Hormone Imbalance
Posted on 22. Jan, 2009 by admin in hormone imbalance
The endocrine system is responsible for producing hormones and moving them throughout the body. Hormones that are released right into the bloodstream are called endocrine hormones while those that are secreted into a duct prior to reaching the bloodstream or moving through the cells are call exotrine hormones. Exocrine hormones use something called paracrine signaling, this signaling sends a message that a hormone is needed in a certain cell, the body then produces the hormone and sends it to this cell. Hormones are the body’s way controlling cell functions, the hormones are a natural chemical that essentially works as a message center.
Hormones control and contribute to some very important areas of human functioning including growth, fertility, sexual activity, the fight or flight response and controlling metabolism. Hormones also work to prepare the body for pregnancy, puberty, and menopause, these three life phases are known to cause a hormone imbalance that may lead to a variety of symptoms. Some symptoms associated with a hormone imbalance due to menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, depression, anxiety and a loss of libido. Hormones help children and teenagers during their adolescent growth spurt, so a hormone imbalance at a young age can result in too much or too little growth, such as with the medical conditions gigantism (sometimes also referred to as giantism) or dwarfism.
A hormone imbalance that is experienced during a life phase such as pregnancy, puberty or menopause is considered perfectly normal. This type of natural hormone imbalance is nothing to be concerned about and it does not normally require medical treatment. However, there are also many medical conditions that can result in a hormone imbalance, when a medical condition results in a hormone imbalance, then this will usually require medical treatment.
The study of the endocrine system is called endocrinology and doctors that specialize in this branch of medicine are called endocrinologists. Medical conditions that may lead to a hormone imbalance are all related to the hormone producing endocrine system which includes the thyroid gland, testes, ovaries, pituitary gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, hypothalamus and the stomach. The body works in a delicate balance, so even a small hormone imbalance can cause significant health problems. The list of medical conditions and diseases that are associated with a hormone imbalance is too extensive to list in this short article, but it includes sexual development problems, growth disorders, tumors, infertility, diabetes and thyroid cancer.
