You may have heard of your endocrine system, but what you may not realize is just how complex and important it is to your overall health and well-being.
Let's start off today by talking about what your endocrine system is in the first place.
From there, we'll look at some of the common disorders that can affect your endocrine system, what the triggers can be, and what sort of naturopathic treatments for endocrine disorders can be used.
What Is Your Endocrine System?
Your endocrine system includes the parts of your body that regulate and produce hormones.
These include some names you'll recognize, like your digestive system, kidneys, heart, ovaries/testes, and thyroid, as well as some lesser known bits like your adrenal glands and adipose tissue.
These tissues release hormones directly into your bloodstream, hence the “endo” in endocrine, from the Greek “inside”.
This is in contrast with your exocrine system, which secretes substances onto an epitheleal surface (your skin and gastrointestinal tract being two examples of an epitheleal surface).
This includes your sweat glands, mammary glands, olfactory glands, prostate, uterine glands, sebaceous glands, and many more.
Because these tissues deliver their packages, so to speak, to the outside of the body, or to places that come in contact with the outside of the body, they're called exocrine, from the Greek “exo”, meaning “outside”.
Interestingly, the pancreas and the liver are considered both part of your endocrine and your exocrine system, since they secrete pancreatic juice and bile, respectively, into the GI tract, while they secrete other substances into your bloodstream.
Why Is Your Endocrine System Important?
Your body uses hormones to tell its different parts how to behave in order to coordinate efforts.
One obvious example is during puberty - your respective bits send signals to the rest of your body to tell it to begin growing certain things in certain places.
Without your endocrine system, your body won't know how to work together, and everything will work independently.
This can disrupt your circadian rhythm (controlled by hormones from your pineal gland), your metabolism (from your thyroid), your sexual capability, and your ability to deal with stress (your adrenal glands), among many other potential issues.
What Are Some Of The Common Endocrine Disorders?
There are many disorders which can affect parts or all of your endocrine system.
These disorders interfere at some level with the flow of hormones in your body.
Some of them may cause your hormone flow to be too low, or too high (each can be just as detrimental as the other), cause issues with your bloodstream which transports the secreted hormones, or the reception of hormones at the other end.
An entire article could be written about each one of them, but we'll list some of them here. Common endocrine disorders include:
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Goiter
• Graves' Disease
• Thyroiditis
• Diabetes (type I and II)
• Hypoglycemia
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Certain types of cancer
• Certain types of arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Cushing's disease
• Gigantism
What Are The Signs Of An Endocrine Disorder?
Each of the above diseases has different warning signs and symptoms.
Speak to a qualified health care practitioner to help you identify whether you have any of the above conditions.
However, there are some common signs, symptoms, and factors that can contribute to an endocrine disorder.
These include:
• Chronic, unexplained fatigue
• Digestive issues
• Dehydration
• Changes in skin
• Insomnia
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sensitivity to cold
• Hair loss
• Unexplained weight gain
• Menstrual issues
Naturopathic Treatments For Endocrine Disorders
If you're experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, it could be a sign that you have an endocrine disorder.
But there is help.
Contact the Mindful Healing Clinic to book an appointment with me, Dr. Maria Cavallazzi.
During your FREE 15 minute optimal health consultation, you 'll get a chance to ask any questions you may have about naturopathic medicine and how it may be able to treat your health concerns.
From there, we'll talk about a treatment plan we can use to help you achieve your optimal level of health.
Endocrine disorders can disrupt your life, making it difficult to complete the simplest tasks.
Call the Mindful Healing Clinic to book an appointment, and let's talk about where your health concerns are coming from, and what you can do about it.
Contact the Mindful Healing Clinic to book your FREE 15 minute optimal health consultation today.
Until next time,
Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, N.D
Mindful Healing Integrative Naturopathy
251 Queen St S Unit 4,
Mississauga, ON L5M 1L7
- https://goo.gl/maps/KYspifT7J232
Dr. Maria Cavallazzi is a medical doctor from Colombia where she practiced as a family physician for 8 years until she moved to Canada 16 years ago.
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