What If Your Pituitary Gland Does Not Function?
Houston Endocrine Center2022-09-14T17:42:40+00:00The pituitary gland is a small organ located in the center of the brain, responsible for producing hormones that regulate various functions of other organs. The pituitary gland consists of two lobes: anterior and posterior. Nerves connect it to other body parts, including the hypothalamus (a part of the brain).
Glands
Glands are organs that secrete substances into ducts. Glands are found all over the body, including in areas such as the mouth, nose, and skin.
They can be made up of one or more types of cells. In general, glands have a secretory function—they produce and release chemical substances into the surrounding tissue.
Pituitary gland
The pituitary gland is a small endocrine gland located at the base of the brain. It works with other glands to control how your body works.
The hypothalamus controls some parts of your nervous system, including
- Hunger
- Thirst
- Body temperature.
It’s connected to the hypothalamus and hypophysis through nerve tissues, which carry messages.
The hypothalamus makes hormones that tell your pituitary gland when it should release hormones; this process is known as negative feedback because it stops production once levels reach a certain point (like an off switch).
The hypophysis makes thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which stimulates TSH production by thyroids (glands that regulate metabolism).
Parts of Pituitary glands?
The pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized gland located beneath the base of your brain. It produces hormones that control growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, and many other processes in your body.
The pituitary gland comprises two parts:
- The anterior
- Posterior lobes.
The anterior lobe produces hormones such as
- growth hormone (GH)
- Prolactin
- adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
The posterior lobe produces
- antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
- vasopressin.
Location of the pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland can be found at the base of your brain, just above the hypothalamus. It’s connected to the hypothalamus by a stalk and surrounded by blood vessels and nerves.
The pituitary gland is responsible for many different functions in the body, including hormone production and regulation.
The pituitary gland produces hormones that:
- Control growth
- Development
- Metabolism
- Sexual function.
Hormones secreted by the Pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland secretes several hormones, including:
-
Growth hormone:
This is important for maintaining healthy body function. It helps you grow taller and maintain good muscle mass.
-
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH):
This regulates the levels of thyroid hormones in your blood, which are important for regulating metabolism.
-
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH):
ACTH is produced by the anterior lobe and released in response to stress
Or injury to your body’s adrenal glands. It stimulates them to produce cortisol, a key anti-inflammatory and anti-stress hormone that helps you adapt when faced with trauma or stressors like illness or injury.
-
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH):
This helps regulate reproductive function in both men and women by stimulating sperm production in men, ovulation in women, spermatogenesis (production of new sperm cells) in males—as well as the maturation of ovarian follicles during female puberty—and growth rate among all developing fetuses before birth.
-
Luteinizing Hormone (LH):
LH triggers ovulation each month after an egg has been released from one of your ovaries by causing its follicle sacs to rupture so that they may release their mature eggs into nearby fallopian tubes where they can be fertilized if present sperm manage to travel through the genital tract via ejaculate entered into the vagina during intercourse within 72 hours prior until 60 minutes after ejaculation occurs; otherwise known as “post-coital contraception.”
What functions does the Pituitary gland perform?
The pituitary gland is the master gland of the body. It is responsible for releasing hormones that help in the growth, development, and regulation of body processes. The pituitary gland helps in the regulation of growth hormones and sex hormones. It also helps to control thyroid glands.
The hypothalamus is an important part of our brain as it controls different functions of our body, like metabolism, temperature regulation, etc.
This section contains a gland called Hypophysis or Pituitary Gland, which secretes hormones that stimulate other glands to produce their respective hormones (the ones responsible for making us feel good). These two sections together can be termed as “Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis.”
How does the pituitary gland act on targeted organs?
The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland that lies below the hypothalamus. It secretes hormones that control the body’s growth and development, helps regulate its metabolism, and regulates its energy use.
The pituitary gland is controlled by a group of nerve cells called the hypothalamus. These nerve cells send signals to specific areas of your pituitary gland, telling it to release certain hormones into your bloodstream.
-
Thyroid gland
stimulates its production of thyroxine.
-
Adrenals
stimulate the production of cortisol.
-
Ovaries/testes
stimulate the production of sex hormones. These hormones travel through your bloodstream to targeted organs, including:
On what mechanism does it work?
The pituitary gland is a small organ that lies just below the brain. It’s part of your endocrine system, which produces hormones (chemical messengers) that send signals to cells in other parts of your body. The pituitary gland has two parts:
-
Anterior lobe:
This part produces tropic hormones, which control the activity of other endocrine glands in your body.
-
Posterior lobe:
These are regulatory hormones because they help keep hormone levels balanced throughout the body. This includes releasing growth hormone and prolactin when needed to stimulate growth or lactation.
