Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a condition where the pituitary gland in the brain does not make enough growth hormone (GH) for the body’s needs. Growth hormone helps children grow taller, build strong bones and muscles, and also supports heart, fat, and sugar balance in adults. When GH is too low, children grow slowly and…

Kallmann syndrome is a rare birth condition where the brain does not make enough of a hormone called GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone). Because of this, the body cannot start or complete puberty in the normal way, and the person has a weak or absent sense of smell. NCBI+1 Kallmann syndrome is a rare genetic condition where…

Hypophysitis is a rare disease where the pituitary gland becomes inflamed. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain that makes many hormones that control growth, thyroid, adrenal glands, sex hormones, and water balance. In hypophysitis, white blood cells and other inflammatory cells enter the gland and damage its tissue. Over…

Nelson’s syndrome is a rare problem that can happen in people who had both adrenal glands removed to treat Cushing’s disease. After the adrenal glands are gone, the small pituitary tumor in the brain that makes ACTH (a stress hormone) can grow bigger and start making very high amounts of ACTH. This extra ACTH causes…

Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH) is a condition where the body makes or releases too much antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also called vasopressin. ADH is a hormone that normally helps the kidneys save the right amount of water and keeps the balance of water and salt (especially sodium) in the blood. In SIADH, this…

Pituitary ACTH hypersecretion means that the pituitary gland makes too much of a hormone called ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. ACTH tells the adrenal glands (on top of the kidneys) to make cortisol, the main “stress hormone”. When the pituitary sends too much ACTH, the…

Hyperprolactinaemia means that the level of a hormone called prolactin in your blood is higher than the normal range for your age and sex. Prolactin is made by the pituitary gland, a small organ at the base of the brain. Its main job is to help the breasts make milk after pregnancy, but it also…

Acromegaly is a long-term (chronic) hormone disorder in adults. It happens when the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain, makes too much growth hormone (GH) for a long time. The high GH makes the liver and other tissues release more insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Together, GH and IGF-1 cause bones,…

A hypothalamic hamartoma is a small, non-cancer growth made of normal brain cells that are in the wrong place in the hypothalamus, a deep part of the brain that controls hormones, sleep, temperature, hunger, and many body rhythms. It forms before birth, during early brain development, and is usually present for life. It does not…

Neurogenic diabetes insipidus is a brain-related water-balance disorder. In this condition, the brain does not make or release enough of a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as arginine vasopressin (AVP). ADH normally helps the kidneys save water and make concentrated (dark) urine. When ADH is missing or too low, the kidneys let too…

Tertiary adrenal insufficiency is a condition where the brain, especially the hypothalamus, does not send enough signals to tell the adrenal glands to make cortisol, an important stress hormone. In this condition, the adrenal glands themselves are usually normal, but they are “switched off” because the signals from the brain are too low. The brain…

Adiposogenital dystrophy is a rare hormone disorder where a problem in the brain (mainly the hypothalamus and pituitary region) causes obesity plus low sex hormone levels (hypogonadism). Children or teenagers with this condition usually gain a lot of weight, grow more slowly than expected, and go through puberty very late or not at all unless…