Endocrine team:

Assoc prof. Mira Siderova, PhD - specialist endocrinologist

Dr. Savi Shishkov, PhD - Endocrinologist

Цените на прегледите и ехографското изследване може да видите при съответния лекар.

What is Endocrinology?

Endocrinology is a branch of medicine that deals with the endocrine system, which is responsible for controlling hormones. Hormones regulate metabolism, respiration, growth, reproduction, sensation, and movement. Hormone imbalance is a major cause of many medical conditions. The science of Endocrinology focuses on the study of both hormones and the many glands and cells that are responsible for their production.

Endocrinologist

An endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis of diseases related to the glands. They examine metabolism - all the biochemical processes that allow your body to function, such as converting food into energy and stimulating growth. Because these doctors are highly specialized in Endocrinology conditions, which can be very complex and involve symptoms that are hard to notice, an endocrinologist is always the best choice when dealing with hormone issues. These doctors can work with children and adults. When focused on treating children, they are called pediatric endocrinologists.

Endocrine system

The glands, along with the hormones that make them up, make up the endocrine system. There are 8 main glands (thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, parathyroid, etc.) whose function is to regulate metabolism, reproduction, sleep, etc. Like the nervous system, the endocrine system is a type of information signaling system. But instead of using neurons and nerve impulses, it uses chemical "messengers" called hormones that are transported through the circulatory system and reach the various organs to convey their respective "messages".

A few facts about Endocrinology:

• Involves multiple systems in the body
• In addition to the glands, it also examines the hormone-producing structures - the hypothalamus (in the brain), the ovaries and the testes.
• Stress and Alcohol in large quantities can lead to endocrine problems
• Polycystic is among the most common endocrine diseases in women

What does one go to an endocrinologist for ?

Most people end up seeing an endocrinologist after first seeking treatment from their GP. Often the family doctor carries out a number of tests and finds that it is a hormonal problem. He then refers the patient to an endocrinology specialist who has the expertise needed to find the problem and start treatment.

Glands in the human body release hormones. The task of an endocrinologist is to treat patients suffering from hormonal imbalances, which are often due to disturbances in the functioning of certain glands of the endocrine system. The main task is to restore the normal balance of hormones in the body.

Some of the symptoms that would be a reason to see an endocrinology specialist are a significant change in weight over a short period of time or a sudden change in mood that cannot be attributed to any medication, trauma, or significant change in lifestyle.

Some of the conditions a good endocrinologist deals with are:

• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Menopause
• Metabolic disorders
• Graves Disease
• Excessive or insufficient hormone production
• Certain types of tumors
• Short stature
• Disorders in male and female gonads

There are 3 main groups of disorders that are considered by Endocrinology specialists:

• When the glands do not produce enough hormones. This condition is called hypofunction of the gland
• When the glands produce an excessive amount of hormones- hyperfunction of the gland
• Tumors that develop in the endocrine glands.

For example, thyroid hypofunction (hypothyroidism) leads to feelings of fatigue, weight gain, depression, abnormal bone growth, developmental delay. In the opposite case - with thyroid hyperfunction (Hyperthyroidism) the metabolism is accelerated, which leads to sweating, irregular heartbeat, nervousness and feverishness.

How is the examination with a specialist in endocrinology?

The examination does not differ significantly from one with a normal doctor. The specialist from the team of SanaMedic Varna will start with a few questions related to your health condition, complaints, presence of hereditary burdens, medication intake, etc. Your heart rate and blood pressure will be checked, also your weight and height will be measured. Depending on your symptoms, further tests may be carried out.

Endocrinologist Varna

MC SanaMedic Varna

Endocrine glands studied by science Endocrinology and how do they function?

As already mentioned the endocrine system is made up of glands scattered throughout the body as well as glandular tissue that is structured into specific organs. These function as sensors that are highly sensitive to changes in the body. Once they detect deviations from the normal environment, these "receptors" produce hormones that are like "messengers" carrying with them a "letter" of instructions to deliver to the organ in question. And it is to carry out what the instructions say and thus restore balance in the body.

This regulatory function is shared between the endocrine and nervous systems. The difference is that the processes that are regulated by hormones are slower and take longer - days and weeks, unlike the nervous system - where we are talking more about seconds and minutes.

Glands in the human body are divided into 2 types - endocrine and exocrine.

The former send their "messengers" (hormones) into the circulatory system, which transports them to the specified location. The exocrine ones are glands with external secretion - sweat, sebaceous, salivary glands, etc.

Here are the main endocrine glands that are examined during an examination by an endocrinologist in a larger percentage of cases:

PITUITARY GLAND - also called "main" because of the many functions it is responsible for. It is like the "chief" of all the other glands - it directs their activities and controls their implementation. It is located around the brain, next to the hypothalamus. Hormones it produces are growth hormone, prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone, oxytocin.

Hypothalamus - located at the base of the midbrain. It is important not only in endocrinology. Responsible for processes such as regulation of body temperature, libido, thirst, hunger, the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. It is like a distribution centre to which signals are sent from the various systems in the body and it responds by releasing hormones with instructions to restore homeostasis.

Pineal Gland- is involved in the synthesis of melatonin, which is associated with sleep regulation.

Parathyroid glands - are located around the thyroid gland. They produce a hormone that regulates the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Thyroid gland - located in the front of the throat. It is responsible for the synthesis of thyroxine and triiodothyronine, regulating metabolism.

Pancreas- a gland in the abdomen that produces insulin and glucagon, which control blood sugar levels.

Ovaries and testes - these are reproductive organs in men and women that secrete hormones, such as estrogen or progesterone in women and testosterone in men. They are key in shaping the sexuality and character traits of both sexes.

Adrenal Glands- located above each kidney - produce adrenaline, which regulates blood pressure, and norepinephrine, through which messages are transmitted in nerve synapses.

The physician-endocrinologist and the science of Endocrinology as a whole aim to study the action of these glands not only individually, but also in their totality. Since not infrequently they function simultaneously, and this requires a good knowledge of their connectivity and interdependence.

Медицински център „СанаМедик“ Варна