Daily Dose: Cushing Syndrome & Hormones Disorders

In our Daily Dose, a viewer is asking about hormone problems that can cause your face to become round. Dr. Lacy Anderson joined News 9 to explain how some hormone disorders, like Cushing syndrome work.

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disorder caused by the body making too much cortisol over a long period of time. It can be caused by a tumor of the adrenal gland, which makes cortisol, or it can be caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland, which controls the adrenal gland.

Cushing’s syndrome can cause a rounded face, known as a moon face. It can cause weight gain and fat deposits on the upper back, known as a buffalo hump. It can also cause stretch marks on the abdomen. It can cause high blood pressure, and high blood sugar, and increase the risk of cataracts and osteoporosis. Occasionally, Cushing’s syndrome can be caused by long-term, high-dose steroid use.

For pituitary or adrenal tumors, surgery can cure this condition. I’ve had several patients wanting me to check their cortisol levels recently, so this condition may have hit social media feeds, but I’ve never diagnosed Cushing’s syndrome because it’s so rare. I can usually take one look at my patients and reassure them that they don’t have Cushing’s syndrome.

Stay healthy and take care!