An endocrinologist is a specialized doctor who studies the different glands of the body and hormonal changes and how they can lead to various diseases. such as diabetes, obesity or thyroid problems. It is advisable to go to the endocrinologist's office when the person suffers rapid changes in weight, urinates more than necessary or has more hair than normal in the case of women. In these cases, the endocrine performs a clinical evaluation and a measurement of the amount of blood in the hormones in order to find the causes or reasons for such hormonal changes and start with the best possible treatment.
In the following article we tell you in more detail what the endocrinologist does and when to go to it.
what does the endocrine do
The first thing that the endocrinologist is going to carry out is a clinical interview with the patient, to find out about the different discomforts or symptoms that have led to the consultation. In addition to this, the endocrine must know various data related with lifestyle habits, with the consumption of certain medications or with the family history of the patient.
Then the endocrinologist will perform a physical examination in the area where the person has symptoms or discomfort. It is also normal to request a blood test to know the levels of hormones in the body. You can also order x-rays or an MRI. In a second consultation and after having the results of the various tests, the professional can indicate the beginning of a certain medical treatment to reverse the hormonal problem.
When should you go to the endocrine consultation?
There are a number of symptoms or signs that can indicate that it is advisable to go to the endocrine consultation:
- Great difficulty in losing weight.
- Weight gain quickly.
- Tiredness at all hours of the day.
- Alterations in the menstrual cycle.
- Excess hair in the case of women.
- Breast growth in children.
- Early puberty.
- Excessive desire to urinate and very thirsty, which may be related to diabetes.
Diseases usually treated by the endocrinologist
The endocrine studies everything related to hormonal change in the body, so its radius of action is quite wide and large. The endocrine therefore usually treats a series of diseases specifically:
- Alterations in the thyroid as is the case of hyperthyroidism, goiter or hypothyroidism. The normal thing to do is to perform a series of tests that help diagnose some of the thyroid problems described above.
- Diabetes or too much sugar in the blood. The job of the endocrinologist is to identify the type of diabetes that the person suffers from and what treatment to follow so that the sugar levels decrease.
- Obesity or overweight is usually related to certain problems in hormones such as hypothyroidism or diabetes.
- Ovaries with polyps or cysts occur due to an alteration in the levels of female hormones in the blood. These cysts make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. or that suffers strong alterations in the menstrual cycle.
- Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disease. It is caused by a considerable increase in cortisol in the blood. This type of syndrome causes the person to suffer a significant weight gain and a fairly large accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.
- growth-related changes They are usually treated by the endocrinologist.
- Hirsutism It is a hormonal alteration that some women suffer and in which excess hair is produced.
- Apart from this, the endocrinologist It can help reduce the symptoms of menopause.
How does the endocrine treat a disease like diabetes?
In recent years, more and more people are suffering from diabetes. The diagnosis of it is quite important, since otherwise the patient may suffer serious complications in terms of health. Some of these complications can be a myocardial infarction, blindness or the amputation of some of the extremities. That is why it is essential to prevent this disease and go to the endocrinologist in the case of presenting a series of fairly clear symptoms:
- Extreme tiredness and a lot of fatigue throughout the day.
- Lots of urge to urinate.
- Being thirsty at all hours of the day.
- Vision problems.
- Weight loss for no clear reason.
- Wounds with problems to heal.
- More appetite than normal.
In short, as you have seen, the work of the endocrine is very important and It treats many diseases that occur regularly in today's society. Faced with some of the symptoms mentioned above, it is essential to go to the endocrinologist's office and start the most appropriate treatment.