Consider for instance that you felt a severe bout of headache. You dismiss it as nothing. Then the following day you vomited severely. You still dismissed it as nothing. A few days later you experienced abdominal pain and you ignore it as nothing serious. Then all of a sudden a loved one forced you undergo a medical examination and the doctor said that if you did not take time to be examined you would not have lasted long because what you have is Addison’s disease – a fatal medical condition if not treated early. This paper discusses the cause of Addison’s disease, the symptoms and then the proper medical care needed by patients suffering from this illness.
The adrenal glands produce three distinct types of horomones: the glucocorticoid; the mineralocorticoid; and sex hormones such as androgens and estrogens. If the adrenal glands are damaged then it would result in the medical condition known as Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease is the outcome when there is damage to the adrenal cortex (Rosenthal, p.65). As a result the adrenal glands fail to produce cortisol and other steroid hormones in sufficient quantities (Rosenthal, p.65). This damage may be caused by the following: a) the immune system mistakenly attacking the gland such as in the case of autoimmune disease; b) infections such as tuberculosis; c) hemorrhage or blood loss; d) tumors; and e) use of blood thinning drugs (Eckman, p.1). There is a strong link between Addison’s disease and autoimmune disease (Chapel et al., p.273). This is indeed a serious medical condition.
Some of the more common symptoms of this disease are changes in blood pressure, patchy skin color, extreme weakness and unintentional weight loss (Eckman, p.1). It has to be pointed out that this particular condition is also associated with other endocrine diseases such as thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, ovarian failure and pernicious anemia (Chapel et al., p.273).
In the past, Addison’s disease was considered fatal (Falvo, p.263). But in the present time it is possible to manage this medical condition. The recommended treatment is replacement therapy with synthetic corticosteroids and the use of this breakthrough medical remedy means that those who suffer from this disease can at least expect to live full and normal lives (Falvo, p.263). Aside from using synthetic corticosteroids there are other things that a health care provider must keep in mind when dealing with Addison’s disease.
A health care provider must be alert to the indicators of addisonian crisis and these are headache; vomiting; fever; abdominal pain; and severe hypotension (Swearingen, p.437). The patient must also be placed in a quiet room away from loud noise and excessive activity and in some cases it is imperative to administer vasopressors to maintain normal blood pressure and IV fluids to prevent circulatory collapse (Swearingen, p.437). It has been made clear that although Addison’s disease is treatable it requires expert care in order to save lives.
Addison’s disease is a serious medical condition. This is perhaps the reason why in the past this type of illness is fatal and this means that those who have this medical condition cannot expect to live full and normal lives. But in the present time a cure has been discovered and it is the use of synthetic corticosteroids. Nevertheless, expert care is needed. It is imperative that a person suffering from a severe bout of Addison’s disease must be rushed to a hospital where there are healthcare professionals who are able to determine the onset of addisonian crisis and save the patient’s life.
References
Chapel, H. et al. (2006). Essentials of Clinical Immunology. MA: Blackwell Publshing.
Eckman, A. (2009). Addison’s Disease. Web.
Falvo, D. (2005). Medical and Psychological Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability. MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Rosenthal. S. (2000). The Thyroid Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Swearingen, P. (2003). Manual of Medical-Surgical Nursing Care: Nursing Interventions. MO: Elsevier-Mosby.