...Addison’s disease Addison’s disease happens when the adrenal glands do not produce the hormones there are supposed to. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing glucocorticoid hormones, mineralocorticoid hormones, and sex hormones. Addison’s disease can be caused by a number of things such as infections, blood loss, tumors, or some medications. All these things cause trauma to the adrenal cortex and less hormone is produced. Infections such as tuberculosis and AIDS are two of the most common that cause Addison’s disease. An adrenal crisis is a complication of the disease (Rennert). Signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease are commonly mistaken for other disease. Addison’s disease is rare so doctors will often diagnose patients with anorexia nervosa or some type of mental illness. Chronic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common symptoms (Professional Guide to Diseases 629). They are common symptoms of several things so doctors do not associate Addison’s disease with this right away. Other symptoms can be changes in heart rate or blood pressure, darkening of the skin in some places, paleness, extreme weakness, fatigue, slow or sluggish movement, mouth lesions, salt cravings, mental confusion, and loss in libido. Addison’s disease can be diagnosed by several test. Some test may show an increase in potassium, low blood pressure, low cortisol levels, low serum sodium, and normal sex hormone levels (Rennert). This...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...Addison’s disease is named after Dr. Thomas Addison (1793-1860) and is caused by a lack of aldosterone and cortisol production due to primary adrenocortical insufficiency. Aldosterone is a steroid hormone of the adrenal cortex that functions in the regulation of blood pressure and the salt and water balance of the body. Cortisol helps the body respond to stress, maintains blood pressure and cardiovascular function, regulates energy and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, maintains arousal and a sense of well being, and modulates neuronal and immune-cell function. The symptoms of Addison’s disease include fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, weight loss, low blood pressure, darkening of the skin, and salt craving. Addison’s disease is actually a clinical syndrome by which its signs and symptoms characterize primary adrenal failure. Addison’s disease can occur after tuberculoses or by any malignant disease which causes damage to the adrenal glands and inhibits their ability to produce cortisol. Inadequate secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the pituitary gland will also cause a cortisol deficiency. Addison’s disease can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose. Aside from a pattern of symptoms in a patient’s medical history and the telltale dark tanning of the skin, Addison’s disease is primarily diagnosed through a series of biochemical lab tests. These tests include the measuring of blood pressure, serum sodium and potassium, cortisol, ACTH, serum...
Words: 448 - Pages: 2
...Addison's disease From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Addison's disease | Classification and external resources | ICD-10 | E27.1-E27.2 | ICD-9 | 255.4 | DiseasesDB | 222 | MedlinePlus | 000378 | eMedicine | med/42 | MeSH | D000224 | Addison’s disease (also Addison disease, chronic adrenal insufficiency, hypocortisolism, and hypoadrenalism) is a rare, chronic endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient steroid hormones (glucocorticoids and often mineralocorticoids). It is characterized by a number of relatively nonspecific symptoms, such as abdominal pain and weakness, but under certain circumstances, these may progress to Addisonian crisis, a severe illness which may include very low blood pressure and coma. The condition arises from problems with the adrenal gland, "primary adrenal insufficiency", and can be caused by damage by the body's own immune system, certain infections, or various rarer causes. Addison's disease is also known as chronic primary adrenocortical insufficiency, to distinguish it from acute primary adrenocortical insufficiency, most often caused by Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome. Addison's disease should also be distinguished from secondary and tertiary adrenal insufficiency, which are caused by deficiency of ACTH (produced by the pituitary gland) and CRH (produced by the hypothalamus), respectively. Despite this distinction, Addisonian crises can happen in all forms of adrenal...
