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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.
Related Issues
- Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) (Endocrine Society)
Specifics
- Carney Complex (CNC) (American Cancer Society)
- Hyperinsulinemia: Is it diabetes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes (MEN) (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
- 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- 46,XX testicular difference of sex development: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- 5-alpha reductase deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Aromatase deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Aromatase excess syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Central precocious puberty: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Familial male-limited precocious puberty: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Isolated growth hormone deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Kallmann syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Leydig cell hypoplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- McCune-Albright syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Swyer syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (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)
Reference Desk
- Endocrine Diseases (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Find an Expert
Children
- Childhood Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) Syndromes Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- 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
- Hypogonadism in Men (Endocrine Society)
- Male Hypogonadism (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Androgen insensitivity syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Differences of sex development (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Endocrine glands (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (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