Hormones & Signal Transduction 5 Sections28 LessonsLifetime
Addison’s disease
Adrenal Hypofunction/Addison's Disease
Biochemistry online courses by Biochemistryclub
The most common cause of adrenal hypofunction is Primary Adrenal Insufficiency or Addison’s disease.
It is characterized by:
- Tiredness
- Dehydration
- Hyponatremia and
- Hyperpigmentation (due to high ACTH levels and its MSH activity).
Addison’s disease
Symptoms
- Weight gain
- Anorexia
- Malaise
- Weakness
- Fever
- Depression
- Impotence in males
- Amenorrhea in females
- Nausea / vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Confusion
- Syncope from postural hypotension
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Myalgia
- Joint or back pain
Signs
- Pigmentation, especially of new scars and palmer creases
- Buccal pigmentation
- Postural hypotension
- Loss of weight
- General wasting
- Dehydration
- Loss of body hair
- Vitiligo
