What is Cushing’s Syndrome?
Do you know that your body weight and structure can tamper with your health and wellness? Peeking in the mirror and recognizing that you are beginning to develop a hump just behind your neck will give you several nightmares. It will make you rush down to the internet for tips on how to get rid of it as soon as possible, with hundreds of thousands of tips on how to prevent it from relapsing.
It may absorb you to know that not only does this sudden body change affect your body structure, it can also affect your health, reduce the quality of your life and place you in severe discomfort. This is one of the major characteristics of Cushing syndrome. Although it is a rare condition in Nigeria, it has been recorded that it affects less than 100 people in Nigeria. However, worldwide, a whopping 15 million people suffer from this health condition yearly.
Cushing syndrome is a hormonal condition. It is characterized by an abnormally high level of cortisol level in the body. This could be as a result of the body producing excessive amounts of cortisol or you consuming corticosteroid medications. Either way, when the cortisol level in the body becomes excess, Cushing syndrome may set in.
At this point, you may start to detect funny symptoms like stretch marks, swollen face, and a hump just in-between your shoulders at the back. These symptoms are enough to make you worried. Not only will they make you look like the “hunch back man of Notre Dame, but” they can also make you develop severe health conditions like diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, and can also compel your blood pressure to rise abnormally.
Fact About Cushing Syndrome
Cushing syndrome is also known as hypercortisolism. It occurs when the adrenal glands secrete more cortisol amounts into the body than normal. The adrenal glands, which are located just right on top of the kidneys, the pituitary gland located in the brain, and the hypothalamus located in the brain as well perform very essential functions in the body.
Some of the functions of these glands in the body include; the regulation of the pressure with which the heart pumps blood, reduction of inflammation risks in any part of the body, forming of memories, regulating the level of salt in the body to prevent hypertension, regulation of the dose of sugar in the blood and converts consumed foods into energy. When these glands become faulty and secrete lesser than normal or more than normal of the required amount of cortisol hormone in the body, problems may begin to occur within the body.
There will be a case of poor regulation of blood pressure, which can expose you to dangerously high blood pressure. Also, you may develop diabetes, as your sugar levels are no longer regulated and maintained. You may also begin to notice inflammations of all kinds in different parts of your body while your body is unable to convert food properly into energy, thus leaving you sick, weak, and always fatigued.
Symptoms of Cushing Syndrome
Stretch marks on some portions of the body like the arms, breasts, stomach, and thighs. Although not everyone who has stretch marks has Cushing syndrome. However, to narrow the detection and diagnosis down, look out for purple stretch marks. If this is present, the individual has Cushing syndrome.
Skin conditions that involve the delayed healing of wounds
One of the first, most obvious, and most worrisome symptoms is the additional deposition of fat in the face and behind the neck that causes the individual to have a moon-shaped face and a humped back like a buffalo’s.
- Unexplainable weight gain
- Sensitive skin that may get bruised severely upon any slight injury
- Muscle spasm and weakness
- Constant fatigue
Some of the other circumstances that are common among Cushing syndrome patients include;
- Osteoporosis
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Anxiety and depression
- Increased urination
- Headache
- Higher risks of infection, especially skin infections or infections through skin injuries.
Risk Factors of Cushing Syndrome
Who Is at Risk of Cushing Syndrome?
Anybody can develop Cushing syndrome, ranging from children to adults, male to female, old to young. However, age, sex, and medications are the most common risk factors of Cushing syndrome. Research is still ongoing as to whether or not genetics or family history can be a risk factor for Cushing syndrome.
The following are people who are likely to suffer from the condition the most;
People who are affected the most are those between the ages of 25 to 50 years.
Asthma and arthritis patients who are one corticosteroid medications
Women aged 25 to 50 have a higher chance of developing this health condition than men within the same age bracket. Research has shown that women have up to 70% higher chance of developing Cushing syndrome than men. In other words, in every 10 Cushing syndrome patients, 7 of them are women, while 3 of them are men.
Complications of Cushing Syndrome
Leaving Cushing syndrome untreated for a long time can lead to many severe health conditions, including diabetes, poor cognition, and high blood pressure. Research has also demonstrated that an individual can die from Cushing syndrome. That is, Cushing syndrome can be life-threatening if you leave it untreated. Loss of bone mineral density and muscle mass can also be a result of a complicated Cushing syndrome. Here, the bones become too weak and have higher chances of breaking upon any slight pressure.
Causes of Cushing Syndrome
The following can cause Cushing syndrome.
Pituitary Tumor
Since the pituitary gland plays a role in the process of the secretion of cortisol, damage to this gland that causes it to malfunction may lead to Cushing syndrome. This gland secretes hormones that dictate to the adrenal when to secrete the cortisol hormone. The pituitary tumor then tells the adrenals to secrete more cortisol than the body needs. When this occurs, the body responds by showing symptoms of Cushing syndrome. According to research, up to 10 out of 50 cases of Cushing syndrome are a result of a pituitary tumor.
Adrenal Tumor
The adrenal gland is the major secretor of the cortisol hormone. When tumors begin to grow on this gland, it confuses the gland into producing more of the cortisol hormone than normal. With this, the level of cortisol hormone becomes high, and symptoms of Cushing syndrome may begin to manifest.
Although these tumors are usually non-cancerous. However, getting them checked and engaging in procedures that can eliminate them can help improve Cushing syndrome symptoms.
Lung Tumor
According to research, lung tumors can also be a factor that can trigger this condition. It causes up to 50% of the total percentage of Cushing syndrome cases. Sometimes, these tumors can be cancerous, but in most cases, they may be non-cancerous. Be it the former or the latter, you should go to the hospital for a proper diagnosis.
This is because more complications can set in when the tumors are cancerous, as you may suffer from both cancer and Cushing syndrome, both of which are extremely life-threatening.
Family History
Although more investigation is needed to validate this claim. However, another factor that can cause Cushing syndrome is hereditary. This is because endocrine tumors are hereditary, and these tumors can trigger high cortisol production in the body.
Thus, you may not develop Cushing syndrome directly from your direct family member but indirectly through endocrine tumors, which you got hereditarily. In other words, if you have a clan chronology of endocrine tumors, then you are most likely to suffer from Cushing syndrome.
Cushing Disease
It is important to understand that Cushing’s syndrome is different from Cushing’s disease. However, Cushing’s disease is a huge factor that can cause Cushing syndrome. Cushing disease occurs when the pituitary gland secretes ACTH that gets converted into cortisol.
When this happens in the body, Cushing syndrome symptoms and even the disease symptoms begin to surface. Studies have also shown that just like the Cushing syndrome, Cushing disease also affects more women than men.
Conclusion
Cushing syndrome is a hormonal condition that causes the body to change in structure. This health condition can also expose its victims to more severe health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. If you notice any symptoms of Cushing syndrome, you should report them to your doctor immediately.