Words: 2181 - Pages: 9
...The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney and each adrenal gland is essentially two endocrine glands with separate functions (2014, pg 1490). “Addison’s Disease, or adrenocortical insufficiency occurs when adrenal cortex function is inadequate to meet the patients’ need for cortical hormones” (2014). There are three types of cortical hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, they are the glucocorticoids which influence carbohydrate metabolism, the mineralocorticoids that modulate salt and water balance and the androgens that contribute to the expression of sexual characteristics” (2016). Examples of the cortical hormones produced by the adrenal glands are cortisol which is a glucocorticoid, aldosterone which is a mineralocorticoids...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...be about 48 different endocrine disorders. I have decided to talk about Addison’s disease. In doing this I am hoping to learn about it myself because I don’t have much knowledge in this disease. I will be discussing the diseases itself along with treatments and prognosis. “Addison’s disease is a disorder that occurs when your body produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones produced by your adrenal glands.” (Staff, 2015) In the top of your kidney’s is where adrenal glands are located and they hormones needed for normal functions of the body. Not enough steroid hormone cortisol and aldosterone produced by the adrenal glands causes Addison’s disease. It does affect only one age group. It can also be life threatening....
Words: 495 - Pages: 2
...Addison’s Disease is a condition in which your endocrine system is not sufficiently producing needed steroid hormones, including glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and androgens (the male sex hormones) that are produced by the adrenal glands. Therefore, hormone replacement therapy is key. Glucocorticoids influence the body’s ability to convert food sources into energy by the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. In other words, they raise blood sugar (glucose). They also help with the system’s response to inflammation, and are responsible for helping the body’s response to stress by producing cortisol, the most abundant glucocorticoid. Mineralocorticoids are hormones that help to regulate mineral metabolism by balancing water and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium. This helps maintain blood pressure. For example, when mineralocorticoid production is low, the kidneys are not able to regulate salt and water balance which causes blood volume and blood pressure to drop. Aldosterone is the main mineralocorticoid because it increases sodium re-absorption by acting on the distal tubules of the kidneys. Androgens are also important because with Addison’s Disease there is an excess of androgens (hypersecretion). This can cause symptoms like excessive body hair and cessation of menstruation in girls, and early puberty in boys. Common medications prescribed for Addison’s Disease include the oral corticosteroids fludrocortisone to replace aldosterone (like...
Words: 329 - Pages: 2
...Both deal with hyperglycemia due to defects of insulin secretion. Type one diabetes is one of the most prevalent pediatric diseases. Autoimmune type one diabetes mellitus is autoimmune t-cell mediated and destroys beta cells that reside in the pancreas. The destruction of these beta cells could be caused by genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. The genes or environmental factors cause autoantigens to be expressed on pancreatic beta cells. This then causes cellular and humoral immunity and in turn destruction and apoptosis of the beta cells. This then causes insulin synthesis to decline and cause hyperglycemia. This leads to an increase in glucagon which increases blood glucose by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Some of the clinical manifestations include issues with metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Glucose will accumulate in the blood and polyuria and thirst. Protein and fat may be broken down due to the lack of insulin which in turn causes weight loss. Some of the short term effect are hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis. Some long term effects are eye problems such as cataracts, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Type two diabetes mellitus is also due to genetic and environmental factors. Some of the more prevalent ones are age, obesity, hypertension, physical inactivity, and family history. The pathophysiology of type two diabetes...
Words: 1206 - Pages: 5
...Disease Classification Structures Health care information systems cover a wide range of issues dealing with the supervision and use of biomedical information. Health information systems are central support tools in the administration of health care services. An acceptable health information system is important not only for evaluating the health needs of populations but also for preparation and for application of health interventions. It is equally imperative in the assessment of programs. The goal of information systems is to create an appropriate working environment. This is done by providing initial and going training, allocating resources, and by managing unintended consequences (Wager, Lee & Glaser, 2009). This summary will examine disease classification information structures necessary for reimbursement and epidemiological data collection. Discussions will describe disease classification, analyze reasons why it was selected, and explain how it is applicable to work, review the benefits of the systems and also discuss the negative draw backs of the system. To begin discussions will focus on defining disease classification structures. Disease Classification Structures Disease classification structures are essential to health care. The International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision (ICD-9) is a classification system developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to categorize diseases. ICD-9 collects data on disease and in the United States the ICD-9...
