Many people make the mistake of thinking that only children can suffer from growth hormone deficiency. The reason is that this is the situation when a child is not growing fast enough. We can agree with the fact that it affects children more than adults. However, that doesn’t mean that adults cannot suffer from the same condition.
Naturally, the latter has some different manifestations, but the condition remains practically the same, no matter how you look at it. Not to mention that there’s always a possibility for many not to have the right idea about this condition, because of the condition’s name. According to some official statistics, it’s clear that a small percentage of people suffer from it. We are talking about 0.07% of the human population.
The human body has growth hormones even after the end of puberty. That’s why many adults are affected by this problem. Since this is a rather complicated thing to understand, we would like to provide you with a couple of things regarding these conditions. Most notably, we want to talk about how can you know whether you have growth hormone deficiency or not. Let’s take a look at some crucial info.
How is this Hormone Produced?
Source: healthline.com
Growth hormone is a protein created by a pituitary gland. We are talking about a gland that’s located in the central part of the brain, which can be found behind the eyes. It needs to be said that this gland is not responsible only for this protein. Instead, it has some other functions. Some of these are not entirely known to today’s medical science. Naturally, the amount of this protein slowly decreases over time.
What Does It Do?
The name of this protein shows you the goal behind the production. It is used to regulate bodily functions like bone growth, body fluids, and muscle evolution. Until recently, it wasn’t known that it plays a pivotal role in ensuring proper heart function. As you can see, not having enough of this protein can cause many problems, no matter how old the patient is.
What Causes GHD?
Source: chiangraitimes.com
We are talking about the condition that starts during childhood. Though there are many cases when this issue doesn’t expand during the early years, but it explodes in adult years. Since there are no manifestations, diagnosing it can be quite problematic. That’s probably the biggest source of this deficiency.
Even if the deficiency is under control during childhood, there’s no way to know whether the case will become more dangerous later in life. GHD is caused by the low production of the growth hormone by the pituitary gland. There are a lot of things that can cause it, but head injuries and strokes are the commonest ones during adult life.
Symptoms of GHD in Adults
When we’re talking about the symptoms of GHD deficiency in adults, it’s important to say that there are two types, physical and psychological. When we’re talking about physical ones, the most obvious one is reduced muscle strength and low tolerance to exercise. Next, people who suffer from this condition have serious problems with gaining and losing weight, which can have a big problem.
Psychological symptoms can be equally problematic. We are talking about emotional inconsistency, irregular sleep, poor memory, depression, etc. Both of these types can represent a combination, which can inflict the patient with a lot of problems down the road. If not treated, these symptoms can get much more severe. To prevent that, it’s an absolute must to consult the doctor to find the right therapy.
How is it Treated?
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
GHD in adults has only one sort of treatment. We are talking about growth hormone replacement therapy. The whole process is done by injecting this protein into the lower abdomen or fat tissue. The devices for injecting these are the same as those that are used for insulin. Thankfully, there are some other methods, just in case, the patient has a phobia of needles, known as trypanophobia, which is more serious than many people believe.
Of course, the patient needs to undergo some sort of artificial preparation before the procedure can be carried out successfully. Also, a patient needs to get an education about this process before it starts. Besides that, one of the preparations is conducting a series of blood tests until the right one is decided. Injecting the protein that doesn’t support the right blood type can inflict a lot of problems.
Sometimes, these tests can last for a couple of days before getting the proper results. Not only that, these tests will determine the right amount of hormones that every patient needs. You will surely agree that no patient is the same, especially when it comes to this sort of treatment. In case you would like to take a closer look at what you can expect from this procedure over time, be sure to pay a visit to hghtherapydoctor.us/hgh-therapy-results/.
Are There are any Side Effects?
As is the case with practically any treatment, GHD therapy has some side effects. However, it’s important to point out that these are usually not common. Practically, the only way this can happen is when the patient gets a high dose of the protein. When you think about that, it makes perfect sense. The body is accustomed to a certain level, and when this level is disrupted, is normal to expect some changes.
Thankfully, preventing these side effects is relatively easy to overcome, just by decreasing the dosage. Among the commonest side effects is discomfort in the joints. Another one is a sudden rise in blood sugar. Sometimes, the patient can suffer from extreme migraines. But it is vital to understand that this treatment will not grow in height in adults.
The Bottom Line
GHD is a condition that shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially by those who suffer from it. With that in mind, seeking the right therapy through doctor consultation is a must. Here, we’ve provided you with the symptoms of growth hormone deficiency and how is it treated.
