What is the most common cause of adrenal insufficiency?

Primary adrenal insufficiency is most often caused when your immune system attacks your healthy adrenal glands by mistake. Other causes may include: Cancer. Fungal infections.

How is adrenal deficiency diagnosed?

Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and special stimulation tests that show inadequate levels of adrenal hormones. Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress.

How do I know if I have adrenal insufficiency?

You might also have nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, diarrhea, depression, or darkening of the skin. Adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed with a blood test that checks to see if your cortisol levels are too low. If you have it, you’ll need to take a hormone replacement.

What type of Doctor is best for adrenal insufficiency?

Adrenal insufficiency, or AI, means your adrenal glands, which are above your kidneys, are not producing enough of the hormones that regulate essential body functions. An endocrinologist who specializes in hormone-related diseases can diagnose and treat you. The key to managing your AI is understanding how to adjust the medication that replaces the missing hormones, because the amount you need can go up and down.

What should people know about adrenal insufficiency?

Adrenal insufficiency occurs when the adrenal glands don’t make enough of the hormone cortisol.

What do you do during an adrenal insufficiency?

Adrenal insufficiency treatment involves replacing, or substituting, the hormones that the adrenal glands are not making. Cortisol is replaced orally with hydrocortisone tablets, a synthetic glucocorticoid, taken once or twice a day.