The hormone map in our body.

Until a few years ago, the occult was visible in the science of endocrinology, which deals with the hormone system. Today, as research progresses, we better understand their mechanisms of action and can even cure many diseases caused by or excess hormones.

Every second, thousands of actions occur in our bodies. Many of them could not be done without the control of body-produced chemicals called hormones. By definition, hormones are chemicals that are hidden in one place in the body and affect in another place. Until a few years ago the occult was visible in the science of endocrinology, which deals with the hormone system. Today, as research progresses, we better understand their mechanisms of action and can even cure many diseases caused by or excess hormones.

For example, without the science of endocrinology, 400.000 diabetic patients in the United States would have been doomed. Other hormonal drugs reduce calcium escape in osteoporosis, treat common thyroid disorders, and help women to move well beyond the age of the abdomen. Below you will find an overview of the most important hormones, the diseases caused by the deficiency of those hormones, and their normal values in the human body. In case of doubt, consult your physician.

FSH
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone - A Follicle Stimulating Hormone.
• What it is: This hormone, secreted from the front of the pituitary gland, stimulates in women the oocyte secretion and estrogen secretion during the first half of the menstrual cycle. In men, FSH stimulates testicular sperm production.
• Normal values in men: 4-25 IU / L (between 4 and 25 international units per liter).
• Normal values in women: before menopause (age of abortion) -30-5; In the middle of the menstrual cycle - 60-10; During pregnancy - zero level. Post-natal age - over 30.
Exceptional values may indicate the following disorders: pituitary gland, ovarian cysts, polycystic ovarian disease, Turner’s syndrome (genetic defect in women causing the ovarian failure, menstruation, and low stature), clay syndrome (nausea in men) For small testicles, seamlessness, enlarged breasts and a minority of hair), ovarian under activity.
• First signs that indicate a hormone-related problem: in women - recess or interruption in the cycle, obstruction difficulties, obesity, facial rate. In men - impotence decreased sexual desire.

LH
• Hormone Luteinizing acronym - the yellow goofy hormone.
• What it is: LH is a protein hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. In women, the release of LH in the middle of the menstrual cycle causes ovulation. For the following week, LH maintains the ovarian corpus luteum tissue and produces the hormone progesterone. If the woman does not move, the corpus luteum decays within 10 days. In men, LH triggers the creation of the male testosterone hormone in the testicles.
• Normal values in men: 7-24 IU / L
• Normal values in women: 20-5. In the middle of the menstrual cycle, values go up to three times their normal levels.
• High values may indicate the following disorders: testicular injury, genital inactivity, glandular (menopause), ovarian failure, polycystic ovarian disease, early maturation, Kleinfelter syndrome, Turner’s syndrome.
• Low values may indicate pituitary hypertrophy.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: in women - menstrual break or interruption, obstruction difficulties, obesity, facial rate. In men - impotence decreased sexual desire.

Testosterone
• What it is: Testosterone is the major hormone in men responsible for genital development. Most of this hormone is produced in the testicles under the influence of the LH hormone produced in the thyroid gland. In women, the hormone is produced in the ovaries.
• Normal values in men: 437-707 nanograms per deciliter.
• Normal values in women: 24-47 nanograms per deciliter.
• High values may indicate the following disorders: premature maturation, ovarian cancer, adrenal gland overgrowth, polycystic ovarian disease, testicular cancer.
• Low values may indicate the following disorders: pituitary gland dysfunction, testicular dysfunction, late maturation in men, hormone prolactin secretion. In male children, testosterone levels are tested to assess whether early or late maturation occurs. In adults, hormone levels are tested to determine the causes of impotence and fertility problems. In women, the hormone levels are checked in cases of male signs such as facial and body hair or menstrual disorders.

Estradiol
• Additional name: 2 E.
• What it is: Estradiol is the most important hormone of the estrogen hormone group. It is mainly produced in the ovaries, placenta, and adrenal glands. The hormone is responsible for the development of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and vagina as well as the development of the breasts, other female sex signs, and fat distribution in the woman. estradiol also stimulates endometrial proliferation in the first half of the menstrual cycle. The hormone is also found in the male but in small quantities.
• Normal values in men: 10-60 picograms per milliliter.
• Normal values in premenopausal women: 20-400 picograms per milliliter.
• Normal values in postmenopausal women: 5-25 picograms per milliliter.
• High values may indicate ovarian growth.
• Low values may indicate Turner’s syndrome.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Infertility in both the male and the female, appearance of the sex of the opposite sex (breast enlargement in men; over-proportion in women).

