Endocrine Diseases: When Hormones Are Out of Balance

Your endocrine system is made up of eight major glands around the body. They make hormones — chemical messengers that travel in the bloodstream to tissues and organs.

What hormones do

Hormones work slowly and affect processes throughout the body, including:

• growth and development;
• metabolism — digestion, elimination, breathing, blood circulation and keeping body temperature steady;
• sexual function;
• reproduction;
• mood.

How hormone disorders arise

• Too much or too little. Hormone levels that are too high or too low can mean a hormone disorder.
• No response. Disease also results when the body does not respond to a hormone as it should.
• Other influences. Stress, infection, and changes in the balance of fluid and electrolytes in the blood can also affect hormone levels.

The most common

In the United States the most common endocrine disease is diabetes, but there are many others.

Treatment

Endocrine diseases are usually treated by controlling how much of a hormone the body makes. When the problem is too little of a hormone, hormone supplements can help.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Endocrine Diseases." https://medlineplus.gov/endocrinediseases.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.