Adrenal Insufficiency
Adrenal insufficiency research papers focus on the medical condition that affects the adrenal gland. Medical health research papers such as this one can be custom written by the experts at Paper Masters.
Adrenal insufficiency is a medical condition where the adrenal glands do not produce adequate levels of steroid hormones, mostly cortisol. One of the major symptoms is a craving for salty foods due to the loss of sodium through the urine. If left untreated, adrenal insufficiency can result in abdominal pain, weakness and fatigue, hypotension, and even kidney failure.
Main Types of Adrenal Insufficiency
There are three main types of adrenal insufficiency.
- Primary adrenal insufficiency results from an impairment in the adrenal glands. The vast majority of such cases result from Addison's disease.
- Secondary adrenal insufficiency results from an impairment in either the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus. The most common cause of this is steroid use.
- Tertiary adrenal insufficiency results from hypothalamic disease, characterized by a decrease in corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH).
There are several course of treatment, depending on the severity. For an adrenal crisis, treatment consists of intravenous fluids and steroids. Cases of cortisol deficiency are generally treated with injections of steroids, including hydrocortisone, prednisone, or dexamethasone.
Some alternative medicine therapies speak of Adrenal fatigue, the unscientific belief that the adrenal glands are unable to produce sufficient hormones. Adrenal fatigue is not adrenal insufficiency, nor does the medical community recognize it.