23-year-old girl in Hanoi suffers from adrenal insufficiency due to using nasal spray this way

Recently, Dr. Nguyen Quang Bay - Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Bach Mai Hospital shared about the case of a 23-year-old girl (in Hanoi) who was hospitalized due to abusing nasal spray containing corticosteroids.

It is known that recently, the patient has shown signs of weight gain, a round face, a bulging belly, and red stretch marks on the thighs and abdomen. Her body is always in a state of fatigue, so her mother took her to the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Bach Mai Hospital for examination.

The girl's legs appeared red stretch marks after taking the medicine.

Here, doctors concluded that the patient had adrenal insufficiency due to long-term abuse of corticosteroid-containing drugs.

Taking a medical history, the girl said she had had rhinitis for a long time. Whenever her nose was stuffy, she used nasal spray, on average 3-4 times a day.

After examining the ingredients of the nasal spray the patient brought, the doctor discovered that it contained Dexamethasone, a very strong corticosteroid. If used for a long time, it can easily cause many complications such as adrenal insufficiency, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stomach ulcers, mental disorders... In this girl's case, the drug also caused dwarfism and premature aging.

After listening to the doctor's analysis, the girl's mother confessed that she also regularly used this nasal spray.

What is adrenal insufficiency?

The adrenal glands are small, triangular-shaped endocrine glands located on top of both kidneys. Adrenal insufficiency is a rare disorder that can be caused by disease of the adrenal glands (primary adrenal insufficiency - Addison's disease) or by diseases of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, or by long-term use of corticosteroids (secondary adrenal insufficiency).

Adrenal insufficiency is very dangerous. If not treated promptly, the patient will suffer from acute adrenal insufficiency with symptoms such as shock, convulsions, coma, and even death. Therefore, early detection of adrenal insufficiency plays a very important role, helping patients to receive timely treatment, maintain health, and improve quality of life.

Adrenal insufficiency is common in patients taking long-term corticosteroids.

Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency

There are many symptoms to diagnose patients with adrenal insufficiency, usually the following symptoms:

- Body feels tired, loss of appetite, very weak;

- Mental disorders, frequent dizziness, nausea, vomiting;

- Frequent fevers affect daily life and health;

- Sudden pain in the back or lower leg;

- Very low blood pressure, high heart rate;

- Feeling sweaty, cold body;

When having any of the above signs and symptoms, you need to quickly go to a medical facility for an accurate diagnosis of the disease and condition in order to have timely treatment to avoid unfortunate complications.

How to prevent adrenal insufficiency

Doctors recommend that patients should not use corticosteroids on their own. Illustrative photo

Adrenal insufficiency is common in Vietnam due to long-term use of corticosteroids, often seen in patients with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis...

Doctors recommend that patients should not use corticosteroids on their own or that while treating asthma or rheumatoid arthritis, they should see an Endocrinologist - Diabetes specialist to control the condition and prevent adrenal insufficiency.

In cases where long-term use of corticosteroids is required, patients need to have regular check-ups according to the doctor's appointment or whenever they see unusual symptoms in their body to have their medication and treatment regimen adjusted accordingly.

Caring for people with adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency causes low hormone levels. Therefore, patients need to provide a diet rich in sodium to help the body function more effectively. A diet rich in salt is often recommended by doctors for patients with adrenal insufficiency.

In addition, the use of many corticosteroids in treatment can easily lead to side effects such as osteoporosis. Therefore, patients should supplement with foods rich in calcium and vitamin D to help strengthen bones.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/co-gai-23-tuoi-o-ha-noi-bi-suy-tuyen-thuong-than-vi-dung-thuoc-xit-mui-theo-cach-nay-172240602102301754.htm