Pituitary Gland Disorders

The pituitary gland is the master gland of the body. The gland is attached to the bottom of the hypothalamus-a part of the brain that connects the endocrine system with the nervous system. Therefore, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release the hormones.

It is a pea-sized organ located at the base of our brain, yet it performs the most vital functions. The disorders develop slowly enough to remain undiagnosed unless the conditions worsen too much.

The pituitary gland controls the functionality of other hormone-secreting glands of the body, such as testicles, ovaries, thyroid, and adrenal glands. It is responsible for other vital functions like skin, energy, mood, vision, and growth. The hormones it releases are growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, oxytocin, antidiuretic hormone, ACTH, etc.

The symptoms of pituitary gland disorders are similar to other diseases, and so it goes undiagnosed mostly. The disorders arise from the tumors in the pituitary gland-which are benign- and affect the balance of hormonal secretion. The most outright symptom is the imbalance of hormonal secretion. It would be either too low or too high. The disturbance in hormone level leads to sudden, excessive growth, weight gain, high blood pressure, etc.

The other causes for pituitary gland disorders are medications or cancer treatments, head injuries, bleeding of the gland or near the gland.

There are two types of pituitary gland disorders: secretory tumors and nonsecretory tumors. The first one affects hormone secretion. Therefore, resulting in hyposecretion and hypersecretion. The second one causes the gland to enlarge and press the other brain structures. It leads to vision problems and headaches.

The common symptoms of pituitary gland disorders are:

  • Coarsening of facial features
  • Loss of libido
  • Excessive weight gain
  • Pale complexion
  • Vision problems
  • Feeling dizzy and nauseous with headaches.

We cater to all the disorders related to hormone-secreting glands, including Pituitary Adenoma Hypopituitarism and Hyperprolactinemia.