Endocrinology : Addison's disease: Etiology, Incidence, Signs & Symptoms & Acute Addisonian Crisis:

 Addison's disease: Etiology, Incidence, Signs & Symptoms & Acute Addisonian Crisis:

Addison's disease, also called adrenal insufficiency, is an uncommon disorder that occurs when the body doesn't produce enough of certain hormones.

Eiology :

In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands, located just above kidneys, produce too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone.

Incidence

Addison's disease occurs in all age groups and both sexes, and can be life-threatening.

Treatment involves taking hormones to replace those that are missing.

Symptoms

Addison's disease symptoms usually develop slowly, often over several months.

Often, the disease progresses so slowly that symptoms are ignored until a stress, such as illness or injury, occurs and makes symptoms worse.

Signs and symptoms may include:

Extreme fatigue.

Weight loss and decreased appetite.

Darkening of skin (hyperpigmentation).

Low blood pressure, even fainting

Salt craving

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting (gastrointestinal symptoms)

Abdominal pain

Muscle or joint pains

Irritability

Depression or other behavioral symptoms

Body hair loss or sexual dysfunction in women

Acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis)

Sometimes the signs and symptoms of Addison's disease may appear suddenly.

Acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis) can lead to life-threatening shock.

Emergency medical treatment should be sought if the patient if you experiences the following signs and symptoms:

Severe weakness

Confusion

Pain in lower back or legs

Severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration

Reduced consciousness or delirium

Low blood pressure

High potassium (hyperkalemia) and low sodium (hyponatremia)