Addison’s Disease is a chronic condition of the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. The rare condition causes the glands to limit production of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone, which control the functions of various tissues. Addison’s is an autoimmune disease and must be treated with a lifetime of medication.

Thomas Addison was the researcher who first identified the disease that now bears his name. He was working at Guy’s Hospital in London when he began examining the symptoms, which were believed to be a result of tuberculosis at the time. He realized that he was dealing with something that was unique and not merely a symptom of the other disease.

While Addison’s is a side effect of tuberculosis, particularly in Third World countries, AIDS is now fast coming up as the most frequent cause of the disease, particularly in less affluent nations.

In the United States, the frequency of Addison’s is blamed on what’s called “destructive atrophy,” in which the immune system begins to attack vital organs like the adrenal glands. This accounts for approximately 70 percent of all cases and affects men and women equally.

The Effects of Addison's Disease

Autoimmune diseases are still somewhat unknown territory for researchers, so there is currently no known cause for Addison’s Disease. Researchers believe it can manifest if the adrenal glands are injured or infected, bleeding, sustain an abnormal buildup of proteins, and potentially by invasion of cancer cells that have migrated from elsewhere in the body. Genetics play a role as well.