E is for Endocrinology

In the ‘Gland’ Scheme of Things,Hormones Regulate Your Body

It’s just hormones.

For an endocrinologist, that’s what it is all about: hormones and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that involve them and the glands and tissues that produce them.

Those glands include the adrenal, hypothalamus, pituitary, pancreas, thyroid, ovaries and testes. Hormones produced by these glands affect so many different systems in the body that just a small change in one gland can impact parts of the body far from that gland.

Common problems an endocrinologist may treat include diabetes, osteoporosis, menopause, metabolic disorders, thyroid diseases, infertility, excessive or insufficient production of hormones, and some cancers.

If the adrenal gland is secreting too much of its hormones, for example, you might experience raised blood pressure, over-nervousness and sweating. And if the thyroid gland secretes too little hormone, your metabolism will slow.

That’s why a visit to an endocrinologist may involve their checking your heart rate and blood pressure, examining your hair and skin for dryness or acne, or ordering blood or urine samples.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*