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An endocrinologist, as the name of the specialty implies, is a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases of the endocrine system.
The main task that falls on the shoulders of such a specialist is the ability to establish a diagnosis and get rid of it. Moreover, the expert paints the course solely on the basis of the individual characteristics of each of his patients. Due to such a thorough approach, it is possible to get rid of only an emerging disease, or to weaken an already developed and become chronic.
When is the help of an endocrinologist necessary?
Not all the townsfolk know exactly what an endocrinologist treats. Some even believe that his main task is to examine the thyroid gland for its enlargement and send problem patients for follow-up appointments with an oncologist.
But in fact, such a doctor is engaged in a much wider range of work. First, he conducts research in order to find out the performance of the endocrine system. After receiving the primary results, his consultation will be based on a more specific diagnosis, as well as the elimination of identified violations in the most painless ways.
A good specialist will offer his patient several options for resolving the issue at once, if such an opportunity presents itself. And not all of them have a radical development of events, since the surgeon is already considered the last resort when there is no alternative method of treatment left.
In addition to the fact that the doctor treats the disease itself, he also deals with the correction of the complications that this disease has caused. This list includes hormonal correction. A correctly prescribed regimen for taking drugs of this spectrum of action has a beneficial effect not only on the stabilization of internal organs. Reviews of patients who have undergone such therapy claim that it helps them even on an emotional level.
Usually, moral relief occurs due to the fact that a person suffering from impaired metabolism brings his body back to normal. After all, it is often hormonal surges that cause obesity. This applies to both adults and teenagers.
What does an endocrinologist treat?
Modern endocrinology, as a separate medical branch, has two of the most extensive divisions, including:
- pediatric endocrinology;
- diabetology.
The first group addresses the problems of young patients who are faced with abnormalities in normal sexual development or growth. Girls are additionally recommended to see a female doctor, since a gynecologist, with the support of an endocrinologist, will be able to prescribe a more correct course of treatment.
An extensive group includes patients who have been diagnosed or are still simply suspected of diabetes mellitus of various forms and degrees of severity. Moreover, the doctor helps even those patients who need correction of serious complications caused by such a common disease.
In recent years, the world medical community is increasingly inclined to bring diabetology into a separate section of medicine. There are more than enough reasons for this, but the main one is the general increase in patients suffering from this disease.
Difficulties are added by the fact that diabetics are chronic patients for the most part, which is why they have to come to the appointment regularly, which is fully justified, because if the treatment course is adjusted in time, serious complications will be avoided.
But the choice between a doctor in a public medical institution or a paid clinic lies entirely on the shoulders of the person in need of services. It is far from always that a free specialist turns out to be worse than a doctor who takes in a private office. Here it is more important to focus on his qualifications, work experience, as well as professional development through participation in thematic seminars and forums.
Thus, the endocrinologist deals with the problem of the following organs:
- thyroid gland;
- hypothalamus;
- pituitary gland;
- adrenal glands;
- pancreas;
- cone-shaped body.
And the most common diagnoses made by an endocrinologist are:
- Diabetes. This endocrine disease, which makes itself felt in the absence of the required amount of insulin produced by the pancreas.
- Diabetes insipidus. Compared to the first point, it is much less common, but it still happens if a person suffers from deviations in the hypothalamic-pituitary regulation.
- Disorders of the thyroid gland. Various options are possible here, but most often we are talking about autoimmune thyroiditis or diffuse goiter.
- Hyperandrogenism. A disease that affects only women. The problem lies in increasing the amount of male sex hormones. Here it is important to draw up a treatment regimen together with an experienced gynecologist.
- Testosterone deficiency. The disease is the reverse of hyperandrogenism. The disease affects men who, with age, the male hormone is produced in insufficient quantities.
There are also more rare diseases, among which appears acromegaly. It affects the functioning of the pituitary gland. Also, often people are faced with diseases of the adrenal glands. In such patients, a diagnosis can be found – Itsenko-Cushing’s disease.
In addition to options where the source of the problem is a lack or excess of female or male hormones, often people are faced with excessive production of prolactin. And parents of toddlers have to make an appointment if the child has a suspicion of hypothyroidism. This means that children do not have enough hormones secreted by the thyroid gland.
Another danger is pseudohypoparathyroidism, which manifests itself in the form of a convulsive syndrome. Moreover, often the first convulsions in crumbs begin to be recorded from the first days of life.
