It was fortunate that I was able to turn a personal visit to Brisbane recently into an opportunity to attend and present at an Addison’s Disease Awareness Month event on Sunday morning.
The information session
was well-attended by people who live with Addison’s Disease, as well as nurses,
paramedics and trainees who were all interested in learning more about the rare
and progressive disease that affects both men and women.
I was surprised to hear
that diagnosis of Addison’s Disease is still an issue for some, as it was back
when I was nursing quite some years ago. Perhaps it’s because the symptoms can
be very non-specific and are often not easily detected.
A quick online search shows
between one and six people per 100,000 population have Addison’s Disease, with
symptoms including general lethargy, weight loss and dizziness when standing. Some
also notice a change in skin colouring or salt cravings.
While vague symptoms can
go some way to explaining why the disease can sometimes be missed by treating
clinicians, one important symptom is a drop in postural blood pressure. That
got me thinking; how many of us have gone to our doctor and had our blood
pressure taken sitting down? For someone with untreated Addison’s Disease,
there can be a significant drop in blood pressure from a sitting to standing
position – so severe that it can lead to fainting. A simple check of the blood
pressure on standing could be one step closer to achieving an accurate and
timely diagnosis.
It was great to see that
a number of people attending the event were MedicAlert members, because an
Addisonian crisis (with symptoms such as extreme weakness,
a serious drop in blood pressure and mental confusion) can be life-threatening.
I
was also impressed with comments from a nurse and a paramedic in the audience who
described our distinctive MedicAlert emblem as “gold” for healthcare
professionals in an emergency situation.
We
know the medical information engraved on the emblem can make a significant
difference to treatment outcomes. For those with Addison’s disease it can
quickly offer first responders information about the condition and flag the
need for emergency intervention.
For
more information about Addison’s Disease Awareness Month, visit www.addison’s.org.au
Sandra Turner
