It is the cause of around 8–9 out of 10 cases of Addison’s disease. This is where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues. The damage is usually due to an autoimmune reaction.

Examples of these hormones include cortisol, which helps control blood pressure, inflammation, and metabolism, while aldosterone balances minerals in the blood.īy limiting these hormones, adrenal insufficiency causes a wide range of symptoms, from weakness to low blood sugar levels.Īddison’s disease is the result of severe damage to the adrenal cortex, which surrounds the adrenal glands. The adrenal hormones influence many bodily functions.

Tertiary adrenal insufficiency: The hypothalamus in the brain, a region that influences hormone production in the adrenal glands, produces too little corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), leading to low hormone levels.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency: The brain’s pituitary gland does not produce enough adrenocorticotropic, a hormone that influences cortisol production in the adrenal glands.

Primary adrenal insufficiency, or Addison’s disease: Damage to the adrenal glands affects its production of hormones.

There are three types of adrenal insufficiency:

It leads to low levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that is important for many bodily functions. They produce vital hormones, including cortisol.Īdrenal insufficiency is when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of certain hormones. The adrenal glands are small glands positioned above the kidneys. Share on Pinterest fanjianhua/Getty Images

Addison's disease