Addison's Disease

Addison's disease is a hormonal or endocrine disorder that occurs when your body produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones produced by your adrenal glands. In Addison's disease, your adrenal glands produce too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone.

Your adrenal glands are located just above your kidneys. The outside layer of these glands makes hormones that help your body respond to stress and regulate your blood pressure, metabolism, and water and salt balance. Addison’s disease usually occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own tissues, damaging your adrenal glands. Other causes include infections and cancer.

Addison’s disease is also called primary adrenal insufficiency. This condition occurs in all age groups and affects both sexes. Addison's disease can be life-threatening if not treated properly.

Treatment for Addison's disease involves taking hormones to replace the insufficient amounts being made by your adrenal glands, in order to mimic the beneficial effects produced by your naturally made hormones.

A problem with your immune system usually causes Addison’s disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks your own tissues and damages your adrenal glands. Other causes include infections and cancer.

The adrenal glands are small hormone-releasing organs located on top of each kidney. They have an outer portion, called the cortex, and an inner portion, called the medulla. The cortex produces glucocorticoid hormones such as cortisol that maintain glucose control, decrease immune response, and help the body respond to stress; mineralocorticoid hormones such as aldosterone that regulate sodium and potassium balance; and sex hormones (male androgens and female estrogens) that affect sexual development and sex drive. These hormones give instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in your body.

Addison’s disease results from damage to the adrenal cortex. The damage causes the cortex to produce insufficient levels of hormones.

This damage may occur when

• the immune system mistakenly attacking the adrenal glands (autoimmune disease)
• you get an infections such as tuberculosis, HIV, or fungal infections
• bleeding occurs into the adrenal glands
• a tumor is present

Risk factors for Addison disease include other autoimmune diseases such as:

• chronic thyroiditis
• dermatis herpetiformis
• Graves' disease
• hypoparathyroidism
• hypopituitarism
• myasthenia gravis
• pernicious anemia
• testicular dysfunction
• type I diabetes
• vitiligo

Certain rare genetic defects may also cause adrenal insufficiency.

See your doctor for ongoing fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, darkening of the skin, or dizziness when standing. Seek emergency care for sudden severe weakness, vomiting, confusion, or fainting, which can signal a life-threatening adrenal crisis.