Addison’s Disease
Addison's Disease, also known as Adrenal Insufficiency, is an uncommon chronic condition where your adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol (a hormone that aids your body to respond to stress and helps to maintain blood pressure, blood sugar and heart function) or aldosterone (a hormone that affects the levels of sodium (salt) and potassium in the blood, which aids your kidneys to remove excess fluid as urine, affecting blood volume and therefore blood pressure)
What are the symptoms?
Addison’s Disease is a progressive condition, therefore symptoms will occur gradually and may vary from person to person.
Symptoms include:
Fatigue (Worsens over time)
Patches of darker skin or hyperpigmentation, mostly around scar tissue, creases and within the mouth
Abdominal Pain
Nausea and vomiting
Weight loss and loss of appetite
Dehydration
Diarrhoea
Muscular pain, spasms or joint pain
Dizziness
Low blood pressure
Depression
Poor Concentration
Cravings for salty foods
Low blood sugar
Causes
Addison's Disease develops when your adrenal cortex is damaged, reducing the levels of hormones it produces. Addison's disease can develop if your immune system attacks your adrenal glands and severely damages your adrenal cortex.
Although rare, Addison's Disease can affect anyone of any age. It is most common in people between 30-50 years of age and is more common in women.
Diagnosis
If Addison's Disease is suspected, a variety of blood tests will measure the levels of sodium, potassium and cortisol in your body. Low sodium, high potassium or low cortisol level may suggest that you are suffering from Addison's Disease.
How is Addison’s Disease treated conventionally?
Treatment usually involves corticosteroid (steroid) replacement therapy for life. Corticosteroid medicine is used to replace the hormones cortisol and aldosterone that your body no longer produces. It's usually taken in tablet form 2 or 3 times a day.
How does Surrey Centre for Nutrition work with Addison’s Disease?
Unlike conventional medicine, we are looking to understand the underlying cause of a client’s Addison's disease to return a client to health and reverse symptoms. Identifying the true root cause of the disease, and what led the body to attack its own adrenal glands with an immune response will involve investigations into gut health, food, pathogen and environmental toxin reactivity, chronic infections, elevated toxic load and address stress and lifestyle contributory factors. We will then use targeted approaches such as gastrointestinal healing and rebalancing, detoxification, and elimination of inflammatory foods to name just a few, and techniques to help mediate the stress response.
Are you ready to work with us to reach your health goals?
If you or someone you know is suffering from the symptoms or conditions listed above, Surrey Centre for Nutrition may be able to help. We typically work with clients for 3-6 months depending on your health concerns. Are you interested in working with us?
Book a discovery call to see how the Surrey Centre for Nutrition can help
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