Patient Education
Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a rare endocrinological disorder in which an excessive amount of growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland after normal growth has been completed. In almost all cases, acromegaly results from a noncancerous tumor on the pituitary gland. In rare instances, acromegaly is caused by a tumor elsewhere in the body. Patients with […]
Addison’s Disease
Addison’s disease is a rare endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones for proper bodily function. In people with Addison’s disease, the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol, and in some cases, the adrenal glands also fail to produce enough aldosterone. These hormones are essential to body function. […]
Adrenal Tumors
The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys at the back of the upper abdominal cavity. These small, triangular organs produce several hormones, including aldosterone, cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisone, adrenalin and norepinephrine. Tumors can cause the adrenal glands to produce too much of one or more of these substances, resulting in serious […]
Bone Mineral Density Test
A bone mineral density (BMD) test, is a test administered to evaluate an individual’s bone strength by measuring the density of calcium and other minerals in particular areas of bone. During normal aging, bones lose minerals and become thinner. If they become abnormally thin, however, the patient has a disease condition known as osteoporosis. Patients […]
Childhood Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious, chronic metabolic disorder in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond to the insulin being produced. Diabetes affects an estimated 26 million children and adults in the United States which is over eight percent of the population. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death […]
Cushing’s Syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by long-term exposure to abnormally high levels of cortisol. Sometimes, corticosteroids used to treat inflammatory disease can lead to Cushing’s syndrome. At other times, the disorder is caused by a tumor on one of the endocrine glands or on the lungs. Cushing’s syndrome should not be confused with […]
Diabetes
Diabetes is the inability of the body to create or use insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that enables sugar or glucose, to enter the cells. Diabetes is a serious, chronic metabolic disorder in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond to the insulin being produced. The body […]
Diabetic Foot Care
Because of their distance from the heart and because of the force of gravity, the feet and legs are more at risk for difficulties with circulation and healing than other parts of the body. In patients with diabetes, these risks are exacerbated by the disease since diabetes can lead to: impaired circulation, nerve damage (neuropathy), […]
Diabetic Foot Problems
Patients with diabetes have an elevated risk of serious foot problems. There are several reasons for this since diabetes involves: poor circulation, a damaged immune system and the possible development of nerve damage (neuropathy). Blood circulation in the feet is weaker than elsewhere in the body to begin with because of distance from the heart […]
Endocrinology
Endocrinology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the endocrine system, the system comprised of glands that produce essential hormones. These hormones regulate a great many bodily processes, including metabolism, reproduction, sexual function, growth and development. The glands of the endocrine system are the thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, ovaries, testes, adrenal, pituitary, and hypothalamus. Endocrinologists […]
Female Infertility
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility may be attributed to the man, the woman, or both partners. Infertility does not mean that a couple is sterile and will never have a child. Approximately half of all couples who seek help for infertility will eventually conceive […]
Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease is a disorder of the immune system resulting in the overproduction of hormones by the thyroid gland, or hyperthyroidism. Like most other immune system irregularities, its cause is unknown, though research to date has shown that heredity, age, gender and stress level are risk factors for the condition. Graves’ disease is the most […]
Hashimoto’s Disease
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland, which plays an important role in managing many of the functions of the body. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid. If the thyroid gland is not active enough, it does not make enough thyroid hormone to meet […]
Hormone Imbalance
Hormones are natural chemicals within the cells of the body that travel through the bloodstream to organs and tissues. Hormones are essential for a variety of functions, including regulating a woman’s metabolism, growth, immunity function and sexual reproduction. Hormone production tends to decrease naturally over time. As the production of certain hormones decreases, there may […]
Hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia means that, a patient has an overabundance of calcium in the blood. While calcium is essential and plays a significant role in maintaining bone strength, muscular contraction and central nervous system function, too much calcium can be harmful. Hypercalcemia most frequently affects women over 50 years of age. Most often, hypercalcemia is due to […]
