Adrenal Insufficiency & Addison's Disease
Would you like to know what lab results mean? DDxHub - Differential Diagnosis Hub helps to understand and explains your blood test.
Adrenal Insufficiency & Addison's Disease |
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Would you like to know what lab results mean? DDxHub - Differential Diagnosis Hub helps to understand and explains your blood test. |
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You have symptoms and blood work results. How do they correlate? What is the health condition? Some disorders have similar signs and laboratory values. DDxHub helps to define a right diagnosis. Run DDxHub now and enter symptoms and test results. |
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All information on this page is intended for your general knowledge only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See Additional Information |
Adrenal insufficiency is a condition characterized by inadequate production of the adrenal hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The adrenal glands are small organs located on top of each kidney. They consist of an inner layer called the adrenal medulla and an outer layer called the adrenal cortex. Each layer produces several different hormones that control many body systems. Hormone production is regulated by interactions between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. If any part of their signaling and feedback system is not working, it can cause major disruptions and illness within the body. Primary adrenal insufficiency, also called Addison's disease, affects the levels of both cortisol and aldosterone. It is caused by underactive or damaged adrenal glands. Secondary adrenal insufficiency is the result of a pituitary dysfunction and typically affects only cortisol production. The symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency are often vague and nonspecific. They may emerge slowly, first appearing during times of stress, then increasing in intensity over a period of several months. Symptoms may include: Abdominal pain; Decreased body hair; Dehydration with Addison's disease; Diarrhea or constipation; Dizziness and fainting; Fatigue. Hyperpigmentation with Addison's disease - dark patches of skin, especially in the folds of the skin; sometime black freckles on the forehead and face and-or discoloration around areas such as the nipples, lips, and rectum; Joint and muscle aches; Low blood pressure; Hypoglycemia; Muscle weakness; Salt craving with Addison's disease; Vomiting; Weight loss. 