What Is Cushing’s Syndrome
Cushing syndrome is also called hyper-cortisolism. Common symptoms such as fatty deposits around face and upper back and fat loss from arms and legs are indicated. This is a condition that occurs from exposure to high cortisol levels for a long time. It is a very common condition with more than 3 million US cases per year. Luckily, it is treatable by a medical professional through lab tests and/or imaging. The condition is chronic lasting for years or be lifelong. The most common cause is the use of steroid drugs, but it can also occur from overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Consult a doctor for medical advice.
Symptoms
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Easy bruising
- Hair loss
- Headache
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Muscular: muscle weakness or loss of muscle
- Pot belly
- Round face from gradual swelling
- Signs are a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks.
- Skin: abnormal pad of fat between the shoulder blades, acne, darkening of the skin, stretch marks, or thinning
- Swelling in extremities
- Weight gain
- Whole body: excess sweating, excessive hairiness, excessive hunger, fatigue, flushing, high blood pressure, or osteoporosis
Treatment
- Endocrinologist – treats metabolic and hormone disorders
- Pediatrician – provides medical care for infants, children, and teenagers
- Primary care provider (pcp) – prevents, diagnoses, and treats diseases
- Radiation
- Reducing steroid use
- Removal of steroid producing tumor
- Self-care
- Surgeon – performs operations to treat disease
- Transsphenoidal surgery