Words: 944 - Pages: 4
...Personalized Medicine SCI 115 Abstract Personalized medicine is a healthcare field that deals with the different and unique genomic, genetic, clinical, and environmental information of each person. Personalized medicine is based on making treatment or prevention of disease focus on the individual and the factors that do or will affect that particular individual. Some of the advantages of personalized medicine are the ability to make more informed medical decisions, earlier disease intervention, and reduced probability of negative side effects. Although there is a large upside to personalized medicine and the medical advantages that come along with it implementation, there lyes the challenge. The implementation of personalized medicine is the largest limitation. Whether it is lack of push from the healthcare industry or lack of proven technology to properly diagnose individual patients, personalized medicine is very young and has a long way to go. Personalized medicine or medical treatment that is unique to the individual definitely has it advantages. Some of those advantages are the ability to make more informed medical decisions, earlier disease intervention. Laberge and Burke (2008) describe personalized medicine as health care that is tailored to the individual. They go on to say that (Laberge and Burke 2008) recently the term has been used to refer specifically to genetically-based health care. Some of the drawbacks to personalized medicine according to Laberge...
Words: 839 - Pages: 4
...Cystic Fibrosis Latisha Long HCS/245 March 26, 2012 Cathy Coyle Cystic Fibrosis In today’s society there are many diseases out there. It is to contract these diseases by coming in contact with a carrier. People who are into sharing dirty needles, having unprotected sex, or not being able to maintain a healthy and clean environment, can become infected with these transferable diseases. There are some diseases out there that you can inherit; one in particular that stands out is Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is a life threating disease; there are 1,000 new cases each year. With the new treatments and studies, people are living longer with CF. Before people with CF were only living into the early years of their childhood, and now they are living well past their 30s. CF is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein cause the body to produce an abundance of thick sticky mucus in the lungs. The production of this mucus causes the lungs to clog and can lead to life threating infections. CF can also cause the pancreas to obstruct and stop enzymes, which allows the body to absorb and breakdown food. This can cause slow growth and malnutrition in the body, and the sticky mucus can block the airway which makes it difficult to breath causing this disease to be life threatening. People with CF have shorter life expectancy, because of the way CF controls the body. The treatment for CF is improving every day...
Words: 1105 - Pages: 5
...“Green energy, our planet needs you” The Earth is our home, but it has been contaminated. Scientifics are concern with our planet which is dying everyday. It is our responsibility to take care the planet. The temperature has increased since the middle of the 20th century as a result of increasing concentrations of greenhouse due to human activity. As a consequence of the global warming many ecosystem are affected, has created climate variation, and many health diseases in the population. First of all, global warming has affected many ecosystems .The marine ecosystem is dying, many fishes and mammals that live in the ocean is disappearing due to the high temperature. The arctic is defrosting and the bear polar can not found what to eat. For polar bears to stay alive, they need sea ice. Not to eat the ice itself, of course, but because the animal that represents their main victim item, the ringed close, requires sea ice as its primary habitat for resting. Another ecosystem that is affected is the coral reefs. The coral reefs, which are the filter of the sea, are bleaching. The bunch of bleaching incident that followed kill a fifth of coral communities worldwide. And while many have recovered the global loss is attributed to the mass bleaching stand. At the instant the reefs seem to be recuperating fine, but it's only an issue of time prior to another mass of bleaching. The temperature has demonstrated high level of records since 1980.The increase...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...The emergence of personalized medicine has helped in the reduction of costs, time, and the rate of failure of pharmaceutical clinical trials, has eliminated trial and error inefficiencies in the diagnosis of diseases, and has aided in the prescription of effective drugs and averted those that pose dangerous side effects to patients. This essay explicates the manner in which genetic technology may contribute to personalized medicine, examples of the benefits of personalized medicine, and drawbacks of personalized medicine. Modern genetic technology has played an instrumental role in leading to personalized medicine. It has led to in depth understanding of the impacts of genetics in a given disease. The understanding of the impacts of the disease has helped in the development of personalized medicine, as practitioners are able to identify the correct prescription for different diseases. Modern genetic technology has also led to personalized medicine by helping practitioners understand the significance of genes in the normal development of human beings. Duke Medicine (2011) points out that these are easily linked with the certain diseases affecting human beings hence the development of personalized medicine. Practitioners are able to identify the different diseases affecting human beings before they get to their worst states with the use of modern genetic technology. Personalized medicine has had numerous benefits on...