Understanding the Long-Term Risks of Untreated Cushing's Disease

Cushing's disease is a hormonal imbalance within your body that can affect you in different ways. If left untreated you will experience problems that can lead to weight gain, diabetes and other serious concerns.

What is Cushing's disease

• Cushing's disease is a disorder caused by the pituitary gland functioning incorrectly. An overabundance of ACTH produced by the anterior pituitary can lead to this disease.

Causes of Cushing's disease

• Tumors on the pituitary gland cause Cushing's disease which can lead to Cushing's syndrome. These tumors can also be located on the lungs or pancreas, and some may be cancerous.

Symptoms of Cushing's disease

• A variety of symptoms can show on the onset of Cushing's disease. Obesity is a key concern along with other symptoms such as backaches, weak muscles, changes in your skin appearance and loss of muscle tone.

Long Term Effects

• Cushing's disease has long term affects on your health. Controlling your weight is vital because you can suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and bone loss due to the added weight.

Treatments

• When dealing with Cushing's disease, you must have the tumor removed from your body. This is done through surgery or the use of radiation treatments.