group of people who also have Addison's disease. Ask your caregiver for the names and numbers of support groups in your town. Or, you can contact the following national organization for more information.
- National Adrenal Diseases Foundation
505 Northern Boulevard
Great Neck, NY 11021
Phone: 1-516-487-4992
Web Address: http://www.medhelp.org/nadf
CARE AGREEMENT:
You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.
Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
back
|
