Diseases & Conditions

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Addison's disease

Name: Addison's disease
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Addison's disease is a disorder that results when your body produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones produced by your adrenal glands. In Addison's disease, your adrenal glands produce too little cortisol, and often insufficient levels of aldosterone as well.

Also called adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism, Addison's disease can occur at any age, but is most common in people ages 30 to 50. Addison's disease can be life-threatening.

Treatment for Addison's disease involves your taking hormones to replace the insufficient amounts being made by your adrenal glands, in order to mimic the beneficial effects those naturally made hormones would normally produce.

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See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that commonly occur in people with Addison's disease. Most people with this condition experience darkening areas of skin (hyperpigmentation), severe fatigue, unintentional weight loss, and gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Dizziness or fainting, salt cravings, and muscle or joint pains also are common.

Your doctor can determine whether Addison's disease or some other medical condition may be causing these problems.

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