I’ve written several articles recently on Cushing’s disease and the difference between it and Cushing’s syndrome—which I felt compelled to do because, I admit, in my own naivety, perhaps like many other people, I didn’t realize there was a difference.
My bad, so that’s why I’m doing all I can to help anyone who’s struggling to get a proper diagnosis—because I also learned that doctors don’t always get it right, either. They misdiagnose patients all too frequently with classic obesity or even diabetes.
So just for the record, I checked out an article on RareDiseaseReport.com about the disease and found it enlightening as it provides a basic background on the disease.
ABC’s of Cushing’s
In my research, I found a few other symptoms that I didn’t realize were also fairly common. In addition to obesity with a classic “moon face”—a significant amount of fat deposits around the cheeks, jaw, and under the chin—and the buffalo lump on the back between the shoulders, here are more symptoms:
- Weak muscles
- Flushing
- Acne
- High blood pressure
- Tiredness
- Significant excess hair growth
- Headache
The primary cause of Cushing’s disease is a tumor lodged on the pituitary gland which in turn overly stimulates the adrenal gland. This causes high levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood. Cushing’s is considered a rare disease and affects less than approximately 15 people per million.
Keep in mind that the disease is a type of Cushing’s syndrome, a cluster of conditions which present with increased cortisol levels.
Treatment including surgery can be successful, although there are significant risks involved.