Prolactin
• What it is: Prolactin is a protein hormone secreted from the pituitary gland. In women, it causes breast development and milk production. In healthy men, it has no definite role.
• Normal values for men and non-pregnant women: 0-20 nanograms per milliliter. During pregnancy: 10 to 300 nanograms per milliliter.
• Exceptional values may indicate the following disorders: hypothyroidism, kidney disease, chest palsy, use of many drugs, including tricyclic and parasite antidepressants, psychiatric drugs, and gastric antacids.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: in women - menstruation break or interruption, nipple secretion, congestion difficulties. In men - decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, secretion of milk from the nipples.

Growth hormone
• Additional name: GH.
• What it is: The growth hormone is secreted from the pituitary gland and helps build all body cells, utilizing fats to create energy.
• Normal values: 0-3 nanograms per milliliter.
• High values may indicate acromegaly - a disease manifested by increased bone and joint growth, pituitary tumors, or growth hormone resistance.
• Low values may indicate the potential for dwarfism (in children) and the pituitary gland under activity.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Tumors of the pituitary gland may cause excess hormone secretion, which causes an overgrowth of organs in the body. Some patients notice the difference when the finger ring suddenly starts to click or the cap suddenly becomes too small on the head. Growth hormone deficiency causes a bad general feeling.

ADH
• An acronym for Anti Diuretic Hormone.
• What it is: It is a hormone produced in the back of the pituitary gland and responsible for the body’s water economy. During water shortages, it reduces the secretion of fluid through the kidneys. The hormone’s action is controlled by special receptors that sense the body’s fluid volume, heart rate, and blood pressure. The heart, for example, signals the pituitary gland to secrete more of the hormone when the blood pressure is too low. As a result, less fluid is excreted from the kidneys, and blood pressure is maintained.
• Normal values: 0-4.7 picogram per milliliter.
• High values may indicate the following disorders: nervous system infection, cerebral growth, impaired fluid balance after surgery, SIADH disease, manifested by a hormone deficiency, infections, and pulmonary tumors.
• Low values may indicate urinary incontinence (Insipidus Diabetes) or damage to the pituitary gland.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Since the hormone’s role is to prevent kidney fluid from escaping, this hormone’s deficiency will result in urination, while excess will result in a minority of urine and saline disorders - to the point of loss of consciousness. Abnormal values of this hormone are most often discovered at random when tests are performed during a medical check-up at a doctor or hospital.

Calcitonin
• What it is: The role of calcitonin - secreted by the thyroid gland - is to stop bone breakdown. Although a lack of calcitonin does not cause problems, it can sometimes indicate the existence of thyroid cancer.
• Normal values: Less than 10 picograms per milliliter.
• High levels of calcitonin may indicate thyroid cancer, lung cancer, or insulinoma - pancreatic tumor.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: a severe lump in the thyroid gland.

Parathyroid
• Additional names: Parathormone, PTH.
• What it is: It is a hormone secreted from the glands that are located next to the thyroid gland and regulates the calcium and phosphorus in the body. The hormone increases the release of calcium and phosphorus from the bones, reduces the loss of calcium and increases the phosphorus loss through the urine, and increases the production of vitamin D in the kidneys. Hormone activity is controlled by calcium levels in the blood. Low blood calcium levels increase PTH secretion, while high blood calcium levels inhibit hormone secretion.
• Normal values: 10-55 picograms per milliliter.
• High values may indicate kidney failure, hypothyroidism, and mumps.
• Low values may indicate the following disorders: thyroid destruction, thyroid dysfunction, bone cancer, sarcoidosis (manifested in many-body tumors), vitamin D poisoning.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: high blood calcium, kidney stones, and severe bone disease.

Cortisol
• What it is: It is a hormone from the steroid group, which is secreted from the adrenal gland. It is one of the most important hormones and affects almost every tissue in the body. It participates in protein breakdown, helps balance the carbohydrate and fat balance, and dramatically affects the immune system.
• Normal values: The hormone levels are tested in several ways: 24 hours of urine collection (then the normal level is 20-90 micrograms per gram of creatinine per mol); Blood test after taking two dexamethasone pills (then the normal level is less than 1.8 nanograms per milliliter); Injection of the hormone ACTH and measurement of cortisol in the blood immediately thereafter and 30 minutes later. If the level is above 50 units (or 20 nanograms) - the hormone level is normal.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: High cortisol levels are found mainly in people taking steroids. The patient then suffers from Cushing’s disease, which causes obesity on the face (moon face), thickened skin (bull neck), flat belly with oval streak (stereo), weight gain, high blood sugar, and mood changes. Cortisol deficiency causes Edison’s disease, which is manifested in weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and weight loss. In this case, the skin also becomes darker, as this hormone deficiency causes increased melanin production in the body, which is responsible for pigmentation.

