Head Injury and Hormonal Dysfunction
Traumatic brain harm, also known as TBI, can harm the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Located at the base of the brain, they direct our hormones and can release deficient or increased hormones when damaged, in like manner disrupting the body's ability to keep possession of a stable internal environment.
When pituitary gland harm causes reduced hormone production, the condition is called hypopituitarism and was chief reported almost 100 years ago. Originally cogitation to be a rare occurrence, recent research on adult survivors of hard brain injury, now report the incidence of pituitary hormone deficiencies to subsist between 23% and 69%.
Symptoms and charge
Most people's hormone levels are extremely affected in the early stages later than traumatic brain injury, even if the pituitary is unimpaired. This makes pituitary damage hard to sameness and whilst later in the retrieval process it may become clear that more symptoms are caused by hormonal changes that can be tested, there are commonly no clear guidelines for the tax and treatment of pituitary function rear brain injury.
The effects of pituitary and hypothalamus prejudice vary because of the different hormones that can be affected and some symptoms are in like manner similar to the more common movables of brain injury, which is another reason why the problem is not easily diagnosed.
Overlapping symptoms are:
&blunder; Depression
• Impotence and altered sex move helplessly
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
&edict; Headaches
• Visual disturbance
Other symptoms comprise:
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced corpse hair
• Irregular periods/loss of according to rule menstrual function
• Reduced fertility
&stimulator of the stock-market; Weight gain
• Increased cold sensitivity
&edict; Constipation
• Dry skin
• Pale pretence
• Low blood pressure/dizziness
&taurus; Diabetes insipidus
Whilst each symptom may have existence caused by a change in the aim of a particular hormone produced in the pituitary gland, in that place are many possible causes of totality of these symptoms, so a thorough assessment is needed before a robust diagnosis can be made.
Treatment
Early up, hormonal problems can cause neurogenic diabetes insipidus, that is characterised by increased thirst and inordinate production of dilute urine. This is fit to a reduction in a hormone called vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone) and is treated by administering desmopressin and replacing lost fluids.
In the later stages, suppose that hypopituitarism is confirmed, hormone replacement therapy may be used to restore normal hormone levels, to save manage the symptoms. There are not the same treatments available, depending on the noteworthy hormones involved and the nature and expanse of the symptoms.
The assessment and management of hypopituitarism after brain injury is a us process and as with any treatment, you should discuss the pros and cons by your doctor before making any decisions.
Further advice
The full extent of hypopituitarism posterior brain injury is unknown, whilst it seems to occur mainly after severe brain injury some studies take shown that pituitary gland damage may moreover occur after apparently minor head injuries. However frequent of the symptoms can be caused through damage elsewhere in the brain, and grant that this is the case treatment in quest of pituitary dysfunction will not work.
If you distrust symptoms of hypopituitarism, or any other hormonal class, you should speak to your GP who, allowing that they feel it appropriate, may leave you to an endocrinologist who be possible to run a variety of hormone point tests and even a scan, to take heed for damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
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