Addison vs. Cushing: The One Lab That Changes Everything with Nurse Mike

Now, let's start with Addison's disease, AKA adrenal insufficiency.

What's actually happening here? So with Addison's disease, the adrenal cortex is not producing enough cortisol and aldosterone.

Remember? This leads to signs and symptoms like low blood sugar, low blood pressure, low sodium, high potassium, weight loss, and even weakness.

Some common causes are autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex, damage to the adrenal glands, or even pituitary failure, which causes low ACTH.

So for Addison symptoms, simply think everything is low and slow here.

So fatigue, weight loss from that slow metabolism, hypotension, that low blood pressure, hypoglycemia, that low sugar, muscle weakness, and even hyperpigmentation of the skin.

So this is a classic finding.

I'd be sure to write that one down.

Very tan skin.

Now, this one's interesting.

Salt cravings are common as well.

People with Addison's disease crave salt because they're losing so much sodium.

Now, here's the simple breakdown.

In Addison's, the adrenal cortex doesn't make enough aldosterone.

Aldosterone's job is to hold onto sodium, that salt, as well as water.

So without aldosterone, sodium is dumped into the urine.

Now, remember, water follows sodium, so this leads to dehydration and even low blood pressure.

The body senses low sodium, so the brain triggers a salt craving to try to fix it.

Now, what about labs? What will they look like for a patient with Addison's disease? Well, everything's gonna be low.

Low cortisol, low glucose, because remember, low cortisol will cause that low glucose.

We'll also see low sodium, but the weird one to write down is that we'll see high potassium, because remember, aldosterone normally dumps potassium and saves sodium.

If we have low ACTH, potassium will not be dumped and will be high.

So this high potassium, AKA hyperkalemia, is the most dangerous finding in Addison's disease because it directly affects the heart.

So remember the double Ps here.

P for potassium, it pumps the heart, so that makes it priority.

Now, let's start with Addison's disease, AKA adrenal insufficiency.

What's actually happening here? So with Addison's disease, the adrenal cortex is not producing enough cortisol and aldosterone.

Remember? This leads to signs and symptoms like low blood sugar, low blood pressure, low sodium, high potassium, weight loss, and even weakness.

Some common causes are autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex, damage to the adrenal glands, or even pituitary failure, which causes low ACTH.

So for Addison symptoms, simply think everything is low and slow here.

So fatigue, weight loss from that slow metabolism, hypotension, that low blood pressure, hypoglycemia, that low sugar, muscle weakness, and even hyperpigmentation of the skin.

So this is a classic finding.

I'd be sure to write that one down.

Very tan skin.

Now, this one's interesting.

Salt cravings are common as well.

People with Addison's disease crave salt because they're losing so much sodium.

Now, here's the simple breakdown.

In Addison's, the adrenal cortex doesn't make enough aldosterone.

Aldosterone's job is to hold onto sodium, that salt, as well as water.

So without aldosterone, sodium is dumped into the urine.

Now, remember, water follows sodium, so this leads to dehydration and even low blood pressure.

The body senses low sodium, so the brain triggers a salt craving to try to fix it.

Now, what about labs? What will they look like for a patient with Addison's disease? Well, everything's gonna be low.

Low cortisol, low glucose, because remember, low cortisol will cause that low glucose.

We'll also see low sodium, but the weird one to write down is that we'll see high potassium, because remember, aldosterone normally dumps potassium and saves sodium.

If we have low ACTH, potassium will not be dumped and will be high.

So this high potassium, AKA hyperkalemia, is the most dangerous finding in Addison's disease because it directly affects the heart.

So remember the double Ps here.

P for potassium, it pumps the heart, so that makes it priority.