Aldosterone
• What it is: It is a hormone secreted from the adrenal gland and linked to blood pressure balance. When it is high, blood pressure increases as it increases the absorption of sodium and fluids through the kidneys.
• Normal values: lying down - 2-16 nanograms per deciliter; At the meeting - 5-41 nanograms per deciliter.
• High values may indicate kidney or heart disease, low sodium nutrition, and pregnancy.
• Low values may indicate the existence of Edison’s disease, sodium-rich diet, or adrenal gland overgrowth.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Unbalanced hypertension is the main cause of aldosterone levels.

Insulin
• What it is: It is a hormone secreted from the pancreas and responsible for injecting glucose from the blood into the body’s cells. Diabetes mellitus has some insulin deficiency. In young people, most of the diabetes is caused by the destruction of the pancreas and the complete lack of hormone. In adults, diabetes is mainly due to insufficient response of the body’s cells to insulin.
• Normal values: Micro units for milliliters of fasting.
• High values may indicate pancreatic growth, adult diabetes (type 2 diabetes), obesity, over-injection of insulin, or over-taking of sulfonylurea-type diabetes.
• Low values may indicate juvenile or adult diabetes (type 1 and 2).
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Diabetes is most often seen as a result of complaints of thirst, multiple urination, and dry skin. The first test to which the complainant will be sent is the fasting sugar test or sugar loading test. Another test, called hemoglobin A1C, provides information on sugar levels over the past three months and allows the patient to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Glucagon
• What it is: It is a hormone produced by the pancreas and controls blood sugar levels. As blood sugar drops, the pancreas secretes a greater amount of glucagon, which stimulates the liver to release glucose.
• Normal values: 50-100 picograms per milliliter.
• Exceptional values may indicate pancreatic growth (glucagonoma) or endocrine growth of Men type.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: The hormone protects against low blood sugar levels. Impaired hormone production (due to pancreatic destruction) lowers blood sugar levels - which will be reflected in weakness and fainting.

Erythropoietin
• Additional names: EPO.
• What it is: This hormone is produced by specialized kidney cells, which are sensitive to blood oxygen concentration. These increase the release of the hormone Ari - Thropoietin when blood oxygen levels are low. Since the oxygen is carried by red blood cells, a lack of them (anemia condition) will result in an increased release of the hormone. Erythropoietin acts on the bone marrow and increases the production of red blood cells.
• Normal values: 0-19 milliliters per milliliter.
• High values may indicate polycythemia, in which excess amounts of red blood cells are produced in response to low blood oxygen levels.
• Low values may indicate renal failure or polycythemia.
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Weakness, fatigue, and paleness are the most prominent signs of bloodlessness. As part of the question of whether it is anemia, hematologists also perform erythropoietin levels.

TSH
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone acronym
• Another name: Thyrotropin
• What it is: The hypothalamus in the brain releases the hormone TRH - from the pituitary gland - to release the hormone TSH. The TSH stimulates the thyroid (thyroid) to produce additional hormones: 3T and 4T. These two hormones control thyroid activity and are responsible for the metabolism of the body.
• Normal values: National per liter. The standard range for those receiving treatment for thyroid disorders is 0.3-3 million international units per liter.
• High levels of hypothyroidism or body resistance to the hormone.
• Low values may indicate hypothyroidism. In this case, the brain releases lower levels of TSH.
• Drugs affecting test result: Thyroid drugs, as well as lithium, amiodarone, dopamine, steroids.

T4
• Additional name: Thyroxine.
• What it is: The hormone 4 T (along with another hormone - 3 T) is secreted from the thyroid gland as a result of the hormone TSH. The thyroid gland serves as a kind of pump that uses iodine to build these two hormones. Hormones affect all tissues and determine the rate of metabolism in the body.
• Normal values: 4.5-11.2 micrograms per deciliter.
• High levels of hypothyroidism may indicate Graves's disease (an autoimmune disease that causes hypothyroidism), Hashimoto’s disease (autoimmune thyroid antibody), excess iodine intake, inflammation, or growth of the thyroid gland. And other diseases.
• Low values may indicate Hashimoto’s disease, cartilage (a disease that causes deformities in the body), hypothyroidism, or increase or damage to the thyroid gland (e.g. after surgery or radiation).
• First signs of a hormone-related problem: Missing or excessive hormone secretion can cause hypothyroidism. Deficiency in the hormone will result in activity manifesting obesity, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, constipation, hair loss, infertility, and inability to tolerate cold. Increased secretion of the hormone is manifested in eye ballet, weight loss despite multiple eating, hyperhidrosis, tremor, inability to tolerate fever, irritability, and diarrhea.