Addison’s disease is a disorder where the adrenal glands in your body do not produce sufficient amout of hormones. Adrenals are located on the top of kidneys and secrete certain hormones which are important for the normal functioning of the body. The two important hormones secreted by the adrenals are cortisol and aldosterone and usually it is the cortisol whose level goes down in a patient suffering from Addison’s disease. The disease is also known as adrenal insufficiency and can be life threatening. The disease may occur due to a problem within the adrenals themselves (known as primary adrenal insufficiency) however chronic infections like tuberculosis and HIV might also lead to adrenal gland failure. The main symptoms are:
1. Weakness and loss of apetite, tiredness
2. Weight loss and muscle fatigue
3. Low blood pressure
4. Skin darkening (hyper-pigmentation)
5. Craving for salt
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