National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Addison's Disease is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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National Institutes of Health
Addison's Disease
Also called: Adrenal insufficiency, Adrenocortical hypofunction, Hypocortisolism
Your adrenal glands are just above your kidneys. The outside layer of these glands makes hormones that help your body respond to stress and regulate your blood pressure and water and salt balance. Addison's disease occurs if the adrenal glands don't make enough of these hormones.
A problem with your immune system usually causes Addison's disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks your own tissues, damaging your adrenal glands.
Symptoms include
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue that gets worse over time
- Low blood pressure
- Patchy or dark skin
Lab tests can confirm that you have Addison's disease. If you don't treat it, it can be fatal. You will need to take hormone pills for the rest of your life. If you have Addison's disease, you should carry an emergency ID. It should say that you have the disease, list your medicines and say how much you need in an emergency.
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Start Here
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Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease
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Overviews
- Addison's Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Addison's Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Aldosterone and Renin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Cortisol Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Disease Management
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Managing Adrenal Insufficiency(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center)
- PDF
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Managing Adrenal Insufficiency
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Insufficiency(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Addison's Disease(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Insufficiency
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
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Directory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Organizations(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Directory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Organizations
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Organizations
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Patient Handouts
- Acute adrenal crisis
- Also available in Spanish
- Addison's disease
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
