|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Is it Hard to Diagnose Cushing's Disease?

Cushing's disease or Cushing's syndrome is a condition that occurs when the body is exposed to cortisol, a hormone, for long periods of time. According to Mayo Clinic, this condition can be difficult to diagnose.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of Cushing's syndrome include weight gain, fatigue, facial flushing, slow healing, loss of emotional control, acne, more facial hair, erectile dysfunction, headache, bone loss, high blood pressure and irregular or missed menstrual cycles.

    Diagnosis

    • Diagnosing Cushing's syndrome is difficult as the symptoms are the same as other conditions. In order to properly diagnose this condition, doctors run a series of tests on the patient. Common tests for Cushing's syndrome include blood, urine, saliva, and imaging tests. These examinations will discover whether the body is producing too much cortisol.

    Time Frame

    • Diagnosing Cushing's disease may take several appointments with a physician. The tests for cortisol need to be administered several times in order to make a proper diagnosis.

    Complications

    • Although the examinations may be tedious and time-consuming, it is important to have this condition diagnosed in order to avoid possible complications. These include high blood pressure, kidney stones, diabetes, bone loss and frequent infections.

    Treatment

    • The primary treatment goal for Cushing's syndrome is to lower the amount of cortisol in the body. This may be done by lowering medications that contain the hormone, surgery or radiation if the condition is caused by a tumor, and medications.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles