Endocrinology

The human body is fascinating mechanism with many inter-related systems. When any one of them is compromised, so many other systems are affected that it’s difficult sometimes to tell where to begin treatment. When you visit the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center, you have access to a variety of experts who understand the body’s inter-relationships. The endocrine system not only supports other systems, but it may also be the source of many disorders. Call us for prevention tips and treatment plans that promote your longevity.

Your endocrine system controls your hormones. A great majority of your body’s functions depend on maintaining healthy glands that secrete hormones regulating your:

• Movement
• Growth
• Respiration
• Sexual development
• Reproduction
• Metabolism
• Sensory perception

At the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center, the entire team of experts within the multi-specialty practice understand the vital role your hormones play in your overall well-being. Your primary care physician or another doctor treating you may refer you to an endocrinologist in the same facility. All the physicians work together for your benefit.

Preventing Hormone Imbalances

There are a number of gland and hormone conditions that you can’t prevent because they’re caused by genetics, aging or complications from birth. But you can take steps during your life to improve the odds that you won’t encounter problems from your endocrine system.

Most of the preventative steps are part and parcel of an overall healthy lifestyle. Consider lifestyle modifications such as:

• Getting sufficient iodine in your daily diet. This adjustment may mean using iodized salt or taking supplements, according to your doctor’s directions.
• Maintaining a healthy weight with a well-rounded, nutritional diet. If you suffer with obesity, your Medex team of doctors guides you through a weight-loss program and sets you up with sessions with a physical therapist to learn the best exercises for you.
• Following your doctor’s treatment plans for underlying conditions such as diabetes and infertility.

Eight Vital Glands

When your body doesn’t respond to hormone secretion the way it’s supposed to, you can develop an endocrine disease. The eight glands your doctor monitors for clues as to why you’re not well are:

1. Ovaries/Testes. Often, hormone imbalances are thought to only affect women because the ovaries go through so many natural changes from puberty to pregnancy and menopause. Testes are the glands in men that produce testosterone and sperm.
2. Hypothalamus. This gland regulates your moods, hunger, thirst, body temperature, sex drive and sleep.
3. Thyroid. Hormones from the thyroid are associated with your heart rate, as well as how fast you burn calories. It may be the source of obesity and inability to gain weight.
4. Parathyroid. This gland controls how much calcium is in your body. It may contribute to conditions such as osteoporosis.
5. Pituitary. This is the master gland that triggers growth. It controls all the other glands in your body.
6. Adrenal. Your cortisol levels are affected when this gland doesn’t work properly. Cortisol affects both your sex drive and your stress levels.
7. Pancreas. Since your insulin levels are controlled by this gland, it’s one of the first places your Medex doctor monitors when you have blood sugar issues.
8. Pineal. This gland produces melatonin, the hormone that affects your sleep.

A disorder in any of these glands can disrupt your life. Some of the common conditions you may develop when hormones go awry include:

• Bone disease
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Pituitary and adrenal disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Graves’ disease
• Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
• Female hair loss, called androgenetic alopecia
• Adult acne
• Hirsutism
• Sexual issues, such as erectile dysfunction
• Hypogonadism
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Hypocalcemia
• Cushing’s disease
• Addison’s disease
• Cystic fibrosis

Symptoms and Testing for Gland Disorders

Since the number and kinds of conditions that may arise due to a gland disorder are so varied, the symptoms of a hormone irregularity are just as varied. That’s why putting your health in the hands of a team of physicians at the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center is so crucial.

Your doctors may conclude that further tests are in order before coming to a firm diagnosis. You may undergo procedures that confirm a condition or find the source within your endocrine system, such as:

• Sudomotor scan
• Spirometry
• The CV profiler
• Nerve conduction testing
• ANS monitoring
• Digital fundoscopy
• Thyroid ultrasound
• Body composition measurement
• Bone density scanning