Pituitary gland disorders

Pituitary gland and its function

The importance of this organ, which is not bigger than a pea,is enormous because it produces many hormones, which are further important fora number of processes in the human body, as well as for the production of other importanthormones for the human body and for the body's normal functioning. The hormonesthat are made thanks to the pituitary gland are prolactin, growth hormone,adrenocorticotropin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, antidiuretic hormone,luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Each of these hormones isresponsible for certain processes in the body, and if their levels in the bodyare not normal, or if the level of at least one of them is not normal, it maycause a number of health problems.

Pituitary gland disorders

As we have already said, the pituitary gland is responsiblefor the secretion and production of a number of hormones, and since each ofthem has its own roles, if the level of at least one of them is impaired, anumber of problems and disorders may threaten the health of the person inquestion. Some of the disorders related to the pituitary gland are thefollowing:

Acromegaly, which is a result of the increased production ofthe human growth hormone.Diabetes insipidus, which can be recognized by the increasedthirst and consumption of water, and excessive urination. It is a result of thedecreased production of the anti-diuretic hormone.Empty sella syndrome,which is very common in women, particularly those who are either overweight, orsuffer from hypertension.Galactorrhea, which is a very rare disorder characterizedby the secretion of breast milk in men, or women who are not breastfeeding.Gigantism, which is a medical term for the excessive heightgrowth.Hyperprolactinemia, which is another name for the increased blood levelsof prolactin, which in cases of women manifests through the menstrual problems,while in men it manifests through gynecomastia.Hypopituitarism, which occurs when the pituitary gland is nolonger able to produce hormones that stimulate the function of the endocrinegland.Pituitary adenoma or pituitary tumor, which is actually anotherterm for the growths on this gland that are abnormal in size. There arevarious types of these tumors, but good thing about them is that they arealmost always benign in nature, and that they can be cured very easily. However,some of them may cause other disorders, such as Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly,or even pituitary apoplexy.