The endocrine system is a web connection of glands, chemicals, and receptor sites scattered across your body.
This system makes and uses various hormones that control different bodily functions.
Some hormones affect mood, while others help run your body’s most basic functions.
Maskot / Getty Images
Maskot / Getty Images
What Goes Wrong in Endocrine Disorders?
The fundamental problem in any endocrine disorder is an issue of too much or too little of something.
Below are some of the most common endocrine disorders, regardless of your sex.
These hormones help control your digestion, heart function, and other metabolic processes.
Hypothyroidism can happen due to an iodine deficiency, genetics, or other disorders of the pituitary system.
Hypothyroidism is treated with replacement thyroid hormones taken daily.
It results from your body’s immune system attacking your thyroid gland and the hormones it produces.
This condition can be passed through families and may appear alongside other autoimmune disorders.
Treatment is similar to that of hypothyroidism.
Symptoms and treatment methods for Graves' disease are similar to those for general hyperthyroidism.
Cushing’s Syndrome
Cushing’s syndromeis when your adrenal glands produce too much cortisol.
High cortisol can also result in increased facial hair and irregular periods for women.
Does Adrenal Fatigue Count?
Adrenal fatigueis a collection of symptoms similar to those people with adrenal insufficiency disorders experience.
Endocrine Disorders in Females
The ovaries are the primary organ responsible for female reproductive hormone production.
Ovaries release unfertilized eggs, and the cycle of egg release controls menstruation.
Several hormones make up the female endocrine system, including estrogen and prolactin.
Various disorders can arise based on the hormone affected, and each can appear with different symptoms.
There typically are no specific gestational diabetes symptoms.
Healthcare providers screen for it during regular prenatal testing.
Not allendocrine disordersare easy to spot.
In many cases, you might not know you have an endocrine disorder until you have advanced symptoms.
For example, a thyroid disorder often takes time to progress to a point of diagnosis.
These conditions are often only found after other potential conditions have been excluded.
For diabetes and hypothyroidism, this means supplementing your body’s insulin and thyroid hormones.
Summary
Your endocrine system controls the production and use of hormones throughout your body.
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