Eating Disorders Can Cause Issues with the Pituitary Gland
Eating disorders have the highest fatality rate of all psychological disorders. The reason for this is that the effects of starvation and malnutrition a domino-like effect on the body.
One example of this domino effect is that eating disorders can affect the pituitary gland. This single gland secretes hormones that affect hundreds of processes in the body, including the stimulation of other major glands to release hormones.
What Is the Pituitary Gland?
Glands are organs that produce bodily chemicals that regulate and perform all of our bodily functions. These chemicals help keep things in our bodies balanced and chugging along.
One major gland of the body's endocrine system is the pituitary. It's situated at the base of your brain. It's only the size of a pea, but the job it does is tremendous.
What Does the Pituitary Gland Do
The hormones that your pituitary gland secretes helps to regulate growth, body structure, and regulate the metabolism in general. Some of these hormones control your blood pressure and oversee fluid retention.
The pituitary gland plays a significant role in the reproductive system. It produces and regulates hormones that cause women to menstruate, produce, and release eggs, and it regulates the menstrual cycle and release of estrogen. In males, it secretes hormones that produce sperm. In pregnancy, it secretes hormones that regulate childbirth, as well as lactation.
The pituitary also regulates the thyroid gland, which is another major gland that produces hormones with essential functions.
The pituitary is responsible for hundreds of different things in your body, so when it is malfunctioning, it can wreak havoc on a body.
What Are Some Signs of An Underactive Pituitary Gland
People suffering from malnutrition may suffer from an underactive pituitary gland. This puts people with eating disorders at risk. Some signs that you may have hypopituitarism (slow pituitary gland) depends on which hormones have slowed down in production.
For many women suffering from eating disorders, an underactive pituitary may disrupt the menstrual cycle. It's not uncommon for women with eating disorders to have irregular cycles, or to miss several periods in a row.
For both men and women, a slow pituitary gland may cause sexual dysfunctions.
In children, essential growth hormones may be depleted so that the child won't reach optimum size.
If you suspect you may have hypopituitarism, a doctor can check your hormone levels with blood tests. The condition is treatable, and, if caught early enough, it may be reversible.
Sources: Healthline
Photo: Pixabay
More Articles
There is currently no approved drug for anorexia nervosa, a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder. Research showed that low doses of a...
In the past, eating disorders were primarily considered to be behavior. This overly-simplistic misunderstanding of the issue only created more...
Sudden light-headedness can be a frightening experience for anyone, particularly if you are unsure of the cause. For many, experiencing occasional...
Maintaining a balanced diet not only keeps our body functioning at its best, it also keeps our skin, hair, and nails looking bright and healthy....
Researchers are closer to finding the genetic cause for binge eating and might be getting closer to an effective treatment. “Based upon our...
More Articles
More Articles
There is currently no approved drug for anorexia nervosa, a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder. Research showed that low doses of a...
In the past, eating disorders were primarily considered to be behavior. This overly-simplistic misunderstanding of the issue only created more...
Sudden light-headedness can be a frightening experience for anyone, particularly if you are unsure of the cause. For many, experiencing occasional...
Maintaining a balanced diet not only keeps our body functioning at its best, it also keeps our skin, hair, and nails looking bright and healthy....
Researchers are closer to finding the genetic cause for binge eating and might be getting closer to an effective treatment. “Based upon our...
When a person begins recovery treatment for anorexia nervosa, they may need to initiate a process known as refeeding. The refeeding process is a...
When a baby is in utero, they develop fine white hairs all over their body. These are known as lanugo hairs and they protect the baby’s skin from...
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics found more than 90 percent of patients with eating disorders not specifically defined (EDNOS) in...
Eating disorders might be hard to talk about, or even to admit to yourself. If you know, or if you even suspect, you have an eating disorder,...
If you suspect your child has an eating disorder, you may feel overwhelmed. There are a few things you should know upfront.
First and...
Eating disorders don't discriminate. They don't care if you're rich or poor, they don't care about your color or gender, and they don't care if...
In the U.S., an estimated one in 200 people develop an eating disorder. That is a startling number, but another number is even more alarming: one...
A lot of what people know about eating disorders comes from "common knowledge." Unfortunately, common knowledge isn't always correct, or it may...
Anorexia is a serious eating disorder that is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight. In many cases, people suffering from this...
Most people find holidays stressful, but the thought of facing holidays can be overwhelming for a person with an eating disorder. If a special day...