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...happening now. In fact, there are many benefits to human cloning such as diminished disease, new possibilities in science, and better wellness. First, what if I said that doctors and scientist have found a way cure or terminate the suffering cause by diseases and cancers? Well the true is it could be done. Through the studies of cloning and techniques that are learn, and we may be able to diminish diseases and eliminate cancers from society. Which can be accomplished is by learning the human genome and later using the cloning techniques to change the genetic code. This type of science is could gene therapy or genetic modification. By just adding or removing parts off genic cade are, immune system could fright off the worst diseases and cancers. Next, numerous of remarkable benefits come from cloning knowledge, and that would open new possibilities in science. One of these possibilities is the treatment for damaged nerves. By injuring cloned nerve cells where damage was due. A second possibility is clone individual organs. This could be a solution to ever growing demand for organ donors. “The regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues and body parts made is made possible by cloning” Finally, with the help of cloning life would be better. It will give an overall better wellness throughout the world. From cloning, a person could have prolonged life for many years to come. With fewer worries about disease one would have less stress. Cloning gives a person the ability to discover new...
Words: 353 - Pages: 2
...that technology is advancing too fast to be safe. Other people say that technology helps us and protects us from disasters, diseases and other harmful things we encounter throughout our everyday lives. An example is if we should research the use of stem cells to cure diseases. Stem cells are cells that bring in new cells into the body to repair damaged tissues. Although stem cells may be able to cure diseases, some people believe it is not a good idea. People believe that technology is moving too fast and it is going to end up controlling our lives. A possible outcome of manipulating our genes can be severe side-effects. The risk of using stem cells is that some people may get cancer from receiving the stem cells. Stem cells have the power to change the medical field in many ways. I believe that we should study stem cells to find cures for deadly diseases. Stem cells are able to cure diseases because they have the ability to become any kind of tissue. There are two kinds of stem cells, cells from embryos and cells from adults. Since technology has the power to help people’s lives there is no reason for us not to help them live a better and healthier life. Stem cells have the ability to cure diseases that are not yet cured. Stem cells can cure diseases such as diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injuries and many other illnesses. In diseases like diabetes the cells in a person’s body begin to die off, with stem cells doctors have the sources to get rid of the...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...Today, I am going to talk about sex preselection, also known as gender selection. This is a technological method for controlling the sex of the offspring to achieve a desired sex. In other words sex preselection gives parents the opportunity to choose their baby’s gender. Here in the Netherlands, choosing the sex of a child is authorized and validated by the Dutch Health Council, but only on medical terms, for example in cases of hereditry (heere-dit-trie) diseases. However, in many countries sex pre-selection is permitted, irrespective whether there is a medical reason or not. So if you could choose the gender of your baby, what would you choose? A boy or a girl? Well, you don’t even have to answer my question, because I do not think, we people have the right to decide on this matter. It is unethical and immoral to do so. Therefore my thesis is the following: Parents should not be able to select their baby’s gender! I will start of giving a number of arguments that supports this thesis. Then I will discuss some arguments that supporters of sex pre-selection give. And I will end with a conclusion. First of all, whether parents had a girl or a boy has always been left up to nature to decide. To date, no-one has dared interfere with the genetic workings of the body, mainly because the technology did not exist to do it. But now, with the dawn of the twenty-first century, that technology has arrived and mankind is faced with the decision: whether or not to “play...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
