How Does the Endocrine System Function?

A healthy human body regulates the body's metabolism and physiological functions through various hormones (hormones) in the endocrine system and the nervous system. The endocrine system is composed of endocrine glands, scattered endocrine cells and the hormones they secrete. It is involved in regulating many physiological activities and life phenomena such as the metabolic process, growth and development, and reproductive aging of the human body. It cooperates with various enzymes (biochemical enzymes) to maintain people. The relative stability of the internal environment to adapt to complex and changing internal and external changes. Hormones are the messengers of the endocrine system. They are transmitted to target cells via bodily fluids to exert a stimulating or inhibitory effect to regulate the function of target cells. Under normal circumstances, various hormones maintain a balance through a feedback regulation mechanism. For example, this balance is broken (too many hormones, too few hormones, or hormone resistance). When a disorder occurs in the human endocrine system, various signs will appear, especially in women, and the symptoms are more obvious.

Basic Information

English name

endocrine dyscrasia

Visiting department

Endocrinology

Common causes

Environmental, physiological, nutritional factors

Common symptoms

Acne, obesity, infertility and gynecology, breast disease, etc.

Causes of endocrine disorders

Hormonal secretion has its own rhythm. Seasonal changes, circadian changes, sleep, diet, and stress are all factors that affect hormone rhythms. In order to adapt to changes in various factors, the hormone feedback regulation system also forms a corresponding rhythm. If these factors change suddenly, the original rhythm will be destroyed, leading to endocrine disorders.

Environmental factor

Seasons alternate. When the climate changes too quickly, it will affect endocrine function. In addition, environmental pollution is also an important cause of endocrine disorders. Due to the presence of some chemicals in the air, after entering the human body through various channels, a series of chemical reactions will occur, leading to endocrine disorders. For example, excessive intake of exogenous estrogen can cause women's menstrual cycle disorders.

2. Physiological factors

The human endocrine glands have self-regulating functions, which can keep people in a physiologically balanced state. However, these self-regulating functions of the endocrine glands generally decrease with age, leading to endocrine disorders. Some people have inherited endocrine disorders.

Almost all rhythms of pituitary hormones are related to sleep and circadian rhythms, so people who suffer from insomnia, stay up all night long, and turn circadian are prone to endocrine disorders.

3. Emotional factors

Psychological reasons have a great impact on endocrine. Affected by stress from work, life, family and other aspects, the nerves are in a tense state. If the mood changes abnormally, it will cause the disorder of hormone secretion and cause endocrine disorders. As women are more sensitive and emotionally unstable, they are also prone to disturb the flow of qi and blood due to internal factors such as depression, irritability, anger, and over-thinking, so that endocrine disorders are more likely to occur.

4. Nutritional factors

The body must have adequate and proper nutrition to maintain normal physiological functions, otherwise endocrine problems will occur in the body. For example, some people do not eat rice or meat in order to lose weight, and even give up dairy products, eat some fruits or only eat weight-loss pills. If people are hungry for a long time, they will be undernourished, and their pituitary function will decline, and they will not be able to secrete sufficient gonadotropins. As a result, the ovaries and other reproductive organs will be reduced in function and endocrine disorders will occur.

Clinical manifestations of endocrine disorders

Female

(1) Deterioration of the skin A lot of yellow spots, dull complexions and dark spots appear on the skin, which are usually caused by bad stimulation of external factors when the endocrine is unstable.

(2) Irritable temperament Menopausal women often have some irritable tempers and large emotional changes. Some people show sweating, bad temper, etc. This may be caused by female endocrine disorders.

(3) Gynecological diseases Gynecological endocrine diseases are very common. Endometriosis, irregular menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea, and irregular menstruation are all gynecological endocrine diseases. There are also some breast diseases that are also related to endocrine disorders.

(4) Obesity Failure to pay attention to dietary habits such as dietary balance can also affect endocrine.

(5) The infertility of the cerebral cortex's regulation of endocrine failure, leading to some hormone secretion disorders that are closely related to pregnancy, affecting pregnancy; or endometrial damage, which is insensitive to female hormones, and affects endocrine reflex Regulation reduces the chance of successful conception.

(6) Breast disease The main cause of breast tenderness and breast hyperplasia is endocrine disorders.

(7) Too much body hair When endocrine disorders occur in the body, women's androgen secretion may cause hairiness.

(8) White hair and premature aging Premature aging of white hair may also be an endocrine problem. In addition, endocrine disorders, especially reduced sex hormone secretion, are an important cause of human aging.

(9) Tinnitus Tinnitus symptoms often occur in menopausal women.

2. male

(1) Acne on the face is a slight manifestation of endocrine disorders. Generally, such disorders can be corrected by self-adjustment.

(2) Testicular endocrine abnormal lesions Primary testicular dysfunction, the more common are Kline felter syndrome (Kline felter) syndrome, radiation damage, cytotoxic damage, malnutrition, etc .; secondary testicular dysfunction, such as Kallmam's syndrome, male pseudohermaphroditism manifested by androgen receptor deficiency.

(3) Adrenal diseases Addison's disease (hyperadrenal insufficiency), Cushing's syndrome (cortisolism), feminized adrenal tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and aldosteronism. Due to endocrine disorders, Can cause male infertility.

