What Happens When You Have Lack of Growth Hormone?

The growth hormone is being secreted by the pituitary gland that is located on the lower portion of our brain. Besides the somatotropin, there are also other hormones originating from there that are responsible for the functioning of our body. Various conditions can lower the productivity of this gland, primarily leading to a lack of growth hormone.
As a parent, you will be surely worried if your child does not meet the height criteria like their peers. Informing yourself about the somatotropin deficiency will help you to spot it quickly, which is important for treatment procedures in the future. The earlier this condition is being defined, the better the results will be.
Since this hormone is important for adults as well, the information will surely be handy. Make sure that you read through and learn more about this deficiency, what happens when it occurs, how to spot it, and the treatments as well.

Why does this condition happen

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While there are many causes of lower GH production, we can divide them into two categories. Firstly, we have situations where the cause is unknown. There are no other conditions related, and the person is completely healthy besides the lack of the hormone.
The other group is the known causes, and they can be various. We can begin with the genetic conditions, although it is believed that this cannot be inherited from the parents. However, many doctors believe in the relation between clefts and GH deficiency.
There can be problems with releasing hormones from the hypothalamus. If there is a deficiency there, the pituitary will not be able to produce the hormone that we need.
Besides these causes, many things lead to the deficiency that happens during the life of the person. Head injuries and infections as well as surgeries can be related to such problems. The neoplasms that occur in the location of the pituitary can cause pressure which decreases the production of GH. In addition, if there is radiation involved, signs of deficiency can be noticed.

Signs of somatotropin deficiency

The easiest way to find out whether someone has low levels of somatotropin is by observing them and looking for signs. They differ from children to adults, so we will go through both of the categories.

Children

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The main signs of having lower levels of GH are children being shorter than their peers. This is the main thing that gets noticed when the parents bring their kids to examination. However, this doesn’t have to be the case because sometimes there is no deficiency involved. The kids are just short or they need more time to develop to their determined height.

Besides the height, the bones have lower mass, so fractures are not excluded. If this is noticed during puberty, males do not go through the vocal changes, they still have a young face with fat organized around the belly. On the other hand, females have slower secondary sexual characteristics.

In such cases, it’s best to start human growth hormone therapy as soon as possible to insure the children’s growth. Often people rely on Humatrope (somatropin) or other similar solutions. Read more about this hormone at hghtherapydoctor.us/product/humatrope.

Adults

This hormone is not only meant for the developing process in children, but it is important for adults as well. If there is a deficiency noticed in adults there are many signs that we can look for.
Firstly, we can notice higher fat levels in the blood with sporadic testing. When we exclude all the other possibilities, we can suspect somatotropin problems. On the observation, we can notice that the fatty tissue is being formed up around the belly.
There are musculoskeletal problems related to this condition, and that is lower muscle percentage and more fragile bones. This can lead to absurd fractures even after falling from a tiny distance.
Sexual characteristics are really important. There can be noticed lack of interest and problems with impotency. In women, there are libido problems, with the addition of lower lubrification features during the intercourse that leads to painful experiences.
Mental problems are present as well, people with such conditions have more problems with anxiety, and they usually feel depressed. Their cognitive functions are affected as well, with memory problems slowing the learning processes.

Detecting methods

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Detecting the deficiency is the most important thing. We can only speculate about such a condition until we prove it with all the tests needed.
The first thing that you need to do if you are suspecting somatotropin deficiency is to bring your child to an endocrinologist. There you will be questioned about the time you were their age, and the development of your other children as well.
Various tests can prove this condition. The easiest one is getting a sample of their blood and testing for GH levels. If they are lower than they should, the condition may be right. However, the levels of this hormone are changing throughout the day, so they may not be the most reliable marker.
Instead, there are growth hormones like insulin, that are more reliable, and they can be measured for definitive results.
In addition, there can be imaging done to the bones of your child to see whether their bones are younger than they should. This means opened growth plates and differences in density.
Lastly, if the doctor cannot find the exact cause of this condition, and they are suspecting a neoplasm on the lower portion of the brain, imaging is essential. CT or magnetic resonance can show any formation if it is present, so the treatment can be ordinated properly.

Ways of treating the deficiency

If the cause is unknown and there are no signs of other diseases, the treatment is based on supplementation of the hormone. This procedure has been done for a long time, and it is proven to be effective.
Although there can be differences in the effects, it is better to begin as soon as the diagnosis has been set. This is because the growth portions of the bones are still open, and the child will be able to reach their genetically determined height.
In adults, the supplementation works miracles, since many symptoms ruin the quality of the person’s life. With regular use, which is surely determined by a doctor, the adults can improve their health, and most importantly their mental, that surely makes their life better.