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Signs & Symptoms of Cushing's Disease

When the body is exposed to elevated levels of cortisol over an extended period, Cushing's syndrome can develop. Cushing's syndrome is also called hypercortisolism. The high levels of cortisol can come from certain medication or it can be a result of the body producing an excess of cortisol.

  1. Common Signs

    • Too much cortisol produces some very common signs that Cushing's is likely. These include a rounded face, a bump that grows between the shoulders and dark stretch marks developing all over the skin. Likely, if a person has Cushing's, he will also have high blood pressure, possibly diabetes and could suffer from some bone loss.

    Symptoms

    • There are common symptoms that are usually present with Cushing's, such as tiredness and fatigue, weakness in the muscles, flushing of the face, weight gain primarily around the waist and upper back, bruising easily, slow to heal, excessive body hair, depression and anxiety, acne, loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and chronic headaches.

    Common Misdiagnoses

    • The signs and symptoms of Cushing's disease can look like many other disorders and diseases. Cushing's disease causes severe bouts of depression, so it is quite common for a doctor to overlook the other symptoms and just diagnose the patient with depression. However, it is also possible to misdiagnose Cushing's with schizophrenia because Cushing's often causes delusions and paranoia.

    Cortisol

    • Cushing's syndrome is an uncommon hormonal disorder. Caused by excessive levels of cortisol, those that are exposed to high cortisol should be checked for Cushing's regularly. Cortisol is a necessary hormone that is naturally produced by the adrenal glands. It assists the body in handling stress from sickness, surgery and disease. It is also responsible for maintaining blood pressure; it controls the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It also helps cardiovascular function.

    Tumors

    • More than half of Cushing's patients are diagnosed because they have non-cancerous tumors in the pituitary gland that produce excessive amounts of cortisol. Tumors that are present in the adrenal glands or lungs could also be the cause of Cushing's. More women than men will develop Cushing's, and it is most common in people 20 to 50 years old.

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