Under dehydrated conditions, the cells may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular activities, whether they occur in skin cells, stomach cells, liver cells, kidney cells or heart cells.
In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands don't make enough of a hormone called cortisol, or less often, a related hormone called aldosterone. That's why doctors sometimes call the illness ''chronic adrenal insufficiency,'' or hypocortisolism.
By far the most common cause of Addisonâs disease is autoimmunity. This is known as autoimmune Addisonâs disease. Normally the bodyâs immune system attacks invading viruses and bacteria to defend the body.