3. How can Cushing Syndrome be Officially Diagnosed?
Many of the symptoms associated with Cushing syndrome are often dismissed as a regular part of life. For example, an increase in blood pressure or packing on some extra pounds could be brushed off by some people as something related to more general health or lifestyle issues. This makes it harder to get it diagnosed early on.
The only way to get diagnosed is to go through with lab tests from your doctor. These tests will then be looked at to find out whether an increased amount of cortisol is being given off into the blood or find out whether the regular hormones responsible for controlling it are not doing their job.
In most cases, your doctor will have you provide either a saliva sample or urine. Another method is to give you a tablet containing a substance that closely mimics cortisol, called dexamethasone, which will then be used to find out whether your body is managing cortisol levels in the usual way.