Addison's Disease Treatments - Natural Health Solutions

Addison's Disease Treatments - Natural Health Solutions

What is Addison's Disease?

Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormone cortisol or aldosterone. The condition, also referred to as adrenal insufficiency, is a rare autoimmune disorder that can cause severe health consequences if left unmanaged.

A Woman with Hair Loss from Addison's Disease.

Common Symptoms of Addison's Disease

The symptoms of Addison's disease rarely begin all at once and are often mild when they start. As a result, people often do not notice the symptoms or ignore them until they are too unwell to manage the discomfort alone.


Adrenal crisis, a potentially life-threatening issue, can occur if the condition remains unmanaged and the body becomes too deficient in cortisol.


Symptoms of Addison's include:

  • Excessive fatigue unimproved with rest
  • Decreased appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Hyperpigmentation (skin darkening)
  • Salt craving
  • Low blood sugar
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Vitiligo (white patches on the skin)
  • Irritability and depression
  • Body hair loss (women)
  • Sexual dysfunction (women)
  • Irregular menstrual cycle
  • Poor concentration
  • Weakness
  • Back or leg pain

Common Causes of Addison's Disease

Addison's disease can begin if someone taking steroids (for any condition) suddenly stops their medication. The disease usually occurs when the adrenal glands become damaged and cannot produce the hormones the body needs. Damage often happens due to an overactive immune system.


The disease may also begin because of inherited disorders, cancer, or other illnesses or infections. Tuberculosis was once a common cause of the condition and still contributes to cases in developing countries. In addition, genetics may play a role for some patients who develop Addison's.


Anyone can develop Addison's disease, and it affects both genders equally. Diagnosis happens most often in people aged 30-50, but patients exist in all age groups. Official estimates show about 40-60 million people in the United States may have the disease.

How the Medical Community Treats Addison's Disease

Medically replacing the hormones the adrenal glands fail to produce is the conventional medical treatment for Addison's disease. Doctors consider the medications a minimal risk for this purpose because they only introduce into the body the hormones that would usually be there naturally. However, an adjustment of dosing levels becomes necessary over time or during unique circumstances like pregnancy or illness.


Medical treatment does not cure the disease. Patients must take the prescriptions for life. Patients may need to keep injectable cortisone on hand and carry an emergency card as a precaution in case their condition worsens suddenly. Extreme stress, like an emotional loss or a medical emergency, could require the doctor to increase the prescription dosage.

How Addison's Disease Can Be Treated with Natural Remedies

See Your Local Holistic Practitioner. These can include muscle testers like Applied Kinesiologists and Nutrition Response Testers, many of whom are Chiropractors. You can also consider Functional and Integrative Medical Practitioners, many of whom are holistic doctors. Depending on your symptoms, trained Dietitians and Nutritionists can also be an option.


Adding whole food supplements to your treatment plan adjusts the imbalances in your body. Being under a professional's care will help eliminate trial and error, and wasted money spent on remedies that may not be appropriate for your exact illness. Most holistic practitioners offer a free consultation, so seeing two or three is an option. It would be wise to start here.

Homeopathic remedies help relieve the symptoms and find the cause of adrenal gland dysfunction. In addition, food allergies and intolerances may play a role if they trigger immune system reactions that lead to chronic inflammation. Discovering the foods to avoid can allow an adjustment to the diet for fewer reactions.


  • Balance the Immune System: Stabilizing immune response could allow the system to react normally, so damage to the adrenal gland stops. People can improve their diet, increase physical activity, and begin a supplement regimen that boosts immune function. Acupuncture can also play a role in encouraging a healthy immune system.


  • Ensure Body Communication: The adrenal glands cannot function as needed if they do not consistently receive signals from the nervous system. Pressure on nerve endings in the vertebrae could block communication to the glands located in the mid-back region. An alignment of the spine could help restore proper function to the nervous system and allow the glands to return to a healthy production level.


  • Develop Health Relaxation Techniques: Acupuncture, meditation, yoga, and massage are alternative health care methods. Alternative care treatments improve physical and emotional health. In addition, good mental health can boost the immune system.


The adrenal glands produce the stress hormone cortisol. Stressful situations can require elevated levels of cortisol in the body. When the adrenal gland does not release enough hormones, the body suffers. A relaxed body reduces the need for more cortisol and can lower the deficiency in the body. The methods cannot heal the glands or eliminate medication reliance but can potentially reduce the dosages needed.


Addison's disease is a condition that can have profound consequences if not medically treated and stabilized. Patients should not stop all medications when deciding to pursue alternative health treatments. Alternative healing does not work in an instant or a single session. Using homeopathic options is a lifestyle change that takes time to become effective. The methods work safely alongside traditional medical treatments to allow the body to improve naturally over time.

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