Hyperparathyroidism
The parathyroid glands are four small glands in the neck that are part of the endocrine system. They produce parathyroid hormone (PTH), which maintains calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. The most common disease associated with the parathyroid glands is overproduction of PTH, known as hyperparathyroidism. Twice as many women as men suffer from […]
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism, also known as an overactive thyroid gland, is a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland excretes an excessive amount of thyroid hormones. This overproduction creates more hormones than the body needs and causes many important bodily functions to speed up. The thyroid is the gland in the front of the neck that […]
Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia is a disorder in which there is a calcium deficiency in the blood. Calcium is an essential mineral that assists in bone strengthening, muscle contraction and proper functioning of the central nervous system. While patients with hypocalcemia may be asymptomatic, the condition can, left untreated, be life-threatening. It most commonly occurs in populations where […]
Hypoparathyroidism
Hypoparathyroidism is a disease condition in which the parathyroid glands, located at the base of the neck on the thyroid glands, produce too little parathyroid hormone, known as PTH. This hormone aids in regulating the levels of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in the bloodstream. In patients with hypoparathyroidism, phosphorus levels increase and calcium levels […]
Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder in which the pituitary gland does not produce an adequate supply of one or more pituitary hormone. Because the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, produces hormones that control the functions of many other organs and glands, inadequate hormone production can lead to serious loss of function […]
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a common condition that occurs when an underactive thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones to properly manage many important functions of the body. The thyroid is the gland in the front of the neck that controls energy use and metabolic functions. If the thyroid gland is not active enough, it does not […]
Insulin Pump Therapy
Insulin pump therapy, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), is a relatively recent development in diabetic care. In use for several decades, insulin pump therapy is a computerized method of insulin delivery. While insulin pump therapy has been used in patients with type 1 diabetes for quite some time, during the past decade […]
Metabolic Bone Disease
Metabolic bone disease refers to a variety of disorders that affect bone strength or structure. Osteoporosis is the most widespread of these conditions, but there are a number of other metabolic bone diseases that can lead to fractures, deformity and abnormal functioning if not treated promptly. These disorders may be the result of genetic factors, […]
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition caused by damage within the nerve fibers, resulting in the delivery of incorrect signals to the brain. Neuropathic pain, a response to injury to the central nervous or peripheral nervous system, usually causes tissue damage. What makes neuropathic pain so difficult to treat is that it is not only […]
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to become weak and brittle and at a high risk for fracture. In all individuals, bone breaks down over time, but is replaced with new bone tissue. As people age, bone loss occurs at a faster rate than new bone mass is created, resulting in osteoporosis. Osteoporosis […]
Parathyroidectomy
The parathyroid glands are four small glands located behind the thyroid that regulate the calcium level in the blood. By controlling the amount of calcium in the body, the parathyroid glands control the strength and density of the bones, as well as other systemic functions. The most common reason for a parathyroidectomy, during which one […]
Pituitary Adenoma
A pituitary adenoma is a tumor that develops on the pituitary gland, a gland located at the base of the brain. Since the pituitary gland not only secretes several hormones, but also regulates secretions from other glands, an adenoma may affect many systems of the body. Pituitary adenomas are benign, though in rare instances they […]
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS, is a condition that affects a woman’s ovaries. The causes of polycystic ovary syndrome are unknown but it is known that between 5 percent to 10 percent of the women in the United States are affected by this condition. It is the leading cause of infertility in women. […]
Precocious Puberty
Puberty is the period when a young person begins the process of sexual maturation that will result in the ability to reproduce. Puberty involves accelerated growth and the development of secondary sexual characteristics. These bodily changes occur at various ages, usually between and 9 and 14 years of age for girls and 12 and 16 […]
Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy
Thyroid disease occurs when the thyroid gland malfunctions and produces an abnormal quantity of hormones. When a malfunctioning thyroid gland produces too much or too little hormone during pregnancy, abnormal hormone secretion can be damaging not only to the mother, but to the developing fetus as well. This is because thyroid hormone is essential to […]