Which are the causes of Addison Disease?

Although the original definition of Addison's disease described the failure of the adrenals, some in the medical field also refer to pituitary failure to stimulate cortisol as Addison's. To clear up confusion, many medical organizations are now using the terms Primary Adrenal Insufficiency to describe cortisol deficiency from direct failures of the adrenal glands, and Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency to describe cortisol deficiency from an indirect failure of the pituitary to signal cortisol by the adrenal glands. Primary causes include autoimmune destruction, damage from diseases such as TB, hemorrhaging of adrenals, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, as well as adrenalectomy surgery to remedy Cushing's disease. Secondary causes include pituitary tumors, empty sella syndrome, Sheehan's syndrome and long term steroid use for conditions such as asthma. Sometimes the cause of secondary A.I. cannot be determined.

Stress / shock is the main cause I think

Autoimmune disease, virus, inhaled steroids. Tumors of the adrenals

Other autoimmune diseases can have an impact, changes in hormones, foods, truauma

-A person may have a dysfunction of the adrenal glands causing too little production of cortisol

- There are many more secondary causes; some include issues of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, causing a breakdown in the HPA axis and thus not allowing the adrenals to be signalled into producing cortisol correctly. Others include tumours of the adnerals or pituitary.

Addison's disease results when your adrenal glands are damaged, producing insufficient amounts of the hormone cortisol and often aldosterone as well. These glands are located just above your kidneys. As part of your endocrine system, they produce hormones that give instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in your body.

Your adrenal glands are composed of two sections. The interior (medulla) produces adrenaline-like hormones. The outer layer (cortex) produces a group of hormones called corticosteroids, which include glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids and male sex hormones (androgens).

Some of the hormones the cortex produces are essential for life — the glucocorticoids and the mineralocorticoids.

Glucocorticoids. These hormones, which include cortisol, influence your body's ability to convert food fuels into energy, play a role in your immune system's inflammatory response and help your body respond to stress.
Mineralocorticoids. These hormones, which include aldosterone, maintain your body's balance of sodium and potassium to keep your blood pressure normal.
Androgens. These male sex hormones are produced in small amounts by the adrenal glands in both men and women. They cause sexual development in men, and influence muscle mass, libido and a sense of well-being in both men and women.

The majority of the causes are Autoimmune. The the autoimmune disease arises because of the inheritance of specific HLA genes.

The minority can arise due to tuberculosis.