What is Addison's disease?
In Addison's disease adrenal cortex too little makes the hormones. These are the hormones cortisol, adrenal androgens and aldosterone.
The complaints that most frequently occur in Addison (Addison's disease symptoms):
- extreme fatigue;
- weight loss;
- dizziness;
- loss of appetite, nausea;
- vomiting;
- abdominal pain;
- pain in the joints.
Complaints that occur less frequently:
- low blood pressure;
- much need for salt;
- brown skin, as if the person has been lying in the sun.
Addison can be dangerous because the body can not handle stress well. During heavy stress blood pressure drops sharply. You can then go into shock. And that can lead to a coma. Such a sharp decrease in blood pressure is called an Addison crisis.
What causes Addison's disease?
Addison's disease can have several causes:
- Usually Addison's disease is caused by an abnormality of the immune system. It is an autoimmune disease. Seven to eight out of ten people with autoimmune Addison adrenalitis (inflammation of the kidneys). The immune system then attacks the adrenal glands to. Thereby affecting the adrenal glands damaged or they work at all.
- Sometimes the disease by an infection such as tuberculosis (TB).
- Addison can also be caused by other problems with the adrenal gland, such as a hemorrhage or cancer metastasis.
Many people with Addison's disease have an autoimmune disease, usually a thyroid disease (e.g., Hashimoto's disease).
How the doctor finds Addison's disease?
Often someone has long been complaints before anyone thinks of Addison's disease. The disease is difficult for doctors to recognize because the symptoms occur in various diseases. Furthermore, patients often look through their tanned skin actually very healthy. And the disease is also very rare.
To determine Addison, the doctor examines your blood. In the blood of a patient's Addison little salt, high potassium, low cortisol and aldosterone little.
To ensure that Addison's, then your doctor does an ACTH stimulation test. ACTH is an abbreviation of Adreno Corico Troop Hormone. People with Addison's disease have much ACTH in their blood. When ACTH stimulation test you will receive an injection of ACTH. Before and after the injection, the doctor measure how much cortisol is in your blood. If you have Addison's disease, then there is before and after ACTH injection as much cortisol in your blood.
If it is clear that you have Addison, you get a CT scan or MRI scan to see if your adrenal glands are inflamed.
Treatment for Addison's disease
In Addison's disease you get when medicine adrenal hormones missing. Unfortunately it is not possible to imitate exactly healthy adrenals with this medication. You will often have too little or too many hormones in your body. So you can still keep complaints. Addison Patients instance, are often very tired. Sometimes it helps to take your medicine more often. Discuss this with your doctor first.
It is very important that you take your medication on time and in the right amount. You will not have side effects. Do you take too much medicine or you experience symptoms of Cushing syndrome. Too little medicine keeps you suffer from Addison's disease.
During stress your body needs more cortisol. You will take an extra dose of medication. Think of illness, accidents or operations. Without (additional) medication you might get an Addison crisis.
Once the stress is over, take back the normal dose. That is usually within two to three days. Check with your doctor if you are taking additional longer than three days.
Discuss with a larger operation with the surgeon and your doctor how much medicine to take and for how long.
If you become unconscious person must immediately contact your doctor. Always wear a SOS plaque with instructions for you so that people know what to do if something goes wrong.
Dealing with Addison's disease
Are your medications properly dosed (set), you can just as Addison-patient study or work. Keep in mind that you're more tired and less able to resist stress.
You can just sports, if you do so in a sensible way. You must take in lots of fluids and salt. For example, drink ready-made sports drinks. Extra medicine is not usually necessary, except for intense sports (such as a marathon), or sports that cause stress (parachuting).
If you do competitive sports, have a medical certificate with your internist or endocrinologist. This will take you to doping controls not in trouble.