Endocrine Disorder

Endocrine disorders affect the network of glands that produce and release hormones, leading to imbalances that can impact metabolism, growth, mood, reproduction, and many other vital body functions.

Table of contents

• What Is an Endocrine Disorder?
• The Endocrine System
• Causes of Endocrine Disorders
• Symptoms
• Types of Endocrine Disorders
• How Endocrine Disorders Are Diagnosed
• Treatment Options

What Is an Endocrine Disorder?

Endocrine disorders are medical conditions in which the endocrine system, which produces hormones, does not function correctly^[1]. The endocrine system is a network of glands throughout the body that produce and release hormones—chemicals that travel through your blood to control or coordinate many important body processes^[1].

These disorders happen when your hormone levels are too high or too low, or if your body doesn’t respond to hormones in the expected way^[1]. The endocrine system affects how your heart beats, how your bones and tissues grow, your ability to have children, and even your mood^[1].

The Endocrine System

Each gland of the endocrine system releases specific hormones into your bloodstream. These hormones travel through your blood to other cells and help control or coordinate many body processes^[1]. Your body has more than 50 different hormones, and they affect nearly all aspects of your health—directly or indirectly^[4].

• Adrenal glands
• Hypothalamus
• Pancreas (islet cells)
• Ovaries
• Parathyroid glands
• Pineal gland
• Pituitary gland
• Testes
• Thymus
• Thyroid gland

The adrenal glands are two glands that sit on top of the kidneys and release the hormone cortisol^[1]. The hypothalamus is a part of the lower middle brain that tells the pituitary gland when to release hormones^[1]. Islet cells in the pancreas control the release of the hormones insulin and glucagon^[1].

The pituitary gland is present at the base of the brain behind the sinuses. It is often called the “master gland” because it influences many other glands, especially the thyroid^[1]. Problems with the pituitary gland can affect bone growth, a woman’s menstrual cycles, and the release of breast milk^[1].

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck that controls metabolism^[1]. The four tiny parathyroid glands in the neck play a role in bone development^[1]. Even the slightest problem with the function of one or more of these glands can throw off the delicate balance of hormones in your body and lead to an endocrine disorder^[1].

Causes of Endocrine Disorders

Endocrine disorders are typically grouped into two categories^[1]:

• Endocrine diseases that result when a gland produces too much or too little of an endocrine hormone, called a hormone imbalance
• Endocrine diseases that happen due to the development of lesions, such as nodules or tumors, in the endocrine system, which may or may not affect hormone levels

The endocrine feedback system helps control the balance of hormones in the bloodstream. If your body has too much or too little of a certain hormone, the feedback system signals the proper gland or glands to correct the problem^[1]. A hormone imbalance may occur if this feedback system has trouble keeping the right level of hormones in the bloodstream, or if your body doesn’t clear them out of the bloodstream properly^[1].

Several factors can cause an endocrine disorder^[7]:

• Autoimmune conditions
• Genetics or family history
• Weight gain and weight loss
• Overactive or underactive glands
• Medication
• Tumors

For some conditions, such as acromegaly and Cushing’s syndrome, tumors in the adrenal or pituitary gland are often the cause. These tumors are usually noncancerous but still require removal to manage the condition^[6]. In some cases, an autoimmune condition causes endocrine problems. For example, type 1 diabetes results from the immune system destroying insulin-producing cells in the pancreas^[6].

Endocrine disorders can be hereditary. If your family has a history of type 2 diabetes, your risk of developing diabetes may be higher than that of the general population. Many less common endocrine diseases tend to run in families as well, including adrenal tumors and thyroid disease^[7].

Symptoms

Endocrine disorders can be challenging to diagnose because symptoms often mimic those of other conditions^[7]. If you experience fatigue and weakness on a regular basis, it might be a result of a hormonal imbalance causing an endocrine disorder^[1].

Common symptoms include^[7]:

• Bone fractures
• Changes in heart rate
• Eye and skin changes
• High blood glucose levels
• High calcium levels
• Low or high blood pressure
• Infertility
• Menstrual cycle disorders
• Loss of sex drive
• Unexplained weight changes
• Fatigue

Fatigue is common for people with an endocrine disorder. If you experience fatigue and any of the symptoms listed above, you should talk with your doctor^[7].

Men and women can experience many of the same endocrine disorders, but their symptoms may vary. For instance, a woman with high testosterone hormone levels may experience excessive hair growth. A man with low testosterone levels may lose facial hair^[7].

Types of Endocrine Disorders

There are many different types of endocrine disorders. The most common endocrine disease is diabetes^[3]. Other common conditions include^[7]:

• Adrenal gland under-function and over-function
• Diabetes and prediabetes
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Osteoporosis
• Pituitary gland disorders and pituitary tumors
• Thyroid cancer and nodules
• Thyroid underfunction and overfunction
• Thyroid eye disease/Graves’ disease

Diabetes is a condition that causes high blood glucose levels due to the body being unable to either produce or use insulin sufficiently to regulate glucose^[6]. Diabetes causes symptoms that include increased thirst and urination, increased hunger, unexpected weight changes, persistent sores, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, tiredness, and blurry vision^[6].

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland is overactive and produces too much thyroid hormone. This can change your energy level, make you lose weight, and give you a fast heart rate^[3]. Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, is caused by not having enough thyroid hormone in your body. It can make you feel tired and constipated^[3].

Other endocrine disorders include^[3]:

• Acromegaly
• Addison’s disease
• Cushing’s syndrome
• Hashimoto’s disease
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia
• Turner syndrome

How Endocrine Disorders Are Diagnosed

Diagnosing an endocrine disorder can be challenging because symptoms often mimic those of other conditions, and treatment plans can be complex^[7]. That’s why people with an endocrine disease need to see a provider with advanced expertise in this specialized area of medicine^[7].

The most dramatic presentation is a change in the appearance of the body that creates clinical signs recognizable by a clinician^[21]. The most common scenario is a presentation with non-specific signs that have to be interpreted by the assessing doctor, most commonly a GP, relating to whether there is an organic cause or not^[21].

In modern medical practice, some of these conditions are picked up on routine blood tests before any convincing clinical signs develop^[21]. Most of the time, the diagnosis is based on blood tests or imaging studies^[21].

Treatment Options

The endocrinologist will develop a personalized treatment plan based on your diagnosis, symptoms, and health history^[7]. Treatment options include:

Hormone therapy can help restore certain hormone levels. For example, thyroid replacement medication is used for hypothyroidism. Since your thyroid gland is important for regulating metabolism, temperature, heart function, and many other things, when your body does not have enough thyroid hormone it needs to be replaced with medication^[16].

Medication can help regulate your body’s production of hormones and relieve side effects of endocrine disease, such as nausea and high blood pressure^[7]. For hyperthyroidism, medication is one of the options for treatment. Doctors may prescribe antithyroid medication to lower thyroid levels^[16].

Lifestyle modifications can include changes to your diet or exercise plan^[7]. A healthy diet is essential for maintaining hormone levels. Foods like whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables provide the nutrients needed for hormone production^[17].

Surgery, medication, and radiation therapy may be appropriate for people with a tumor of the endocrine system^[7]. For hyperthyroidism, radioactive iodine treatment destroys part of the thyroid gland to reduce hormone production. Since only the thyroid absorbs iodine, the rest of your body is not affected^[16]. If antithyroid medicines and radioactive iodine are not options, thyroidectomy surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland may be needed^[16].