MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Overview. Addison’s disease, also called adrenal insufficiency, is an uncommon illness that occurs when the body doesn’t make enough of certain hormones. In Addison’s disease, the adrenal glands make too little cortisol and, often, too little of another hormone, aldosterone.

Detailed explanation-2: -Addison’s disease occurs due to failure of the adrenal glands to produce sufficient amounts of the hormones, cortisol and aldosterone. Hormones are chemicals produced by glands that control and regulate certain activities of cells or organs of the body.

Detailed explanation-3: -Destruction or dysfunction of the adrenal cortex mainly causes glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiency. Primary adrenal insufficiency is also known as autoimmune adrenalitis or Addison disease.

Detailed explanation-4: -Adrenal insufficiency happens when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and sometimes aldosterone. The production decreases when the adrenal cortex (the glands’ outer layer) is destroyed. This occurs most often when you have an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack the glands.

Detailed explanation-5: -Damage to the adrenal glands in Addison’s disease is usually caused by autoimmune disease-when your immune system attacks your body’s own cells and organs. In developed countries, autoimmune disease causes 8 or 9 of every 10 cases of Addison’s disease. Certain infections can also cause Addison’s disease.