By now, you might be well aware of what dopamine, serotonin, and even cortisol do to your body and mind. In small waves, these hormones can have positive impacts, even cortisol (the stress hormone), but what happens when you overproduce these chemicals, especially cortisol? Well, that’s when Cushing’s syndrome comes in.
When your body overproduces cortisol, your body acts out of sync. You gain weight abruptly, you feel fatigued, and you even see changes in your skin. Having too much cortisol can be a sign of a disorder named Cushing’s syndrome.
Now, I know this. Cortisol isn’t in the wrong here. This hormone helps us balance stress and even regulate our metabolism. However, when there’s an overproduction of cortisol for some time, things can begin to go sideways.
In this post, we’re looking at what causes Cushing’s syndrome, what its signs are, and how you can cope with it.
What is Cushing’s Syndrome?
Cushing’s syndrome occurs when your body has too much cortisol. Cortisol is our stress hormone and can act as our body’s natural alarm system. This hormone can help us manage stress and blood sugar and even reduce inflammation. However, just like other things, having too much of this hormone in your system can throw your body and mind into disarray.
To learn how to control stress levels and deal with Cushing’s syndrome symptoms, let’s first take a look at what causes this disorder.
What Causes Cushing’s Syndrome?
Some common reasons your body might have excess cortisol can include:
Glucocorticoid Medications
Some steroids, such as glucocorticoid, can be prescribed for conditions such as asthma, arthritis, or lupus. While these meds can help, taking them for a long time can cause Cushing’s syndrome.
Tumors
Another cause of Cushing’s syndrome could be a pituitary gland tumor or an ectopic tumor. If these tumors are present, then your adrenal glands can release too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), leading to Cushing’s syndrome.
Now, let’s look at what could be Cushing’s syndrome symptoms.
The Common Symptoms of Cushing’s Syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome symptoms can differ from person to person, so here are some common Cushing’s syndrome signs to look for:
- Abrupt weight gain, especially in the midsection and upper back.
- Having a moon face or a rounded and puffier face.
- Developing purple or pink stretch marks on the abdomen, thighs, and breasts.
- Getting bruised easily.
- Losing muscle strength in the shoulders and hips.
- Having signs of high blood pressure, even hypertension.
- Feeling sudden mood swings.
- Feeling more depressed, anxious, or irritable than usual.
- Feeling bones weaken increases the risk of fracture.
- Women can experience menstrual issues.
- Men can experience lower libido levels and erectile dysfunction.
Cushing’s Syndrome and Its Diagnosis
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome, then you can reach out to a professional for a diagnosis. Cushing’s syndrome diagnosis might include some blood and urine tests to check cortisol levels. Other ways to diagnose Cushing’s syndrome can include a saliva test.
Other than that, CT scans and MRI scans can also help identify causes such as tumors or any adrenal gland abnormality to diagnose one with Cushing’s syndrome.
How to Treat Cushing’s Syndrome?
Cushing’s syndrome treatment can focus mostly on reducing cortisol levels. However, the treatment can be changed depending on the cause of the disorder:
Reevaluating medications
If you’ve been prescribed steroids and if that is causing you to experience Cushing’s syndrome, then reevaluating the medication dose can help bring cortisol in control. It’s important to seek your doctor’s advice before increasing or reducing medication doses.
Removal of tumor
If the syndrome is a tumor, then removal of the tumor can help treat Cushing’s syndrome. Typically, the success rate for such surgeries is rated at 90%. If surgery is not an option, then it can be treated with radiation.
Medications
Some medications can help control cortisol production in your body. Talk to your doctor, and they might prescribe medications to balance cortisol production. However, please remember that medications have side effects.
Natural Ways to Deal With Cushing’s Syndrome
If you don’t want to get professional treatment immediately, you can use natural methods to control Cushing’s syndrome symptoms:
Change your diet
To control cortisol levels and treat Cushing’s syndrome, you can change your diet. Focus on eating more lean proteins, fiber-rich foods, fats, and calcium. Try to avoid processed foods, sugar, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages.
Learn stress management
You can also engage in stress management techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, or nature therapy to lower stress levels.
Sleep well
Another natural way to deal with Cushing’s syndrome symptoms is to sleep well. This can reduce excessive stress levels. You can also try to limit screen time and have a relaxing bedtime routine to sleep well each night.
Exercise regularly
Exercising can increase the production of endorphins and dopamine, reducing the overproduction of cortisol. You can try walking, swimming, or light strength training to reduce cortisol and avoid high-intensity workouts.
Drink lots of water
To balance cortisol in your system, you need to drink lots of water, drink herbal teas, and avoid toxins. You can also track your symptoms to monitor cortisol levels and reach out for help to a professional when nothing works as it should.
Final Words:
Living with Cushing’s syndrome might not be easy, but having a support system can help. You can speak to your doctor about your symptoms, stay updated with your checkups, and make better health choices to control excessive cortisol production.
Remember, Cushing’s syndrome is a serious disorder, so get a proper diagnosis and treatment. If you feel something is wrong, then speak to a doctor immediately about your symptoms. Don’t delay your check-up. Your health matters more!
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