Causes of Addison's Disease: An Overview
The cause of
Addison's disease is the destruction of the adrenal cortex. This destruction can occur for a number of reasons.
In about 70 percent of Addison's disease cases, the destruction of the adrenal cortex is caused by the body's own immune system (autoimmune disease). Normally, the immune system protects the body against infection and disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks some part of the body. In Addison's disease, the immune system attacks the adrenal cortex. Why the immune system attacks the adrenal cortex is unknown.
Other conditions that can attack the adrenal cortex and cause Addison's disease include:
As a results of the adrenal cortex being destroyed, in most cases, both cortisol and aldosterone hormones are lacking.
Addison's disease symptoms usually begin when at least 90 percent of the adrenal cortex has been destroyed.
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