Cushing’s Syndrome

Cushing's Syndrome happens when the body gets too much cortisol, a hormone made by the adrenal glands. Cortisol is essential for controlling metabolism, the immune system, and how the body adapts to stress. But if levels stay too high for too long, either because of medication or something inside the body, it can mess up a lot of systems.

Rapid weight gain, especially around the stomach, face, and upper back, is one of the most well-known indications. People commonly call this "moon face" or "buffalo hump.". Other signs are thinner skin, easy bruising, purple stretch marks, muscle weakness, tiredness, and mood swings, including anger or despair. Women may have irregular periods, and men may have trouble getting pregnant.
Taking corticosteroid drugs for a long time to treat asthma or arthritis can lead to Cushing's Syndrome. Cushing's disease, which is caused by tumours in the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, or other parts of the body, can also cause the body to make too much cortisol.

To find out if someone has a problem, doctors may do blood and urine tests to check cortisol levels, imaging testing, and sometimes specific suppression tests. Depending on the cause, treatment can include changing medications, surgery, or radiation. To avoid problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, it is very important to find and treat them early.