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Your pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain. The pituitary is the "master control gland" - it makes hormones that affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body.

With pituitary disorders, you often have too much or too little of one of your hormones. Injuries can cause pituitary disorders, but the most common cause is a pituitary tumor.

Symptoms of Pituitary Disorders

The following features are indicative of Pituitary Disorders:
  • intense thirst
  • excretion of large amounts of urine
  • high blood pressure
  • abdominal obesity but with thin arms and legs
  • reddish stretch marks, a round red face
  • a fat lump between the shoulders
  • weak muscles
  • weak bones
  • acne
  • fragile skin that heals poorly
  • women may have more hair and irregular menstruation
  • changes in mood
  • headache
  • chronic feeling of tiredness
It is possible that Pituitary Disorders shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

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Common Causes of Pituitary Disorders

The following are the most common causes of Pituitary Disorders:
  • damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus
  • inherited genetic disorder
  • defect in the kidney tubules
  • excess levels of the hormone cortisol

Risk Factors for Pituitary Disorders

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Pituitary Disorders:
  • genetic factor

Prevention of Pituitary Disorders

Yes, it may be possible to prevent Pituitary Disorders. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:
  • drink more liquids
  • use of high-dose anti-aldosterone treatment

Occurrence of Pituitary Disorders

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Pituitary Disorders cases seen each year worldwide:
  • Common between 1 - 10 Million cases

Common Age Group

Pituitary Disorders can occur at any age.

Common Gender

Pituitary Disorders can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Pituitary Disorders

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Pituitary Disorders:
  • Water deprivation test: To measure the urine output and the concentration of the urine and blood
  • Urinalysis: To check the physical and chemical examination of urine
  • Magnetic resonance imaging: To construct detailed pictures of brain tissues
  • Genetic screening: To suspect an inherited form of diabetes insipidus
  • Urine and blood tests: To measure the hormone levels in the urine and blood
  • Saliva test: To measure the cortisol levels rise and fall throughout the day
  • Imaging tests: Computerized tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging scans used to provide images of pituitary and adrenal glands to detect abnormalities
  • Petrosal sinus sampling: To determine whether the cause disease

Doctor for Diagnosis of Pituitary Disorders

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Pituitary Disorders:
  • Endocrinologist
  • Neurosurgeon

Complications of Pituitary Disorders if untreated

Yes, Pituitary Disorders causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Pituitary Disorders is left untreated:
  • dehydration
  • electrolyte imbalance
  • osteoporosis
  • high blood pressure
  • type 2 diabetes
  • frequent or unusual infections
  • loss of muscle mass and strength

Procedures for Treatment of Pituitary Disorders

The following procedures are used to treat Pituitary Disorders:
  • Surgery: Complete surgical removal of tumor if it's a cause of disease
  • Radiation therapy: Removal of the remaining tumor after surgery

Self-care for Pituitary Disorders

The following self-care actions or lifestyle changes may help in the treatment or management of Pituitary Disorders:
  • Increase activities slowly: Helps in improving the condition slowly
  • Eat sensibly: Helps in losing the extra pounds that you gained from the disease
  • Practicing massage, low-impact exercises and hot baths: Helps in alleviating some of the muscle and joint pain

Alternative Medicine for Treatment of Pituitary Disorders

The following alternate medicine and therapies are known to help in the treatment or management of Pituitary Disorders:
  • Practicing acupuncture techniques: Helps in relieving the symptoms
  • Regular body relaxing massage: Helps in relieving the symptoms and relax the body

Patient Support for Treatment of Pituitary Disorders

The following actions may help Pituitary Disorders patients:
  • Join support groups: Brings you together with the people suffering from same condition helps in dealing with the disease

Related Topics

Last updated date

This page was last updated on 2/04/2019.
This page provides information for Pituitary Disorders.

Related Topics

Pituitary Tumors

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