Who is an Endocrinologist?

An Endocrinologist is a specialty trained doctor who diagnoses and treats complex hormonal conditions.

“I just don’t feel right.” these are frequently the first words I hear a patient say. Hormones, the important chemical messengers which send signals from one part of body to another, may be at the root of mysterious and frequently undiagnosed health problems such as fatigue, insomnia, memory loss, depression and weight gain. Key endocrine system diseases that affect your hormone levels are:

If Your Thyroid is Off, So Are You…

As many as 30 million Americans may be affected by thyroid disorders and more than half remain undiagnosed. Thyroid disorders are more common amongst women and tend to run in families. Fatigue is a common complaint for under and overactive thyroid conditions.

Obesity and Diabetes

Diabetes is characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin. According to the 2011 CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) report, diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans. Another 79 million Americans over age 19 have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but still not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This condition is now believed to affect 30% of Americans who are over 20 years old.

Know Your Bones

Millions of Americans – 44 million to be exact – have low bone density or osteoporosis. In fact, about one in two women and up to one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. There are a variety of factors that can put you at risk for developing osteoporosis. Discussing your risks with your health care provider will help in developing a plan to protect your bones.

Testosterone

A dizzying number of factors can conspire against fatigue and sexual desire as midlife approaches in men: medications, illness, career worries, financial pressures, marriage troubles, the sense that life is half over … but then there’s testosterone which can cause similar symptoms.

The Adrenal Glands: Small but Mighty

The adrenal hormones such as cortisol and others play a major role in regulating metabolism and immunity; maintaining blood pressure, body water and minerals; and helping the body respond and adapt to stress.

Pituitary and Hypothalamus

Often referred to as master gland of hormone system, it regulates and controls function of other endocrine glands within the body.

Ovaries – Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone

From premenstrual syndrome, to peri-menopause and in to menopause, the hormonal ups and downs can wreak havoc on a woman’s life.

What could go wrong? Hormones may be released in amounts that are too great or too small for the body to work normally causing hormonal imbalances. You should never hesitate to talk to your doctor about treating a suspected hormone imbalance, Dr Guttikonda says. If you or your primary care physician suspects that you have an endocrine disorder, you may need a specialist called an endocrinologist. An endocrinologist is a specially trained doctor who diagnoses and treats complex hormonal conditions.