When doctors diagnose hypercortisolism, they are diagnosing Cushing's syndrome, a condition characterized by the over production of cortisol, or the excessive use of this hormone in the body. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands. Cushing's syndrome will cause an excess production of adrenocorticotropic hormone, known as ACTH by the pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates the overproduction of cortisol.
Instructions
1. Know the most common symptoms of hypercortisolism. This includes a moon face, which is a face that is full, red and rounded. Another common symptom is a fat that collects between the shoulders, obesity which presents itself in a extended abdomen and thinner arms and legs.
2. Spot additional symptoms of hypercortisolism, which may be found in some patients. This includes weight gain, weakness, pain in the back and back, acne or skin infections and mental changes in moods.
3. Seek diagnosis from your doctor, which may be as simple as seeing you. In patients that are experiencing the condition because of a medicine they are taking, a doctor will know to stop the medication when these symptoms are seen.
4. Test blood and urine for hypercortisolism. When there is no medication that is causing the symptoms, doctors will need to take blood and urine samples to test them for the condition. Doctors will need to use these tests to rule out other, similar conditions.
5. Examine the results of further testing to make an effective diagnosis of hypercortisolism. This includes a cranial MRI or a Cranial CT scan, an in depth scan of the head to spot tumors on the pituitary gland. Additionally, doctors will do a CT scan of the abdominal region as there can be an adrenal mass located here as well. Diagnosis is often confirmed by these tests and other symptoms that you have.
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