(4) Thyroid disease Severe hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism are caused by endocrine disorders that can affect reproductive function. When thyroid function is low, testosterone synthesis is reduced, sperm production is suppressed, and sexual dysfunction occurs. Hyperthyroidism is often accompanied by male breast development, hyposexuality, and impotence.

(5) Pituitary lesions Hyperhypophysis, due to the effects of endocrine gonadotropins, may increase sexual desire, body shape changes, etc., followed by hyposexuality, semen abnormalities, impotence, etc. and lead to infertility. Low pituitary function, such as pituitary tumors, inflammation, surgical injury or radiotherapy destroys the pituitary, resulting in hypopituitarism, sexual desire, decreased sexual intercourse ability, testicular atrophy, and spermatogenesis disorders.

Endocrine disorders

Determination of hormone concentration

You can use radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunoassay, etc. to determine the concentration of hormones in body fluids. Its reliability depends on the purity and characteristics of the antibody, the quality of the collected samples, such as the measurement of insulin concentration in blood, and the determination of blood C peptide At the same time, undissociated C peptide is also included, which affects the reliability of the measurement results. Only the method of monoclonal antibody detection can improve the resolution. In addition, care must be taken to distinguish free (mostly biologically active) hormones from conjugated (mostly non-biologically active) hormones in body fluids in order to correctly evaluate the measurement results. There are other techniques for detecting specific hormones, including mass spectrometry, chromatography, and enzymology.

2. Hormone dynamic observation

Measure the normal rhythm of hormone secretion, such as ACTH, the diurnal fluctuation of cortisol, the luteinizing hormone and the circadian rhythm of cytokinin. The disappearance of normal rhythm is mostly an early manifestation of glandular dysfunction.

Most hormone levels are measured from blood samples, but sometimes the dynamic changes of hormones can also be determined by measuring the levels of certain hormones in the urine. For example, by collecting 24-hour urine, you can comprehensively evaluate the production of hormones and their metabolites.

3. Hormone regulation function test

Including the excitatory test (checking the response to the stimulating hormone) and the inhibition test (checking the feedback inhibition function), it is of great significance in identifying physiological changes and pathological changes, and clarifying the nature of pathological changes.

4. Receptor assay

Determination of the quantity and quality of various target cell receptors, such as the measurement of red blood cell insulin receptors, the measurement of blood cell nuclear T ₃ receptors, and the like. It is mainly used in patients with inconsistent hormone levels and clinical manifestations. The rhythm of receptor changes also has important clinical significance.

5. Target cell function test

Only the response of target cells can clinically reflect the dysfunction of endocrine glands, so measuring the function of target cells can objectively evaluate the effect of hormones. For example, during hyperthyroidism, platelet potassium-sodium ATPase activity is significantly increased, the isovolumic contraction period of the myocardium is shortened, and the basal metabolic rate is increased.

6. Imaging examination

Is an important means to determine the site of endocrine gland lesions. B-ultrasound is commonly used in the examination of thyroid, ovaries, testes, pancreas and other organs; CT and magnetic resonance are often used in the examination of the pituitary or adrenal glands; radionuclide tests are used in thyroid and adrenal imaging and functional measurement.

Diagnosis of endocrine disorders

It is mainly carried out through three aspects: functional diagnosis, pathological diagnosis and etiological diagnosis.

Endocrine disorders treatment

There are many clinical endocrine treatment methods, and there are different coping methods for different causes, symptoms, and severity of signs. Generally, the hyperfunction caused by excessive secretion of hormones is based on the principle of inhibition and reduction. Can take surgery to remove tumors caused by endocrine, or use drugs to inhibit the secretion and synthesis of hormones. The imbalance caused by too little hormone secretion, in principle, is to supplement its deficiency, including supplementing physiological doses of hormones, organ transplants, etc.

Prevention of endocrine disorders

Regulating endocrine mainly starts with diet and exercise, supplemented with medication if necessary.

Diet

Food should be varied and varied, with a reasonable mix, eat more vegetables and fruits, eat less greasy and irritating foods, cooking oils are mainly vegetable oils, supplemented by animal oils, in order to obtain more unsaturated fatty acids, so as to regulate endocrine disorders .

2. exercise

Usually should pay more attention to outdoor exercise, actively participate in fitness exercises, daily routine should be on time to achieve work and rest combination. In particular, it is necessary to control night life, and adequate sleep should be actively guaranteed.

3. Emotions

Maintain a happy and optimistic mood and maintain a peaceful mindset. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to relaxing the mind and body, reduce psychological pressure, overcome negative emotions such as anxiety and tension in daily life, strive to improve self-control ability, and avoid all bad spirits such as surprise, anger and terror Stimulate and avoid endocrine disorders.

4. Detox

Pay attention to keeping the stool, urination, and sweat glands unobstructed, so that all wastes and toxins produced by the body have unobstructed excretion channels. Therefore, we must pay attention to timely drinking water and pay attention to the prevention and treatment of symptoms such as constipation. It is necessary to sweat when sweating.

5. Sex life

Studies have shown that many endocrine diseases such as breast lobular hyperplasia and melasma have important relations with long-term celibacy, inconsistent married life, or too few married life. It is of great significance to delay the decline of ovarian function and regulate endocrine disorders.