Addison's disease

noun

Ad·​di·​son's disease ˈa-də-sənz- How to pronounce Addison's disease (audio)
: a destructive disease marked by deficient adrenocortical secretion and characterized by extreme weakness, loss of weight, low blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbances, and brownish pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes

Examples of Addison's disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Injuries, certain medications, infections, skin conditions, and endocrine disorders like Addison's disease or hyperthyroidism can also cause a black line on one or more of your nails. Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Oct. 2024 Steroid use and misuse can cause fluctuations in hormones—for example, higher testosterone due to anabolic steroids or Addison's disease (when the adrenal glands don't produce enough hormones like cortisol and aldosterone) due to glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisone). Wendy Wisner, Health, 12 Sep. 2024 Vitiligo is also sometimes associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, alopecia areata, systemic lupus erythematosus, and celiac disease. Emily Kirkpatrick, Peoplemag, 25 May 2023 The cub's father, Nam Pang, died of Addison's disease a month before the cub was born, The Guardian reported. Giovana Gelhoren, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Addison's disease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

after Thomas Addison †1860 English physician

First Known Use

circa 1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Addison's disease was circa 1856

Dictionary Entries Near Addison's disease

Cite this Entry

“Addison's disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Addison%27s%20disease. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

Addison's disease

noun
: a rare disease marked by deficient secretion of adrenocortical hormones (such as cortisol) that is characterized by fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, low blood pressure, irritability or depression, and brownish pigmentation of the skin and is caused by progressive destruction of the adrenal glands (as by an autoimmune response or infection)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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