What if the pituitary gland stops working?
If your pituitary gland stops working, it may not be able to produce enough hormones to keep you healthy. If this happens, you may have symptoms related to hormone deficiency.
For example, if your body isn’t producing enough growth hormone (GH), you may have short stature or low muscle mass and strength.
Another thing that might happen is that your body will make more than enough of one hormone but not enough of another. This is called an overproduction or underproduction problem.
You could experience high blood pressure due to excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production
- too much prolactin in women causes milk production and menstrual cycle changes.
- Too much growth hormone causes gigantism and acromegaly in adults.
- Too little thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) results in hypothyroidism,
leading to weight gain and fatigue.
What will be the consequences of the non-functioning of the Pituitary gland?
Knowing the possible consequences of a non-functioning pituitary gland is very important. The Pituitary gland is located below the hypothalamus in the brain, and it secretes hormones that help in the functioning of different systems of our body.
Some diseases, like acromegaly and Cushing’s syndrome, affect this part of our body. If you do not treat your pituitary gland properly, you may suffer from many other health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure.
Some symptoms that indicate a disease can be:
- Tiredness or low energy levels
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks or activities
- Loss of libido (sex drive)
- Feeling fatigued during exercise, even after warming up properly.
The best one can do to prevent these problems is by taking care of your pituitary gland regularly through:
- Eating healthy food regularly (avoid junk food)
- Avoiding stress as much as possible; try meditation practices instead!
How does it affect the different parts of the body?
Pituitary gland problems can affect your body in several ways. The pituitary gland is responsible for producing hormones that are essential for growth and development, as well as regulating other functions in the body.
The hypothalamus produces two hormones:
- growth hormone (GH)
- prolactin (PRL).
These then travel to the pituitary and are released into the bloodstream.
The hypothalamus also controls thirst and hunger, body temperature, sex drive, sleep cycles, and mood changes by releasing specific hormones from either or both of these structures.
The pituitary gland is located in the middle of your brain at the base of your skull behind your nose, where it connects to this structure employing a stalk called a “hypophyseal portal system.”
Why does the pituitary gland stops working?
The pituitary gland can stop working for several reasons.
- Tumors
- brain injuries
- Strokes
- head injuries
- infections
These can be the common causes of hypopituitarism (when the pituitary gland does not work). The most common cause is a tumor that starts in the pituitary gland or an infection from outside sources such as viruses or bacteria.
How do we know when Pituitary Gland stops working?
Talk to your doctor if you have any of these signs and symptoms. You may be at risk for a pituitary gland problem:
- Frequent headaches
- Dry skin
- Excessive thirst or frequent urination
- Weight gain or loss without trying
You also may need to see a doctor if you have any of these symptoms:
Mood swings and depression that are severe or last more than two weeks.
The most common signs of a tumor include:
- Headache (especially in the morning).
- Visual changes such as double vision.
- Eye pain.
- Poor vision (including blurred vision).
- Partial blindness (tunnel vision).
- And an enlarged pupil(s) is not associated with an eye injury.
These symptoms can be caused by many entities other than tumors, so it is important that if you experience these symptoms, you seek medical care immediately so proper testing can be done for treatment options to be determined.
What is the disease related to the pituitary gland?
- Hypopituitarism
- Hyperpituitarism
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Acromegaly
- Pituitary apoplexy (if there is a blood clot in the pituitary gland)
- Pituitary tumors (if you have a tumor on your pituitary gland, it could cause problems with your other glands)
- Diabetes insipidus (a rare condition where you constantly urinate and pass more urine than normal)
- Loss of vision
How can it be treated?
Treatment varies depending on the cause of your pituitary gland problem. It may include medication, surgery, and radiation therapy. This depends on the tumor’s location and whether it has been diagnosed early enough to shrink with medication. Surgery can sometimes restore normal hormone levels if they have fallen too low.
Suppose you have a pituitary tumor grown large enough to press on structures in your brain or optic nerves. In that case, it might be necessary to remove it surgically (a craniotomy procedure). Radiation therapy or chemotherapy may also be part of this treatment plan.
When should I consult a Doctor?
If you are having trouble with your vision, hearing, or smell, or if you have any other symptoms that worry you (such as headaches), the first thing to do is see your doctor.
If they can’t help, they will refer you to a specialist for pituitary gland problems.
Conclusion
The pituitary gland is known as the master gland because it regulates other bodily glands. Keeping it healthy means keeping yourself healthy.
Having any unusual symptoms or activities in your body should not be taken easily, and you should visit a good doctor as soon as possible.
Request an appointment with the best Doctors in Houston, Texas, to get yourself checked.