Addison’s Disease

Addison’s disease is a rare disorder of the adrenal glands, it is when the body does not produce sufficient hormones such as: cortisol, aldosterone and adrenaline.

The adrenal glands are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys, and are made up of the cortex and the medulla.

In Addison's disease, the adrenal gland is damaged, and not enough cortisol (the primary stress hormone which increases glucose concentration in blood) and aldosterone (controls salt-water concentration and blood pressure) are produced.

The condition is usually the result of a problem with the immune system, which causes it to attack the outer layer of the adrenal gland (the adrenal cortex), interfering the production of steroid hormones aldosterone and cortisol.

Addison’s disease is treated with medication to replace the missing hormones. Patients need to take the medication for the rest of their lives.

An adrenal crisis is a medical emergency and warning signs include severe nausea, confusion, fever, headache and weakness. If left untreated, it can be fatal.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350293

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000378.htm

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/addisons-disease/

Comments

Kidney Stones

Renal calculi, or kidney stones is the formation of crystals in the kidneys causing excretory issues. These stones mainly form in the renal pelvis or the ureter in the kidney. It is accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and a burning sensation when urinating Urine consists of salts and various compounds such as Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Oxalate, Phosphate and Uric acid. Calcium oxalate is the most common stone formed in the kidneys, it accounts for 80% of kidney stones The crystals can scratch the walls of the urinary tract, sending nerve impulses to the brain causing excruciating abdominal pain. The scratches also cause blood vessels embedded behind the walls to burst, causing blood to enter the urinary system. This causes the patient to urinate blood. IF the stone is big enough to cause a blockage in the urinary tract, this can create a backflow of urine and infect the kidneys itselves. However, most kidney stones do not grow large enough to cause a blockage. This w...

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects one’s movements. Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms are different for every individual and may go unnoticed in the early stage. Symptoms typically start on one side of the body and remain worse on that side even after the symptoms begin appearing in both sides of the body. Generally, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements such as blinking or swinging of arms when walking, and speech and writing changes. Parkinson’s disease occurs when neurons in an area of the brain that controls movement becomes impaired or dies. These neurons normally produce dopamine. As more neurons become impaired or die, the amount of dopamine produced in the body is reduced significantly, causing the movement problems associated with Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s also lose the nerve endings that produc...

Horner’s Syndrome

Horner’s syndrome is a condition where the sympathetic nerves on the face are damaged. 3 classic signs of Horner’s syndrome include miosis (constriction of the pupil), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid) and anhidrosis (absence of sweating of the face). It is a result of other medical problems such as stroke, tumor or spinal cord injury. Hence, treatment for the underlying issue may restore nerve function. The nerve pathway affected in Horner’s syndrome is divided into three groups of neurons called the first, second and third order neurons. These neurons lead from the hypothalamus of the brain through the spinal cord and finally along the facial skin and muscles of the iris and eyelids Sources: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6670/ horners-syndrome

Injections of Medical Insights

Search This Blog