It’s all very well saying that problems in the adrenal glands can make you ill, but sometimes you need to be more specific. One of the most prominent conditions linked to hormones produced in the adrenal glands (and therefore possibly influenced by their malfunctioning) is Cushing’s syndrome.
Cushing’s syndrome isn’t always caused by adrenal problems. It develops when the body has excessively high levels of the steroid hormones known as glucocorticoids. You may have heard of cortisol, probably the most famous of these chemicals. Some medications use glucocorticoids to treat conditions like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis and can therefore cause symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome as a side effect.
There are even some cases where Cushing’s syndrome is caused by problems in the pituitary gland (which helps tell the adrenal glands when they need to release cortisol). Still, we can’t ignore that the adrenal glands are the main source of cortisol in the body, and if they become overactive or if an adrenal tumor stops them from working properly, Cushing’s syndrome can result.
Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome are wide-ranging. You could gain weight, become red-faced, gain stretch marks, sweat more, develop acne or grow excess hair in parts of the body that are normally nearly hairless. If you menstruate, your cycle may become irregular. High blood pressure and blood sugar issues (which can lead to diabetes) both become more common. On the mental and emotional side, Cushing’s syndrome may interfere with your memory and cognition. It also increases your likelihood of experiencing depression or anxiety.
To diagnose Cushing’s syndrome, you need to check your cortisol levels. There’s something called a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) that doses you with the steroid dexamethasone to see how your cortisol levels respond. Once it’s diagnosed, treatment can begin, but the form it takes will depend on the cause.
For Cushing’s syndrome caused by medication, the obvious thing to do is reduce the dosage or find an alternative. If there are tumors on the adrenal glands, they need to be removed, often through surgery. This can lead to removal of part or all of the glands as well, in which case you may actually need to end up taking glucocorticoids to make up for not being able to produce them yourself.
Even stranger, sometimes removing the adrenal glands to treat Cushing syndrome can cause something called Nelson’s syndrome.
