Addison's Disease

Addison's Disease

Running head: ADDISON 'S DISEASE 1



Addison 's Disease



ADDISON 'S DISEASE 2



Abstract Addison 's disease is a disorder that occurs when a person 's adrenal glands produce insufficient amounts of certain hormones. When Addison 's diseased was first discovered the endocrine system was not yet completely understood therefore the disease itself was for the most part fatal. After years of research and medical breakthroughs Addison 's disease is now a disease in which someone can live a normal life as long as a daily dose of replacement ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...The other hormone that can be affected if diagnosed with Addison 's disease is aldosterone. Aldosterone belongs to a class of hormones known as mineralocorticoids. Aldosterone is used to maintain blood pressure and water and salt balance in the body by helping the kidney retain salt or release potassium (MedicineNet, 2011). If the aldosterone levels fall too low the kidneys are unable to regulate sodium and water levels that result in a drop of blood volume and blood pressure. Failure to produce sufficient levels of cortisol can happen for a couple of reasons. One reason might be due to a disorder of the adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands

ADDISON 'S DISEASE 5



themselves are malfunctioning that is called primary adrenal insufficiency. Another reason that cortisol production is lacking might be because not enough ACTH is being generated by the pituitary gland. The second order effect of inadequate levels of ACTH being secreted results in cortisol not being produced. When this is the case it is called secondary adrenal insufficiency (MedlinePlus, 2011). Addison 's disease affects about 1 in 100,000 people. Most diagnosed cases are caused because the adrenal cortex has been damaged over time by a person 's own immune system. Autoimmune disorders happen when the immune system produces antibodies in order to attack the

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