Addison’s disease and vitiligo: is there a correlation between the two diseases?
When we talk about vitiligo we are talking about an autoimmune disease with regards to etiology.
Therefore, being an autoimmune disease, as such it can also be present in association with other autoimmune diseases. For example, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Pernicious Anemia or Addison’s disease.
Causes Addison’s Disease
The disease is characterized by insufficiency of the adrenal glands which do not produce sufficient cortisol and other substances very important for survival.
Thus, the life of the person with Addison’s syndrome can be compromised.
Again, the autoimmune disease affects particular cells. These cells are those that are part of the adrenal glands and are responsible for the production of these hormones.
Addison’s disease symptoms
In everyday life, Addison’s disease manifests itself with enormous fatigue, the inability to carry out one’s daily tasks, joint pain, muscle aches, respiratory crises, vomiting, feeling of vomiting, fatigue and a state of extreme and severe malaise.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made with a blood test.
It is sufficient, in fact, to monitor the level of ACTH which is normally very high.
Discovering, precisely, that the altered value of this hormone, as well as cortisol, renin, potassium and sodium, are altered means that we are in the presence of adrenal insufficiency. That is the so-called Addison’s disease.
Addison’s Disease Therapy
To treat the disease, doctors may prescribe hormones similar to those produced by the adrenal glands. For example, hydrocortisone tablets to replace cortisol.
If aldosterone is also missing, the doctor may also prescribe fludrocortisone acetate tablets.
If the patient is taking fludrocortisone, the doctor may also recommend increasing the salt intake.
In the event of an emergency or surgery, the medicine is given intravenously.
