Addison's Disease
Treatment
Once diagnosed, Addison's disease is treated by replacing the natural cortisol with an oral medication. The medicine is adjusted by a doctor to bring cortisol levels in the blood up to normal and maintain them. A patient also is advised to eat salty foods, not skip any meals, and carry a packet containing a syringe with cortisone to be injected in case of an emergency.
With the loss of the ability to secrete cortisol under stress, a patient must take extra medication when he undergoes dental treatments or surgery. Even though Addison's disease is not curable, a patient with this condition can expect to live a full life span.
See also Adrenals; Diabetes mellitus.
Resources
Books
Larson, David E., ed. Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. New York: William Morrow, 1996.
The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Addison's Disease: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age. San Diego: ICON Health Publications, 2002.
Periodicals
Erickson, Q.L. "Addison's Disease: The Potentially Life-threatening Tan." Cutis 66, no. 1 (2001): 72-74.
Kessler, Christine A. "Adrenal Gland (Adrenal disorders and other problems)." In Endocrine Problems: Nurse Review Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1988.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Addison's Disease." (fact sheet). National Institutes of Health Publication No. 90-3054.
Ten, S. "Addison's Disease 2001." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 86, no. 7 (2001): 2909-2922.
Larry Blaser
Additional topics
Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: 1,2-dibromoethane to AdrenergicAddison's Disease - The Adrenal Glands, History Of Addison's Disease, Addison's Disease, Treatment