Addison's Disease: Causes

What causes Addison’s disease?

Addison’s disease is caused by damage, destruction or malfunction of the adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands are located just above your kidneys and are responsible for producing various hormones. These hormones are responsible for regulating your body’s stress response, energy needs, immune function, salt and water balance, and sexual development. When your adrenal glands are damaged or destroyed, your body no longer has enough of these hormones and adverse symptoms occur.

Autoimmune causes of Addison’s disease

In most cases, Addison’s disease is caused by an autoimmune disorder or the gradual destruction of your adrenal glands by your body’s immune system. Autoimmune disorders occur when your body’s immune system makes antibodies that attack your own organs and tissues as if they were foreign invaders.

Infectious causes of Addison’s disease

Addison’s disease may arise from infectious diseases, such as:

• Chronic fungal infections

• HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

• Tuberculosis

Other causes of Addison’s disease

Various other causes of Addison’s disease include:

• Amyloidosis (rare immune-related disorder characterized by protein buildup in organs and tissues that can cause serious complications)

• Bleeding or hemorrhage of the adrenal glands

• Genetic defects

• Surgical removal of the adrenal glands and certain other endocrine glands such as the pituitary gland

• Tumor or adrenal cancer

• Use of certain drugs, such as anticoagulants (blood thinners), ketoconazole (Nizoral), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), phenytoin (Dilantin), etomidate (Amidate), and barbiturates

What are the risk factors for Addison’s disease?

Certain autoimmune disorders, genetic defects, and conditions are thought to increase your chances of developing the autoimmune form of Addison’s disease. These include:

• Chronic thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease (inflammation of the thyroid gland)

• Dermatitis herpetiformis (chronic, itchy rash)

• Family history of Addison’s disease caused by an autoimmune disease

• Grave’s disease (type of hyperthyroidism resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production)

• Hypoparathyroidism (underactive parathyroid gland) or hypopituitarism (underactive pituitary gland)

• Myasthenia gravis (autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness)

• Pernicious anemia (decrease in red blood cells due to poor vitamin B₁₂ absorption)

• Psychological or physical stress, such as injury, illness, infection, or major surgery, especially if you have been taking steroid medications for a long time

• Testicular dysfunction

• Type 1 diabetes (chronic condition where the pancreas produces too little or no insulin so your body cannot properly process sugar)

• Vitiligo (autoimmune skin disorder that causes white patchy areas of skin)