Secondary adrenal insufficiency: This develops when the pituitary gland in your brain fails to produce enough adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which is responsible for stimulating the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. In the United States, it’s most commonly caused by immune system malfunction, but other possible causes include infection and cancer. Primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease): A condition resulting from damage to the adrenal cortex, preventing the adrenal glands from properly functioning and leading to decreased cortisol production. Note that this test does not diagnose adrenal insufficiency.Īdrenal insufficiency, also referred to as hypocortisolism or Addison’s disease, is a condition where the adrenal glands fail to produce enough cortisol to perform important functions in your body-such as managing the stress response and playing a role in metabolism, immune function, and inflammatory processes.Īdrenal insufficiency is broken down into 3 categories, described below. See how your cortisol levels change throughout the day and whether they may be too high or too low with the easy-to-use, at-home Sleep & Stress Test. To better describe how adrenal insufficiency can impact one’s well-being, let’s first dig into what adrenal insufficiency is and the adrenal insufficiency symptoms that can develop-so keep reading. When your body doesn’t produce enough cortisol, the hormone responsible for your stress response and other important functions, you may experience symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency (or hypocortisolism). To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields. Medically reviewed by Neka Miller, PhD on January 12, 2020.

Adrenal problems symptoms