Human Growth Hormone Deficiency
HGH You may have never heard of hypopituitarism until your child was diagnosed with it. Hypopituitarism occurs when the anterior (front) lobe of the pituitary gland loses its ability to make hormones. The resulting symptoms depend on which hormones are no longer being produced by the gland. The pituitary gland controls many hormones including the growth hormone. A case with hypopituitarism could have symptoms that involve blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function, sexual drive and multiple other things not just stunted growth, versus a growth hormone deficiency that would only affect growth.
Symptoms of Growth Hormone deficiency in children include the following: Short stature, low growth velocity (speed) for age and pubertal stage, increased amount of fat around the waist, The child may look younger than other children his or her age, delayed tooth development Symptoms of Growth Hormone deficiency in adults include the following: low energy, decreased strength and exercise tolerance, decreased muscle mass, weight gain, especially around the waist, Feelings of anxiety, depression, or sadness causing a change in social behavior, thin and dry skin.
Successful treatment of the underlying condition causing hypopituitarism may lead to a complete or partial recovery of your body’s normal production of pituitary hormones. The usual treatment for pituitary tumors is surgery to remove the growth. In some instances, doctors also recommend radiation treatment.
If hormone deficiencies continue after treatment, then you’ll need prescriptions of one or more hormone replacement medications. These drugs are considered as “replacement” rather than treatment, because the dosages are set to match the amounts that your body would normally manufacture if it didn’t have a pituitary problem. Treatment is usually lifelong. There is no cure for hypopituitarism.
