Welling Clinic offers specially formulated Homeopathy treatment for Adrenal Insufficiency. The speciality treatment for Adrenal Insufficiency has been developed after an exhaustive in-house research. You too can be benefitted by our expertise in the treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency.
See our specialists at any Welling Clinic in India or order online instantly from the link above.
What is Adrenal Insufficiency?
Adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones, primarily cortisol; but may also include impaired production of aldosterone (a mineral corticoid), which regulates sodium conservation, potassium secretion, and water retention.
Craving for salt or salty foods due to the urinary losses of sodium is common.
If not treated, adrenal insufficiency may result in severe abdominal pains, vomiting, profound muscle weakness and fatigue, depression, extremely low blood pressure (hypotension), weight loss, kidney failure, changes in mood and personality, and shock (adrenal crisis).
Types of Adrenal Insufficiency
Primary adrenal insufficiency is due to impairment of the adrenal glands. where cortex of the gland is damaged and fails to produce the hormones in adequate quantities
Causes:-
The failure of your adrenal glands to produce adrenocortical hormones is most commonly the result of the body attacking itself (autoimmune disease). For unknown reasons, your immune system views the adrenal cortex as foreign, something to attack and destroy.
Other causes of adrenal gland failure may include:
- Tuberculosis
- Other infections of the adrenal glands
- Spread of cancer to the adrenal glands
- Bleeding into the adrenal glands
Secondary adrenal insufficiency (central adrenal insufficiency) is caused by impairment of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
Causes of Adrenal Insufficiency
- This form of Addison’s disease can be traced to a lack of ACTH, which causes a drop in the adrenal glands production of cortisol.
- Another cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency is the surgical removal of benign, or noncancerous, ACTH-producing tumors of the pituitary gland (Cushing’s disease).
- Another more common cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs when people who take corticosteroids for treatment of chronic conditions, such as asthma or arthritis, abruptly stop taking the corticosteroids.
Symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency
Addison’s disease symptoms usually develop slowly, often over several months, and may include:
- Muscle weakness and fatigue
- Weight loss and decreased appetite
- Darkening (tanning) of your skin (hyper pigmentation) patchy or even all over the body.Characteristic sites of tanning are skin creases (e.g. of the hands) and the inside of the cheek (buccal mucosa)
- Low blood pressure, that falls further when standing (orthostatic hypotension), even fainting
- Salt craving
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
- Dehydration
- Disorientation
- Muscle or joint pains
- Irritability
- Depression
- Body hair loss or sexual dysfunction in women
Acute adrenal failure (Addisonian crisis)
Sometimes, however, the signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease may appear suddenly. In acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis), the signs and symptoms may also include:
- Penetrating Pain in your lower back, abdomen or legs
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration
- Low blood pressure
- Loss of consciousness
- High potassium (hyperkalemia)
Diagnosis of Adrenal insufficiency
ACTH stimulation test:-
The best diagnostic tool to confirm adrenal insufficiency is the ACTH stimulation test. This test involves measuring the level of cortisol in your blood before and after an injection of synthetic ACTH. ACTH signals your adrenal glands to produce cortisol. If your adrenal glands are damaged, the ACTH stimulation test shows that your output of cortisol in response to synthetic ACTH is limited or nonexistent.
Blood investigations:-
Measuring your blood levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol, thyroid hormone levels and ACTH gives your doctor and initial indication of whether adrenal insufficiency may be causing your signs and symptoms. A blood test can also measure antibodies associated with autoimmune Addison’s disease.
Insulin – induced hypoglycemia test:-
Occasionally, doctors suggest this test if pituitary disease is a possible cause of adrenal insufficiency (secondary adrenal insufficiency). The test involves checking your blood sugar (blood glucose) and cortisol levels at various intervals after an injection of insulin. In healthy people, glucose levels fall and cortisol levels increase.
Imaging tests:-
Your doctor may have you undergo a computerized tomography (CT) scan of your abdomen to check the size of your adrenal glands and look for other abnormalities that may give insight to the cause of the adrenal insufficiency. Your doctor may also suggest a MRI scan of your pituitary gland if testing indicates you might have secondary adrenal insufficiency.
Treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency
Treatment of Addison’s disease involves replacing, or substituting, the hormones that the adrenal glands are not making. Cortisol is replaced orally with hydrocortisone tablets, a synthetic glucocorticoid, taken once or twice a day. If aldosterone is also deficient, it is replaced with oral doses of a mineral corticoid, called fludrocortisones acetate (Florinef)), which is taken once a day.
Addisonian crisis
An addisonian crisis is a life-threatening situation that results in low blood pressure, low blood levels of sugar and high blood levels of potassium. This situation requires immediate medical care. Treatment typically includes intravenous injections of:
- Hydrocortisone
- Saline solution
- Sugar (dextrose)
Homoeopathy Treatment of Addison’s disease
Phosphoric acid will be suitable for a patient presenting with extreme physical exhaustion, inertia, apathy, and sexual weakness. These people often complain about loss of hair and even change in visual acuity. Their whole pathology arises from hypo-function of the endocrine system — particularly of the adrenals.
Gelsemium patients will present with slow pulse, tired feeling and mental apathy. Usually there will be muscular weakness, drowsiness and even dizziness. They are sensitive to falling barometric pressure, with many symptoms aggravated by cold and damp weather. They are lethargic, dull, and apathetic to their own complaints. They want to be left alone because any excitement, even good news, will make them feel worse physically.
Kalium phosphoricum personality is nervous, oversensitive and excitable. Everything is too much for them and when they get tired they get irritable. They have a feeling that something bad will happen to them; they startle easily. They have difficulty with concentration, and they are forgetful of words and names. There is a profound state of mental and physical exhaustion.
Prognosis:-Adrenal crises can be fatal.
See our specialists at any Welling Clinic in India or order online instantly from the link above.
