Endocrinology is a branch of medicine that concerns the study of hormones and its disorders. The endocrine system consists of several glands located in different parts of the body that secrete hormones.
Endocrinologists are doctors who specialize in study of hormonal diseases like diabetes, thyroid disorders, obesity, growth disorders, etc.
The principal endocrine glands in our body are Pituitary, Thyroid, Pancreas, Adrenal, Parathyroid, and Gonads – ovary and testis. Besides hormones are secreted by various other organs like brain (hypothalamus), heart, kidney, gut, placenta, breasts, etc. The pituitary is considered as a master gland and governs the function of other endocrine glands in the body.
These are products of various endocrine glands, which are released in to the bloodstream, which then acts on various cells and tissues of body.
The endocrine disorders are a varied group of diseases resulting from deficiency or excess of various hormones.
a disease in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood.
Poorly managed diabetes can lead to various complications like blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy, heart attack, paralysis, sexual and urologic problems. Although diabetes cannot yet be cured, it can be successfully managed. In order to stay away from complications, it is important that your blood glucose is adequately controlled. Eating a balanced diet, managing your weight and following a healthy lifestyle together with taking your prescribed treatment and regular monitoring is important.
You need to get your blood sugar checked in fasting as well as 2 hours after taking 75gms of glucose. You should consult your doctor for all precautions & information prior to testing.
A thyroid gland is an endocrine gland; which manufactures thyroid hormone that is essential for the function of every tissue in the body.
Most cases of hypothyroidism are caused by a condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, in which a patient's immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid. Iodine deficiency used to be a common cause in India but after iodized salt became widely available has now become rare. It can also be caused by treatment of hyperthyroidism or by certain medications, and it may be present from birth.
With synthetic thyroxine (T4). Thyroxine (T4) is the major hormone produced by the thyroid gland and pure synthetic T4, taken once daily by mouth, successfully treats the symptoms of hypothyroidism in most patients. The current branded forms of synthetic T4 are Eltroxin, Thyronorm, Thyrox, Thyroup, Thyrofit,Thyobuild, Lethyrox, Thyrocheck etc. Because of variations in the potency of T4 made by different manufacturers, including generic preparations, it is best to stay on T4 from a single manufacturer whenever possible.