CUSHING’S SYNDROME: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND TREATMENTS
Cushing’s syndrome is also called as hypercortisolism. It is a disorder that occur when your body is exposed to high level of cortisol hormones. Cortisol is the stress hormone that plays a major role with brain to control your mood, fear and motivation. The adrenal glands are known to produce cortisol. Cortisol also helps in:
Regulating blood pressure
Managing your body’s use of fats, carbohydrates and proteins
Keeps inflammations under control
Increases blood sugar
Converts food you consume to energy
Helps to handle stress and restore balance by boosting energy
Also manages the circadian rhythm or sleep/wake cycle
WHAT CAUSES CUSHINGS’S SYNDROME?
Corticosteroid medications: One of the common causes of Cushing’s syndrome is glucocorticoid which is commonly known as corticosteroid or prednisone. These are mainly prescription steroids that are given for patients with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus or after any organ transplantation. Corticosteroids are strong anti-inflammatory medications which when taken for too long, can lead to Cushing’s syndrome.
Steroid injections and steroid creams: repeats shots of steroid injection for back pain, joint pain and bursitis can also cause Cushing’s syndrome. And also some of the steroid skin creams that are used to treat eczema can rarely cause the syndrome. Best medicine app Delhi provides the details of all the medicines online so that patients are informed about the nature of the medicines.
Tumor in pituitary gland or adrenal gland: This can prompt your body to produce too much cortisol hormone which can lead to Cushing’s syndrome
ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) producing tumor: These are ACTH secreting tumors that usually occur in organs other than pituitary gland and adrenal glands. These are usually found in pancreas, lungs, thyroid or thymus gland.
Other causes: Other factors that may cause high levels of cortisol leading to Cushing’s syndrome are – increased stress level due to any illness, surgery, pregnancy etc; malnutrition, alcoholism, athletic training, panic disorders or depression.
CUSHING’S SYNDROME SYMPTOMS
Some of the common symptoms of the syndrome are:
Increase in weight and deposits of fatty tissues especially around the midsection, upper back, in the face and the between the shoulder known to be as buffalo hump.
Skin becoming fragile and prone to bruises
Pink or purple stretch marks on the skin in areas like abdomen, breasts, thighs and arms.
Slow healing of cuts, wounds, infections and insect bites.
Occurrence of acne
Weak muscles
Severe fatigue
Anxiety and depression
Inability to control emotions
Hike in blood pressure
Headache
Skin pigmentations
Reduced bone strength
Impaired growth in children
Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome associated with women:
Extra and thick facial hair and body hair
Irregular menstrual cycle or absence of menstrual periods
Symptoms experienced by men with Cushing’ syndrome:
Erectile dysfunction
Loss of sexual interest
Decreased fertility
TREATMENT FOR CUSHING’S SYNDROME
Treatments for Cushing’s syndrome are focused on reducing the level of cortisol in the body. Some of the treatments adopted are:
Reduced use of corticosteroid
As corticosteroid medications for a long term can develop Cushing’s syndrome, reducing the dosage of the drugs can reduce the symptoms too. Otherwise your doctor can replace certain corticosteroids with non-corticosteroid drugs which will help to eliminate the side effect causing the syndrome. This has to be only done as per your doctor’s recommendation and no medicines should be discontinued abruptly as might lead to a deficit of cortisol hormones.
Surgery
If the person is having Cushing’s syndrome due to any tumor in pituitary or adrenal glands; then doctors may recommend a surgery to remove the tumor which is the reason for overproduction of cortisol. Pituitary tumors surgeries are carried out by neurosurgeons. In most cases, the patient might need to take cortisol replacement medications after the surgery. You can buy prescription drugs online in Delhi.
Medications
Doctors usually suggest drug therapy and other medications before moving to surgery. Some of the medications that are recommended to control excessive production of cortisol in the adrenal gland are: - ketoconazole, metyrapone and mitotane. For people with type 2 diabetes or glucose intolerance, medications like Mifepristone are provided. One of the newest medications for Cushing’s syndrome is pasireotide that decreases ACTH productions.
The bottom line
Recovery from Cushing’s syndrome depends upon the causes and severity of the condition. In the meantime you can follow certain tips to bring back your health. To reduce the extra weight, you can resort to regular exercise. Ensure that you are not in a hurry; be persistent and slow increase your activities. Along with that have a healthy diet and monitor your health throughout. Also manage to take medicines properly at time. All medicines and healthcare products are available at drugstore online Delhi, India.