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.
Addison's Disease: The fact sheet Addison's disease is a severe or total deficiency of the hormones made in the adrenal cortex, caused by the destruction of the adrenal cortex. It is basically a hormonal disorder that occurs in all age groups and afflicts men and women equally.