In short
Addison's disease means the adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol and aldosterone, and it is well managed day to day — but an adrenal crisis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Emergency if: You have Addison's disease and develop severe vomiting or diarrhoea, sudden severe weakness, feeling very dizzy or fainting, severe tummy or side pain, confusion or drowsiness, a seizure, or collapse: use your emergency steroid injection if you have one and call emergency services now.
On this page
01
What Addison's Disease Is
Addison's disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency, occurs when the adrenal glands are damaged and stop producing enough cortisol and often aldosterone, hormones essential for regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and the body's response to stress and illness. The most common cause is the immune system mistakenly attacking the adrenal glands; infection and other conditions can also cause it.
02
Who Gets It
Addison's disease can develop at any age but is most often diagnosed in adults, and is more common in people with other autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes or thyroid disease. It's a relatively rare condition, which sometimes leads to it being overlooked until symptoms become more pronounced.
03
Symptoms
Everyday symptoms build gradually and include persistent fatigue, weight loss, low blood pressure, salt cravings, darkening of the skin, and nausea. Once diagnosed and on the right daily hormone replacement, most people manage these well and lead full, active lives with routine monitoring.
04
Adrenal Crisis: A Medical Emergency
An adrenal crisis is a life-threatening emergency that can be triggered by infection, injury, surgery, or missed medicine doses, and requires immediate emergency medical treatment, not a wait-and-see approach. Warning signs include severe vomiting and diarrhea, sudden and severe weakness, low blood pressure with fainting, and confusion. People with Addison's disease are typically prescribed an emergency injectable steroid and taught to use it immediately if crisis symptoms appear, then call emergency services now, even if the injection seems to help.
05
Diagnosis and Treatment Landscape
Diagnosis involves blood tests measuring cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), along with a stimulation test that checks how the adrenal glands respond, plus checks of sodium, potassium, and calcium levels. Treatment is daily hormone replacement — typically a corticosteroid and, when needed, a medicine that replaces aldosterone — taken for life, with doses increased temporarily during illness, injury, or surgery. An endocrinologist manages long-term care and teaches every patient how to recognize and respond to a developing crisis.
How urgent is it?
Emergency — act now
You have Addison's disease and develop severe vomiting or diarrhoea, sudden severe weakness, feeling very dizzy or fainting, severe tummy or side pain, confusion or drowsiness, a seizure, or collapse: use your emergency steroid injection if you have one and call emergency services now.
Same-day — call promptly
You have Addison's disease and a fever, an infection or vomiting that stops you keeping your tablets down: contact your doctor today about extra steroid cover.
Routine — see a doctor
Ongoing tiredness, weight loss, salt craving or darkening skin with low blood pressure: book an appointment and ask whether adrenal tests are needed.
Sources
- Addison Disease - MedlinePlusmedlineplus.gov
- Addison's disease — NHSnhs.uk
Share this story
Curious where your own values stand?
Two minutes from upload to a full visual picture. Free to analyze.