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Endocrinologist
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
An endocrinologist is a specialist who treats the endocrine system, which consists of the endocrine glands: the pituitary gland, thyroid and parathyroid glands, hypothalamus, adrenal glands, pancreas and sex glands that produce hormones.
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Reasons to make an appointment with an endocrinologist
The reason for a visit may be a constant desire to drink due to high blood sugar, dry skin, weakness in the body, decreased ability to work, sudden weight loss or excess weight (obesity), frequent headaches, migraines, irritability, frequent aggression, constant drowsiness, sleep disorders, edema, decreased memory and intelligence, increased sweating, hand tremors, rapid heartbeat.
What tests and examinations are carried out if you are seen by an endocrinologist?
If a person has at least one of these symptoms, then he should see an endocrinologist. He will prescribe a lot of tests: densitometry, computer and magnetic resonance (nuclear magnetic) tomography, skull X-ray, puncture and scintigraphy of the thyroid gland, as well as laboratory tests - biochemical blood test, urine and blood test for hormones, cholesterol level, blood sugar.
If no diseases of the body are detected, the endocrinologist can prescribe preventive treatment so that no diseases of the immune system develop in the future.
What does an endocrinologist treat?
Hormones control the normal functioning of the human body and general well-being in general, and are also responsible for metabolic processes in the body, growth and development, metabolism. An endocrinologist is able to cure hormonal disorders due to a deficiency or excess of secreted hormones. Although specialists in this field are divided into narrow specialists in certain diseases: endocrinologist-gynecologist, endocrinologist-nutritionist, pediatric endocrinologist, diabetologist.
A nutritionist-endocrinologist helps the patient find the optimal diet for weight loss, without risk to health and starvation. Many people lose weight under the guidance of this doctor.
An endocrinologist also treats carbohydrate metabolism disorders, treats diabetes, thyroid diseases (for example, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, nodular goiter, thyrotoxicosis), and metabolic syndrome.
Patients with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of early development of dangerous diseases that lead to disability and often cause heart attacks and strokes. Modern medicine allows us to reduce the risk and delay the development of these diseases.
Often, excess weight leads to the development of diabetes mellitus and is combined with such general therapeutic problems as angina pectoris, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol, arrhythmia and heart failure, etc.
An endocrinologist-gynecologist deals with various disorders of the reproductive system, menstrual cycle disorders, amenorrhea, hirsutism, menopause disorders, pre- and climacteric syndrome, and also prescribes medications that alleviate the symptoms of various diseases of the reproductive system for women and help them feel young again.
An endocrinologist helps to solve the causes of infertility, identify problems of various growth disorders, as well as correct sexual development in children. Signs of endocrine diseases are detected by doctors of other specialties - therapists, rheumatologists, gynecologists, who then refer the patient to an endocrinologist. Some diseases without contacting this specialist last for years and become chronic, sometimes disorders are found accidentally by tests or ultrasound results. An endocrinologist can help in solving most problems associated with endocrine system disorders.