Dr. Madhu Khandalwal

The pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized attached to the base of the brain. It controls growth, functioning and development of other hormonal glands. Deficit of one or more pituitary hormones is a state of Hypopituitarism. This clinical term is used by endocrinologists to mean that one or more pituitary glands are deficient. In hypopituitarism, the pituitary gland does not produce the normal amounts of hormones.

Causes-

Hypopituitarism has the following causes—

1. Brain tumours

2. Sarcoidosis (A lung disorder)

3. Tumours in the pituitary gland

4. Hemochromatosis (Too much iron in the body)

5. Tumours in hypothalamus (Controls the production of hormones)

6. Histiocytosis X (A rare autoimmune disease where the immune cells damage the organs)

7. Tuberculosis

8. Stroke

9. Sheehan syndrome (Excessive blood loss during childbirth)

10. Lymphocytic hypophysitis (An inflammation in the pituitary gland)

11. Radiation treatments like chemotherapy

Symptoms-

Symptoms depend on which hormones is not being produced.

• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACH): Lack of ACH affects the adrenal glands (endocrine glands producing hormones) and cortisol (steroid hormone). Symptoms include—

  • Fatigue

  • Low sodium levels

  • Loss of weight

  • Pale skin

• Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH): Deficient TSH mostly affects the thyroid (produces growth-regulating hormones) gland. The symptoms are—

  • Fatigue

  • Weight gain

  • Skin dryness

  • Sensitivity to cold

  • Constipation

• Luteinizing hormone (LH): Low luteinizing hormone in women affects their ovaries and ovulation. Symptoms include-

  • irregular periods

  • loss of libido

  • infertility

In men, lack of LH affects their testes and sperm production. Symptoms include-

1. • loss of libido

   • erectile dysfunction

   • impotence

   • infertility.

• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): This hormone affects men and women the same way the luteinizing hormone does. Thus the symptoms are the same.

• Growth Hormone: In children, the growth hormone affects their bone, fat and muscle. They have the following symptoms—

  • Lack of height

  • Increase in body fat

  • Abnormal peak bone mass (bone tissue present after the skeleton matures)

In adults, the whole body is affected. Body fat increases while muscle and bone mass decreases.

• Prolactin: Prolactin deficiency only affects women. The prolactin hormone gets the production of milk started after childbirth. Lack of prolactin thus affects breastfeeding.

• Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH): The kidneys are affected by lack of ADH. Symptoms include—

  • Diluted urine

  • Frequent urination

  • Feeling excess thirst

• Oxytocin: Lactation and childbirth are affected by lack of oxytocin. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an endocrinologist.

It may happen sometimes that you suffer from an undiagnosed medical condition in spite of appearing healthy outwardly. However, your body gives you constant warning signs to indicate that something is wrong with your health. Here are some signs which may be early symptoms of some severe health issues and should not be ignored.

1. Sudden weight loss - If you are not suffering from obesity and you have lost excessive weight in the past 6 months you need to consult your doctor. This sudden drop in weight can be caused by underlying conditions like hyperthyroidism, liver disease, cancer or diabetes, interfering with the way your body absorbs nutrients.

2. Persistent high body temperature - Persistent fever can ring an alarm indicating an underlying cause like UTI or tuberculosis. Lymphomas, which are cancerous, may also be responsible for this persistent fever. If your temperature continues to be 103 F or more or if you continue to have fever for more than 3 days you should consult a doctor immediately.

3. Difficulty in breathing - If your breath is short it can be due to a hidden health problem. Extreme temperatures, obesity, and strenuous exercises are mainly responsible for this shortness of breath. However, if these are not the causes of your breathlessness, you might be suffering from bronchitis, asthma, the blood clot in the lung, pneumonia or any other heart or lung diseases.

4. Bowel incontinence - If you notice unexplained changes in your bladder movement such as blackish stool with blood spots, prolonged constipation and frequent urge to have a bowel movement you should consult your doctor. This sudden change in bowel habits can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection.

5. Personality changes - If you are experiencing deterioration in your thinking skills, have sudden behavior changes and face difficulty in focusing or shifting attention you might be suffering from some severe problem caused by an infection, mental health conditions, poor nutrition, and effect of certain medications.

'Consult'.

Tip: 4 Life Lessons to Learn from Kangana Ranaut