Having one or more of the 80+ Autoimmune Disorders disables the affected with stress, inflammation, aches, pains, and other side effects, including limited mobility.
I have listed, one at a time, the more well known Autoimmune Disorders, what they are, their causes, symptoms, conventional and holistic treatments, and more.
The first one is Addison’s Disease.
What Is Addison’s Disease?
One way the body keeps itself in balance is by using chemical messengers called hormones to regulate various functions. Just above each of your kidneys is a small adrenal gland. These glands make hormones essential to a healthy life. When they don’t make enough of these hormones, Addison’s disease is the result.
Addison’s disease is a rare condition. Only one in 100,000 people has it. It can happen at any age to either men or women. People with Addison’s disease can lead normal lives as long as they take their medication. President John F. Kennedy had the condition.
In Addison’s disease, called primary adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands don’t make enough of a hormone called cortisol, or less often, a related hormone called aldosterone.
Cortisol’s most important function is to help the body respond to stress. It also helps regulate your body’s use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function; and controls inflammation. Aldosterone helps your kidneys regulate the amount of salt and water in your body — the main way you regulate blood volume and keep your blood pressure under control. When aldosterone levels drop too low, your kidneys cannot keep your salt and water levels in balance. This makes your blood pressure drop.
What Causes Addison’s Disease?
Most cases of Addison’s disease result from a problem with the adrenal glands themselves (primary adrenal insufficiency). Autoimmune disease accounts for 70% of Addison’s disease. This occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the adrenal glands. This autoimmune assault destroys the outer layer of the glands.
Long-lasting infections — such as tuberculosis, HIV, and some fungal infections — can harm the adrenal glands. Cancer cells that spread from other parts of the body to the adrenal glands also can cause Addison’s disease. Although rare, the adrenal glands can be injured as a result of a bacterial infection.
Less commonly, adrenal glands can be affected by “secondary adrenal insufficiency,” which is caused by a problem with the pituitary gland or a problem with the hypothalamus, both located in the center of the brain. These glands produce hormones that act as a switch and can turn on or off the production of hormones in the rest of the body. A pituitary hormone called ACTH is the switch that turns on cortisol production in the adrenal gland. If ACTH levels are too low, the adrenal glands stay in the off position.
Another cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency is prolonged or improper use of steroid hormones such as prednisone. Less common causes include pituitary tumors and damage to the pituitary gland during surgery or radiation.
What Are the Symptoms of Addison’s Disease?
Over time, Addison’s disease leads to these symptoms:
- Chronic fatigue and muscle weakness
- Loss of appetite, inability to digest food, and weight loss
- Low blood pressure (hypotension) that falls further when standing; this causes dizziness, sometimes to the point of fainting.
- Blotchy, dark tanning and freckling of the skin; this is most noticeable on parts of the body exposed to the sun, but also occurs in unexposed areas like the gums. Darkened skin is particularly likely to occur on the forehead, knees, and elbows or along scars, skin folds, and creases (such as on the palms).
- Blood sugar abnormalities, including dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Inability to cope with stress
- Moodiness, irritability, and depression
- Intolerance to heat or cold
- Craving for salty foods
Some of these symptoms may indicate conditions other than Addison’s disease.
Because symptoms of Addison’s disease progress slowly, they may go unrecognized until a physically stressful event, such as another illness, surgery, or an accident, worsens symptoms quickly. When this happens, it’s called an Addisonian crisis. For one in four people with Addison’s disease, this is the first time they realize they are ill. An Addisonian crisis is considered a medical emergency because it can be fatal.
Symptoms of an Addisonian crisis include:
- Shock, when the body does not get enough blood flow
- Sudden penetrating pain in the lower back, abdomen, or legs
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea, followed by dehydration
- Fever
- Weakness and fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Loss of consciousness
- Multiple organ failure, including kidneys, if circulation of blood cannot be restored
How Is Addison’s Disease Diagnosed?
Addison’s disease results from bilateral destruction of the adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys. Your adrenal glands are stimulated by your brain to produce cortisol under stress. Addison’s disease can present as an acute illness or come on gradually. A rare complication of Addison’s disease is adrenal crisis, which presents as shock, or very low blood pressure. The risk increases if you have an infection or a major physical stress.
With chronic Addison’s, the symptoms are vague and non-specific, and Addison’s disease can be difficult to diagnose. Often, it’s first detected through routine blood tests in a hospital or doctor’s office to check for sodium, potassium and white blood cell levels. The doctor will also check for hyperpigmentation, or darkening, of the skin or gums — a sign of long-term Addison’s.
Other signs may include weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, low blood pressure, weight loss, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
The most definitive way to diagnose the condition is to measure hormone levels in the blood before and after giving ACTH. ACTH is a hormone in the brain that, when activated, normally increases the amount of cortisol being produced by the adrenal glands. Measuring ACTH levels can help distinguish whether Addison’s disease is a caused by a problem in the adrenal gland or the brain.
An evaluation of Addison’s disease can include a CT scan of the adrenal glands to look for infection, cancer, or bleeding in the adrenal glands. A tuberculosis test may be done, as well, because up to 20% of cases are caused by tuberculosis. The majority, however, are immunological.
What Are the Conventional Treatments for Addison’s Disease?
Because Addison’s disease is caused by a lack of normal hormones produced by the adrenal glands, it can be treated by replacing those hormones. This can be done with once- or twice-daily tablets of hydrocortisone, a steroid hormone. If needed, aldosterone can be replaced with a synthetic steroid, fludrocortisone acetate (brand name Florinef), which is taken orally once a day. These medications need to be increased during times of stress, infection, surgery, or injury.
Treatment is almost always completely successful. When treated, people with Addison’s disease can lead a full and normal life. It is, however, important to carry a medic alert bracelet and emergency ID card at all times and to keep a small supply of medications at work or school. Even missing one dose can be dangerous.
In patients suspected of having an Addisonian crisis, doctor-prescribed injections of salt, fluids, and glucocorticoid hormones may be given immediately — even before a diagnosis of Addison’s disease is confirmed.
What Are the Holistic and Alternative Modalities for Addison’s Disease?
Reiki Energy Healing is one of the holistic and alternative modalities to help decrease or release residual inflammation, aches and pains, and mental and emotional stresses due to chronic Autoimmune Disorders.
Reiki supports and enhances the body’s ability to heal itself. It works equally well whether it is used to help accelerate the body’s healing process while recovering from illness or as a form of preventive selfcare. It is one of the most powerful techniques known for alleviating stress, anxiety, and pain. It naturally creates deep states of relaxation and feelings of well-being. Reiki supports and strengthens the immune system’s ability to fight infection of any kind, including viruses and bacteria. It is not just for treating physical problems. It works with the body’s natural healing wisdom to restore states of inner peace and balance at all levels… physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils and Supplements are another alternative modality.
Essential oils can be used for a wide range of emotional and physical wellness applications. They can be used as single essential oils or in complex essential oil blends depending on user experience and desired benefit.
All application methods are safe when used appropriately, including aromatic, topical, and internal methods. One or multiple application methods can be used for a wide range of emotional and physical wellness applications, including stress and the immune system.