You can not do without consulting an endocrinologist for all those who are going to get rid of obesity. Often with such problems, one nutritionist or sports trainer cannot help. To achieve a good result, it is necessary to test for hormonal levels. It is likely that excess weight is caused by problems at the level of hormonal deficiency or excess.
Relevance of a pediatric endocrinologist
Most moms and dads bypass the endocrinologist’s office in the clinic, even if the pediatrician strongly recommends seeking advice from such a narrow specialist. But even without urgent need, you should not ignore the advice to take the baby for a preventive examination. It is likely that such foresight will be able to save the heir from serious complications in the future.
It is also worth sounding the alarm if your son or daughter has several of the following symptoms:
- frequent urination with constantly unquenchable thirst;
- changes in appetite;
- obesity;
- a sharp decrease in weight or the inability to gain kilograms for a very long time;
- lag in development;
- muscle weakness;
- fatigue;
- enlargement of the thyroid gland even without accompanying pain;
- convulsive syndrome.
It is equally important to watch out for the early onset of menstruation in girls (before the age of seven) or the development of secondary sexual characteristics in boys before the age of 8.
If you suspect a delay in sexual development in 13-14 children, it is also worth showing the child to the doctor.
You should also take into account situations when a child is placed on a long-term endocrinological record. This happens in the following scenarios:
- low or abnormally high birth weight;
- metabolic disorder;
- problems with the thyroid gland;
- violation of sexual development;
- adrenal pathology.
With the above diagnoses, short-term treatment cannot be expected.
Features of the work of an adult endocrinologist
It often happens that the patient comes to the endocrinologist last because of the fact that he travels for a long time to the offices of other doctors: a urologist, a gynecologist, a general practitioner.
Despite the fact that in some cases the symptoms in children and adults coincide, it is usually more problematic to establish an accurate diagnosis for men and women. This is explained by the fact that some diseases are disguised as one another, or are closely interconnected.
The job of an experienced physician is to find this connection based on common symptoms:
- weakness and fatigue;
- memory problems;
- reduced performance;
- pain in the upper and lower extremities for no reason or their numbness;
- depression for no particular reason;
- irritability;
- weight jumps without a change in diet or emotional upheaval;
- profuse sweating with a feeling of heat;
- thirst and subsequent frequent urination;
- headache;
- feeling of a lump in the throat;
- swelling and pain in the throat;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- nausea and constipation;
- violation of the menstrual cycle.
But even if a potential patient has only one or two of the listed symptoms, or they do not appear at all, and the therapist referred to a specialist, this is no reason to ignore the recommendation.
This is especially true for women, for whom, in some situations, going to an endocrinologist-gynecologist is mandatory:
- pregnancy planning;
- selection of oral contraceptives;
- age prevention over 45 years;
- period before menopause.
You can not do without the help of such a doctor, even for young girls who are faced with heavy painful menstruation, literally leading to fainting. They may also complain of being overweight with a normal diet and even an active lifestyle, increased hair growth.
Young age is not a barrier to the development of cervical pathologies, ovarian cysts and other serious gynecological disorders against the background of hormonal imbalance.
How is the reception
Usually, the first visit to a specialized specialist involves telling about your own suspicions and complaints. The doctor also performs an initial examination, which includes measurements using a centimeter tape and scales. If necessary, growth and blood glucose levels are checked.
Depending on the symptomatology described, a neurological kit or tests for ketone bodies are used. And if the patient got into the office of a gynecologist-endocrinologist, then there will be a gynecological chair for examination.
In addition to a survey regarding complaints, an experienced doctor always clarifies whether there were relatives in the family who encountered endocrine diseases. During the consultation, the patient will at the same time check the indicators of pressure and heartbeat, as well as examine the lymph nodes, the thyroid gland.
Upon completion of the first appointment, the patient will be given a referral for ultrasound: thyroid gland; adrenal glands; pelvic organs.
Also, you can not do without a blood test for sugar and hormones.
If it is required to take tests for hormones, then the doctor must necessarily warn the visitor that it is necessary to be tested only on certain days. So, for measuring estrogen, you need to take the test for 3-5 days from the start of the menstrual cycle. Separate rules apply for testing for testosterone, progesterone and other hormones.
At the same time, generally accepted rules must be observed, such as giving up alcohol and smoking a day before the test. Also, do not engage in active physical exercises the day before. And by no means should you go to be tested for a cold or any other inflammatory process.