Endocrinology and Diabetes

Endocrinology is essentially a branch of medicine that is concerned with the endocrine system, which successfully controls the levels of hormones in your body. An endocrinologist is a doctor who specialises in the field of endocrinology. Endocrinologists are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of conditions that affect the endocrine system, including diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, cholesterol complications, obesity, high blood pressure, and many more.

How Does The Endocrine System Work?

The diverse glands and organs of the endocrine system release hormones that successfully regulate numerous, vital functions in the body. These glands include the hypothalamus, pineal body, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pituitary, pancreas, ovaries, and testes. 

Hormones in your body have specific tasks to complete. There are up to 40 diverse hormones that are circulating in your blood at any given time. Post-release into the bloodstream, hormones travel throughout your body, until they reach their destination to perform their specific functions. These destinations (which are called targets) can be located either on diverse endocrine glands or on other tissues and organs in your body.

When a hormone eventually reaches its target, it instructs that part of your body what work needs to be done, the timing, and the duration. Hormones are also referred to as messengers because they help diverse organs of the body to communicate effectively. 

Overall, they are actively involved in several diverse body processes such as:

• Control of blood sugar levels
• Development and growth of the body

• Metabolism (which is the process of obtaining and maintaining energy levels)
• Regulation of blood pressure and heart rate
• Development and functioning of the sexual organs
• Reproduction
• Mood

What If The Endocrine System Fails To Work?

The hormonal function can be viewed as a balancing act. Too little or too much of one hormone can impact the release of other hormones. When hormonal imbalances occur, some of the systems of the body will not work efficiently. 

Such imbalances can be corrected often by the body itself. The human body possesses built-in mechanisms to efficiently keep track as well as respond to any changes in hormonal levels and to bring them to a normal level, thus restoring balance.

In some instances, this system may go wrong and there may be problems that the body cannot fix. In such cases, you need to contact an endocrinologist, who is an expert when it comes to the treatment of complex, chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Endocrinology And Diabetes

Diabetes manifests when the pancreas (which is a gland of the endocrine system) fails to produce enough of the hormone insulin. Alternatively, the human body fails to properly use insulin, which is responsible for the transportation of glucose from the bloodstream into each cell. Post entry into the cells, blood glucose (also known as blood sugar) is eventually converted into energy for immediate use as well as stored for the future. This energy fuels several of major bodily functions.

The body generates glucose from the foods you consume. When you are not eating, your liver releases sugar. 

When it comes to type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces too little insulin or alternatively, the body cannot use insulin in a proper and effective method. This results in an eventual build-up of glucose in the blood, which results in a complex, chronic metabolic disorder of the endocrine system: diabetes.

Individuals with diabetes are at substantial risk of developing serious health complications if their blood glucose levels stay too high for extended durations. Some of these complications include diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, heart disease, and many more.

Pancreas

Located in the abdomen, the pancreas is an endocrine gland as well as a digestive organ. The islets of Langerhans are the specific region in the pancreas that contains its hormone-producing cells. The two major endocrine functions of these specific cells are to supply fuel to the body and to help in the digestion of food through the release of digestive enzymes. Thus, the pancreas is the gland of the endocrine system involved in diabetes.

On a Final Note

Endocrinology means a branch of medicine that involves the endocrine system of the body, which is responsible for the production of hormones. Once hormones reach their target, they help in executing diverse functions. Too little or too much hormones in the bloodstream can give rise to health problems, the most common being diabetes, which is the result of too little insulin produced by the pancreatic cells or the inability of the body to successfully use the insulin produced.