“It’s hormonal!” – we say and attribute all health problems to the endocrine system. When you need to contact an endocrinologist, is it possible to get fat “from hormones” and other answers – in the comments of Tatyana Garanina, endocrinologist, nutritionist, Project V.
1. For what symptoms should you definitely consult an endocrinologist?
The symptoms of endocrine diseases are extremely varied and can have many “masks” of other diseases.
An endocrinologist should be consulted if you have:
- general weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, memory impairment, chilliness, numbness of the limbs;
- depressive conditions;
- hair loss;
- being overweight or underweight, or there have been sudden changes in body weight within a short period of time;
- insufficient or, conversely, rapid growth, an increase in the hands, feet in adulthood;
- dry mouth, constant thirst, frequent urination, especially at night, itching in the absence of skin rashes, fatigue, sharp and rapid weight loss;
- discomfort in the neck, change in the configuration of the neck, sensation of a “lump” in the throat, irritability, nervousness, tearfulness;
- persistent or intermittent palpitations, heart rhythm disturbances, feeling of heat and internal tremors;
- pain in bones, joints, muscles, in the spine, muscle weakness, frequent bone fractures with minor physical influences, cramps in the limbs;
- long and difficult urolithiasis with frequent attacks of renal colic and multiple stones in the kidneys and urinary tract;
- often recurrent peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, chronic pancreatitis with frequent exacerbations, constipation and diarrhea;
- increased blood pressure at a young and mature age, crisis course of hypertension, difficult to treat with modern antihypertensive drugs;
- deterioration in visual acuity, the appearance of “veils, flies” before the eyes, photophobia, lacrimation, the appearance of “bulging”;
- swelling of the eyelids and the entire face, the appearance of edema on the legs;
- violation of the menstrual cycle in women, problems with childbirth.
2. Is it possible to get fat “because of hormones”? When does this happen and what is the mechanism of weight gain?
Different hormones often have opposite actions on the same process, this is necessary to maintain balance in the body. Weight gain may be due to a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which accelerate metabolic processes and fat burning. With a lack of these hormones (as a result of destruction of the thyroid gland, surgery or a genetic feature, or a banal iodine deficiency) in the human body, all metabolic reactions proceed slowly, excess fluid accumulates in the body, tissue edema, and “swelling” of the body take place.
And also weight can increase due to an excess of the stress hormone cortisol, (due to a high level of stress in a person, or the production of a tumor of the adrenal glands) of the hormone insulin (due to its excessive production by the pancreas and impaired sensitivity of cell receptors in type 2 diabetes ), some sex hormones.
3. What diseases do you deal with most often?
Most often – thyroid diseases, obesity, diabetes.
4. Which of these diseases are hereditary and which are acquired? What are the main causes of hormonal disruptions and how to prevent them?
Many endocrine diseases inherently have a genetic predisposition, and this can be checked by testing for genetic mutations. Basically, the causes of sharp hormonal disruptions are just stressful situations: emotional stress, informational stress, infectious stress, hunger or “hungry” diets, sleep disturbances, sharp temperature effects on the body.
To prevent their occurrence, you need to live according to the laws of our body, i.e. observe biorhythms and go to bed on time (ideally, at 23 o’clock you should already be dreaming), get enough sleep. It is important to follow the laws of nutrition – to supply our body with the necessary nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water), and maintain a balance in calories.
5. Do I need to take a hormone test if a person thinks he is healthy?
If a person is healthy, there are no complaints, the weight is within the normal range, you do not need to take hormones for everything. I would advise a healthy person to be examined if there are endocrine diseases among relatives, and when planning a pregnancy.
6. How do I check my hormones?
Usually, the content of hormones in a person’s blood is checked in the morning. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe an analysis for the content of hormones in saliva or urine, and do stress tests.
7. What are the main causes of thyroid disease? Is it possible to “overwork” the thyroid gland?
The causes of thyroid disease are:
- insufficient intake of iodine, selenium with nutrition;
- psychological and emotional stress;
- improper diet, lack of the required amount of vitamins and minerals;
- ecology;
- the presence of chronic diseases; violation of immunity;
- heredity.
The thyroid gland is an adaptation organ, its daily work together with other endocrine glands allows the body to adequately respond to any stressful moments and survive. Thyroid resources are not unlimited. Take care of her and your health in general!
8. Is it possible to cure the thyroid gland with nutrition?
If the disease of the gland (usually an increase in size) is not accompanied by a violation of the anatomy and function of the gland, then yes. In such cases, it is recommended to include in the diet more seafood, fruits growing near the sea – persimmons, feijoa and olives, olives. Or the doctor recommends taking iodine and selenium as part of vitamin-mineral complexes. In the presence of tumors and cysts in the thyroid gland, malfunctioning (excess or deficiency of hormones), nutrition must be agreed with the attending physician.
9. Does everyone have to eat iodized salt?
Since most of the territory of the Russian Federation belongs to iodine deficiency states, taking iodized salt is an effective measure for the prevention of thyroid diseases. This is recognized at the state level. The exception is people who have increased thyroid function, the doctor tells them about this already at the first appointment.