An endocrinologist is typically a doctor that specializes in treating hormonal-related illnesses. Hormones, in addition to being the chemical messengers of your body, transport important substances throughout your bloodstream. Therefore, endocrinologists typically have additional specialized training in the endocrinology system.
The job of an endocrinologist is to identify the cause of abnormal hormone levels and treat these imbalances. They can be found in most all areas of the world, although there is a concentration of them located in the United States and Canada. An endocrinologist can specialize in many different areas of the endocrinology system, including diabetes, thyroid disorders, and obesity.
Endocrinology is the branch of medicine devoted to the study of hormones. There are two main types of endocrinology: metabolic and neuroendocrinology. Metabolic endocrinology concerns itself with the regulation of tissues such as the heart, liver, and kidneys; neuroendocrinology is concerned with disorders that affect the nervous system, such as migraine headaches, loss of limbs, and even epilepsy. In addition, the disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and those affecting the reproductive organs are also considered to fall under this field of endocrinology. However, it should be noted that there are several sub-specialties that fall under the larger umbrella of endocrinology. These sub-specialties include urology, which are basically an endocrinology of the skin; gastroenterology, which focus on disorders affecting the gastrointestinal system; and neurology, which are basically an endocrinology of the nervous system.
Many diseases that fall under endocrinology types of chronic and autoimmune diseases. One of the most common disorders is diabetes, which affects millions of Americans every year. Diabetes is a disease that results from the body’s inability to produce sufficient quantities of insulin, or to properly use glucose. This can result in excessive thirst, weight gain, vomiting, loss of thirst, and even ketoacidosis, a dangerous situation where the body begins to generate too much acetone (the substance that’s produced when your brain burns energy to create energy). As these conditions to become worse, endocrinologists often perform blood tests to determine if diabetic patients are suffering from insulin deficiency or another disorder.
Another type of endocrinologist, along with anemia, is that of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces the hormones that control growth, metabolism, and development. It is important that anyone who feels they may have an endocrinological issue should contact their primary care doctor immediately. There are a number of conditions that pituitary gland disorders can cause, including thyroid disorders, breast cancers, congenital anomalies, hyperprolactinemia, obesity, and hyperinsulinism, to name a few.
If you are suffering from diabetes and you see that your blood sugar levels are dangerously high (more than 100 mg/dL) then your endocrinologist may be the person to diagnose you. This is due to the fact that the reflex pathway within the endocrine gland is directly affected by insulin levels. If the insulin levels are too low, the pancreas will fail to secrete the necessary amount of the hormone glucagon, which then causes the endocrinologist to evaluate the level of glucose in your bloodstream. If the level of blood sugar is too high, then the pituitary gland will overproduce the hormone insulin, which in turn causes high blood sugar levels.
A common test performed by endocrinologists is the insulin sensitivity test. This test is done in order to determine if your pancreas and/or ovaries are producing the appropriate amount of insulin to keep your blood sugar levels at an acceptable level. If you have high insulin levels, then your endocrinologist will either recommend that you take insulin or provide medication to correct the imbalance. Of course, there are other factors involved when it comes to endocrinology and diabetes so a thorough evaluation of your overall health is required before any treatment can be given.
If your endocrinologist suspects endocrinology is the cause of your diabetes, they will most likely begin you on a course of insulin or oral medications to correct your blood sugar level(s). For most patients, this is all that is needed as taking medication for prolonged periods can have some serious side effects. This is especially true if you are also taking other forms of medication such as anti-depressants, birth control pills, or beta blockers.