Endocrine pathologies

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• Endocrine glands release hormones into the bloodstream. ...

• The endocrine system regulates how much of each hormone is released.

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The hormones created and released by the glands in your body’s endocrine system control nearly all the processes in your body. These chemicals help coordinate your body’s functions, from metabolism to growth and development, emotions, mood, reproduction, bloodpressure and even sleep.

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• The hypothalamus sits at the base of the brain and is connected to the pituitary gland by a stalk made of both nerves and blood vessels. Most hormones made by the hypothalamus are carried through this stalk to the pituitary. The hypothalamus is the main link between the endocrine and nervous systems It controls thirst, hunger, mood, sleep, sexual function, body temperature, aspects of parenting and attachment behaviors, fatigue, and circadian rhythms

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Complications of Hypothalamus Disorders

• Infertility.

• Erection problems.

• Osteoporosis.

• Breastfeeding problems.

• Heart problems.

• High cholesterol.

• Growth problems.

• Weight problems.

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Symptoms of hypothalamus disorders

• sensitivity to heat.

• anxiety.

• feeling irritable.

• mood swings.

• tiredness and difficulty sleeping.

• lack of sex drive.

• diarrhea.

• constant thirst.

​Remembering Phineas Gage

Gage taught us that complex functions such as decision-making and social cognition are mainly dependent upon the frontal lobes.

On September 13, 1848, Gage was working on a railroad in Vermont. He was using an iron tamping rod to pack explosive powder into a hole.

Unfortunately, the powder detonated, sending the 43-inch-long, 1.25-inch-diameter rod hurling upward. The rod penetrated Gage's left cheek, tore through his brain and exited his skull before landing 80 feet away.

​Gage not only survived the initial injury but was able to speak and walk to a nearby cart so he could be taken into town to be seen by a doctor. He was still conscious later that evening and was able to recount the names of his co-workers. Gage even suggested that he didn't wish to see his friends since he would be back to work in "a day or two" anyway.

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​After developing an infection a week later , Gage spent the next two weeks in a semi-comatose state. On October 7, he took his first steps out of bed, and by October 11, his intellectual functioning began to improve

But accounts of Phineas Gage describe him as having undergone profound personality changes because of his injury. He is often reported as having permanently lost his inhibitions, so that he started to behave inappropriately in social situations. Some reports state that became violent and "uncontrollable", and even that he started to molest children.

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​After the accident, Gage was unable to continue his previous job. He spent some time traveling with his tamping iron to earn money as a side show act. He eventually found work as a stagecoach driver but due to increasing seizures he moved in with his mother and passed away 12 years after the accident

​During the transition to menopause, levels of the hormone estrogen drop, causing

fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating plus a wide range of changes to the body

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​Your pituitary gland is an important pea-sized gland. If your pituitary gland doesn’t function properly, it affects vital parts like your brain, skin, energy, mood, reproductive organs, vision, growth and more.

​The pituitary is often referred to as the “master gland” because it not only secretes its own hormones, it tells other glands to produce hormones.

​ (Bi-polarity has been linked to the pituitary gland).

​Gigantism is abnormally large growth due to an excess of pituitary growth hormone during childhood, before the bone growth plates have closed . It causes excessive growth in height, muscles, and organs , making the child extremely large for his or her age.

Other problems that come with giantism include enlarged heart and organs, joint issues​, mood disorders and diabetes.

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Robert Wadlow as the tallest man according to the world record books. When last measured he stood 8 ft 11 in .

​12yrs old

​Giantism happens as a child but if you develop it as an adult it is called Acromegaly. Since the bone fusion is complete in adults ,structures of the bone become misshaped giving the characteristic large face and hands.

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• In acromegaly, adults don't grow taller but have deformed bones and skull.

• Other symptoms include weakness, vision problems, and heart problems that can lead to heart failure.

• People with acromegaly eventually develop a deep voice due to thickening of the vocal cords and enlargement of the sinuses

​Turning Lemons into $$$

Many wrestlers have turned this menacing looking disease into a profession.

​Maurice Tillet- Wrestler after the character Shrek is said to be created, suffered from acromegaly. Since his problem started late, he could not gain extra height like other wrestlers of the time. He measured 5'5 ,

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Dwarfism is shortness in height that results from a genetic or medical condition.

A common cause of dwarfism is a genetic mutation that affects bone growth.

Dwarfism is generally defined as an adult height of four feet 10 inches or less. The average adult height in dwarfism is four feet. Common complications include bowing of the legs, hunching of the back, and crowded teeth.

Treatments are aimed at reducing complications. Surgery may help stabilize and correct the shape of the spine. Hormone therapy may increase final height in some cases.

​The worlds smallest man is a farmer named Chanra Sangi who is 1'1. The smallest woman is actress Joyoti Amge who stands 2'1

​ Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate controlling heart, muscle and digestive function, brain development and bone maintenance. Its correct functioning depends on iodine from the diet.

​The most common cause of a goiter worldwide is a lack of iodine in the diet. They may also be a result of the over- or underproduction of the thyroid hormone or the presence of nodules in the thyroid itself.

​A simple goiter may disappear on its own, or may become larger. Over time, the thyroid gland may stop making enough thyroid hormone. This condition is called hypothyroidism. In some cases, a goiter becomes toxic and produces thyroid hormone on its own.

​With Graves' disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland, causing it to make more thyroid hormones than your body needs. As a result, many of your body's functions speed up.

Graves' disease is rarely life-threatening. However, without treatment, it can lead to heart problems and brittle bones

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Common signs and symptoms of Graves' disease include:

• Anxiety and irritability

• Tremor of the hands or fingers

• Heat sensitivity and an increase in perspiration

• Weight loss,

• Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)

• Change in menstrual cycles

• Erectile dysfunction or reduced libido

• Frequent bowel movements

• Bulging eyes

• Fatigue

• Thick, red skin on the shins or tops of the feet

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

• Sleep disturbance

​Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder like Graves' disease. However, the antibodies in Hashimoto's disease either block or destroy the thyroid gland and produce below normal amounts of thyroid hormone secretion (hypothyroidism).

Symptoms may include an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), tiredness, brain fog, weight gain, and muscle weakness.

​Oprah has Hashimoto

​Parathyroid glands are small glands that control the amount of calcium in our blood and bones. There are 4 parathyroid glands located behind the thyroid gland. Hyperparathyroidism is too much calicum Hypoparathyroidism is too little

Parathyroid Disease Symptoms

• A lump in the neck.

• Difficulty speaking or swallowing.

• Muscle weakness.

• Sudden increase in blood calcium levels

• Fatigue, drowsiness.

• Urinating more than usual

• Bone pain and broken bones.

• Kidney stones.

​In addition to kidney stones, high levels of calicum may produce fatigue or excessive tiredness. Heart rhythm abnormalities, increased urinary frequency, With higher levels( called hypercalcemia), patients may experience muscle twitching, anxiety, depression, personality changes and confusion.

​The adrenal cortex is the outer region and also the largest part of an adrenal gland. It is divided into three separate zones. Each zone is responsible for producing specific hormones .

The adrenal cortex produces hormones that controls sex (androgens, estrogens), salt balance in the blood (aldosterone), and sugar balance (cortisol). The adrenal medulla produces hormones involved in the fight-or-flight response ( adrenaline type hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine).

Cushing Disease​ occurs from overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands.

Signs are a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks. Cushing syndrome can also cause high blood pressure, bone loss and type 2 diabetes. Women may have complications during pregnancy .Cushing's disease is fatal without treatment; the survival rate if uncontrolled is about 4 years,

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