Addison's disease

Causes of Addison's disease

Addison's disease develops when the outer layer of your adrenal glands ( your adrenal cortex) is damaged,reducing thelevels of hormones it produces.

Problems with the immune system

In the UK, a problem with the immune system is the most common cause of Addison's disease, accounting for 70-90% of cases.

Theimmune system is your bodys defence against infection and disease. If you're ill, your immune system produces antibodies (a special type of protein that destroys disease-carrying organisms and toxins). These antibodies attack the cause of the illness.

However, if you develop a problem with your immune system, it can start to attack your own healthy tissues and organs. This is known as an autoimmune disorder.

Addisons disease can develop if your immune system attacks your adrenal glands and severely damages your adrenal cortex. When 90% of the adrenal cortex is destroyed, your adrenal glands won't be able to produce enough of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone. Once levels of these start decreasing, you'll experience symptoms of Addisons disease .

It's not clear why some people develop this problem with their immune system, although it can run in families (see below).

Genetics

Research has shown that some people withcertain genesare more likely to develop autoimmune disorders.

It's not clear how these genes lead to Addison's disease and similar conditions, but it does mean your risk of developing Addison's disease is increased if you or a close family member have another autoimmune condition, such as:

Vitiligo a chronic (long-term) condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin
Type 1 diabetes a chronic condition caused by too much glucose in the blood
Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)

Other causes

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of Addison's disease worldwide, but is rare in the UK. TB is a bacterial infection that mostly affects the lungs, but can also spread to other parts of your body. It can cause Addisons disease if it damages your adrenal glands.

Other possible causes of Addisons disease include:

Infections such as those linked to AIDS , or fungal infections
A haemorrhage very heavy bleeding into the adrenal glands, sometimes associated with meningitis or other types of severe sepsis
Cancer if cancer cells from elsewhere in your body spread to your adrenal glands
Amyloidosis a disease where amyloid, a protein produced by your bone marrow cells, builds up in your adrenal glands and damages them
Surgical removal ofboth adrenal glands (adrenalectomy) for example, to remove a tumour
Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) a rare, life-limiting, inherited condition affecting the adrenal glands and nerve cells in the brain that most oftenaffects young boys
Certain treatments needed for Cushing's syndrome a collection of symptoms caused by very high levels of cortisol in the body

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 30 Nov 2016

Articles for addison's disease

Introduction

Addison's disease is a rare disease that occurs due to the abnormal function of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are endocrine glands situated above the kidneys (one for each). They are responsible for the production of the hormone aldosterone and cortisol. When the levels of the secretion of these hormones is lowered, the disease occurs.

Symptoms of Addison's disease

Symptoms include a general feeling of illness, nausea, anorexia, weight loss, frequent urination, muscular weakness. In advanced stages, other symptoms may arise such as a stomach ache, lack of motivation, vomiting, depression etc. In rare cases, the disease may begin with very severe symptoms, and in this case, an adrenal crisis is occuring.

Causes of Addison's disease

Addison's disease occurs when your adrenal cortex is damaged, reducing the levels of hormones it produces. Adrenal disease occurs when the cortex of the adrenal glands suffers damage. Due to this the production of hormones is reduced. In the majority of cases, this condition occurs due to a malfunction of the immune system.

Diagnosing Addison's disease

The diagnosis of Addison's is made under hospital conditions. The patient is carefully examined for hyperpigmentation marks (brown marks) in the palm of the hand, elbow, lips and gums. The patient may exhibit orthostatic hypertenstion (a lowering of the arterial pressure when the patient stands up immediately from lying down).