Endocrine Diseases

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your endocrine system includes eight major glands throughout your body. These glands make hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers. They travel through your bloodstream to tissues or organs. Hormones work slowly and affect body processes from head to toe. These include

• Growth and development
• Metabolism - digestion, elimination, breathing, blood circulation and maintaining body temperature
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood

If your hormone levels are too high or too low, you may have a hormone disorder. Hormone diseases also occur if your body does not respond to hormones the way it is supposed to. Stress, infection and changes in your blood's fluid and electrolyte balance can also influence hormone levels.

In the United States, the most common endocrine disease is diabetes. There are many others. They are usually treated by controlling how much hormone your body makes. Hormone supplements can help if the problem is too little of a hormone.

Start Here

• Endocrine System (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Introduction to the Endocrine System (Hormone Health Network)

Related Issues

• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) (Hormone Health Network)
• You and Your Endocrinologist (Hormone Health Network)

Specifics

• Carney Complex (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Is Hyperinsulinemia a Form of Diabetes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: 46,XX testicular disorder of sex development (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: 5-alpha reductase deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: aromatase deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: aromatase excess syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: central precocious puberty (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: familial male-limited precocious puberty (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: isolated growth hormone deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Kallmann syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Leydig cell hypoplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: McCune-Albright syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: multiple endocrine neoplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Swyer syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• Endocrine glands (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Bisphenol A (BPA) (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Endocrine System Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: The Importance of Family History in the Management of Endocrine Disease.
• Article: DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Drug-induced endocrinopathies and diabetes: a combo-endocrinology overview.
• Article: Hormonal cytology.
• Endocrine Diseases -- see more articles
• Endocrine gland cancer -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Endocrine Diseases (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Find an Expert

• Find an Endocrinologist (Hormone Health Network)
• Hormone Health Network
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

• What Is a Pediatric Endocrinologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Your Endocrine System (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Endocrine System (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Men

• Low Testosterone and Men's Health (Hormone Health Network) Also in Spanish
• Male Hypogonadism (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• What Is Men's Endocrine Health? (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)

Women

• What Is Women's Endocrine Health? (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)

Patient Handouts

• Androgen insensitivity syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Endocrine glands (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intersex (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) I (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) II (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish