Addison's Disease / Disease

Diseases & Conditions

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Addison's Disease

Synonyms of Addison's Disease

Chronic Adrenocortical Insufficiency
Primary Adrenal Insufficiency
Primary Failure Adrenocortical Insufficiency

Disorder Subdivisions

General Discussion
Addison's disease is a rare disorder characterized by chronic, usually progressive, inadequate production of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone by the outer layer of cells of the adrenal glands (adrenal cortex). Classical Addison?s disease is a consequence of the loss of both of these hormones. Cortisol affects carbohydrate metabolism connective tissue development and the amount of water in the body. Aldosterone affects the sodium and potassium ion equilibrium (electrolyte imbalance) in the body, as well as water levels and, therefore, blood pressure and blood volume. Increased excretion of water and low blood pressure (hypotension) can lead to extremely low concentrations of water in the body (dehydration). Major symptoms of Addison's disease include fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, and changes in skin color (pigmentation).
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Organizations related to Addison's Disease

Addison's Disease Self-Help Group (UK)
21 George Road
Guildford, Surrey None GU1 4NP
Phone #: +44- 14-830 830672
800 #: N/A
e-mail: feedback@adshg.org.uk
Home page: http://www.adshg.org.uk
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
22100 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe MI 48021
Phone #: 586-776-3900
800 #: 800-598-4668
e-mail: aarda@aarda.org
Home page: http://www.aarda.org/
AutoImmunity Community
None
None None None
Phone #: (91-9) -552-9057
800 #: N/A
e-mail: bandrews@autoimmunitycommunity.org
Home page: http://autoimmunitycommunity.org
Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick NJ 08723
Phone #: 732-664-9259
800 #: N/A
e-mail: autoimmunehelp@aol.com
Home page: http://www.aininc.org
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Trust (New Zealand)
PO Box 29-545
Christchurch None 8005
Phone #: +64- 3 -3584 507
800 #: N/A
e-mail: CAHNZ@snap.net.nz
Home page: N/A
Hormone Foundation
8401 Connecticut Ave
Chevy Chase MD 20815
Phone #: --
800 #: 800-467-6663
e-mail: hormone@endo-society.org
Home page: http://www.hormone.org
MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support, Inc) National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: mums@netnet.net
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
Medic Alert Foundation International
2323 Colorado Avenue
Turlock CA 95382
Phone #: 209-669-2401
800 #: 800-432-5378
e-mail: Inquiries@medicalert.org
Home page: http://www.medicalert.org
NIH/National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
2 Information Way
Bethesda MD 20892-3570
Phone #: 301-654-3810
800 #: 800-891-5389
e-mail: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Home page: http://www.niddk.nih.gov
National Adrenal Diseases Foundation
505 Northern Boulevard
Great Neck NY 11021
Phone #: 516-487-4992
800 #: --
e-mail: NADFmail@aol.com
Home page: http://www.medhelp.org/nadf

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html