Problems With The Endocrine System

An informative article on: Problems With The Endocrine System.

Because hormones control functions in the body, too much or too little of just one can be damaging. As an example, a teenager may grow extremely tall if too much growth hormone is secreted while they would be abnormally short if too little was produced. Most of the time doctors can treat endocrine disorders by either controlling the production of hormones or with hormone replacement therapy.

Adrenal Insufficiency

When the adrenal glands cannot produce ample corticosteroids, the disorder is known as adrenal insufficiency. Some symptoms may include fatigue, weakness, abdominal discomfort or pain, dehydration, nausea and even changes in the skin. This condition is treated with corticosteroid hormone replacement therapy.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the result of insufficient insulin being produced by the pancreas. This condition was previously called ‘juvenile diabetes’ because the onset is during childhood or adolescence. In young people, type 1 diabetes is actually an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to go on the attack and destroy the cells within the pancreas that are responsible for producing and secreting insulin. The usual treatment is insulin injections.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes varies from type 1 in that the pancreas produces ample amounts but the body is unable to respond to it normally. One of the signs of type 1 diabetes is being overweight for no apparent reason. Because the pancreas secretes insulin that regulates metabolism, if the body is unable to understand the signal to burn those calories, weight will certainly be an issue. Some less severe cases can be treated with exercise, oral medications and simple dietary adjustments. In more advanced cases, insulin will need to be injected.

Growth Hormone Problems

In teenagers, an overabundance of growth hormone can cause them to grow unusually tall, or single body parts to grow abnormally large. This is a rare condition that is often referred to as gigantism. Most often it is caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland that affects the growth hormone-releasing hormone, GHRH, that signals the production and release of GH. The usual treatment is surgical removal of the tumor. In young people with insufficient levels being released, hormone replacement therapy may be in order.

Hyperthyroidism

Extremely high levels of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream is referred to as hyperthyroidism. The most common cause of these abnormal levels is due to Graves’ disease, which is a disorder of the immune system. This disease causes the thyroid to become inordinately active. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with radiation, surgery and medications.

There are numerous other disorders of the endocrine system including such things as hypothyroidism where too few hormones are secreted, resulting in weakness and fatigue, and osteoporosis where calcium is not absorbed adequately (and is usually treated with estrogen replacement therapy). Most often, treatments for any endocrine disorders are replacement therapy and or surgery. On rare occasions, radiation therapy and other more radical treatments are called for.