Addison's Disease | Symptons & Causes

Addison’s disease is a chronic condition in which your adrenal glands don’t produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone.

Your adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangle-shaped glands that are located on top of each of your two kidneys. They’re a part of your endocrine system.

Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body respond to stress, including the stress of illness, injury or surgery. It also helps maintain your blood pressure, heart function, immune system and blood glucose (sugar) levels. Cortisol is essential for life.

Aldosterone is a hormone that affects the balance of sodium (salt) and potassium in your blood. This in turn controls the amount of fluid your kidneys remove as urine (pee), which affects blood volume and blood pressure.

Addison’s disease is also called primary adrenal insufficiency. A related disorder, secondary adrenal insufficiency, happens when your pituitary gland doesn’t release enough adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which activates your adrenal glands to produce cortisol.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Diagnosis & treatment

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