Hypothalamus Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prognosis

Hypothalamus is an important part in the brain. The hypothalamus controls the pituitary glands. The pituitary gland is associated with the secretion of vital hormones into the blood stream. Hypothalamus disorders results in various health related complications. Such hypothalamus disorders are caused primarily because of the stress and other factors that include tumors, infections and swelling, genetic disorders. If hypothalamus disorders are caused by tumors, radiation therapy cures the condition. Some hypothalamus disorders are caused because of missing hormones. Replacing the hormones helps to fix the disorder.

The pituitary gland is an important part of the human endocrine system. The hormones that it secretes help to regulate numerous body functions. The hypothalamus is that part of the brain that controls the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus disorders are mostly caused because of excessive stress. Hypothalamus disorders often occur due to anorexia, bulimia, bleeding, tumors, genetic disorders, head trauma, swelling and infections, malnutrition, surgery, radiation. The various hypothalamus disorders have their own symptoms. The treatment of the disease often depends on the cause of the dysfunction.

The occurrences of symptoms associated with hypothalamus disorders are caused because of hormones that are missing from the living body. Because of missing of hormones from the human body, individuals can suffer from growth related issues. They may suffer from either excessive growth or retarded growth. For pregnant women, delivery can reach either early or late. Tumor symptoms associated with hypothalamus disorders includes occurrence of headaches, vision loss. The symptoms associated with Hypothyroidism include depression in mood, cold intolerance, constipation, fatigue, skin or hair changes, hoarseness, loss of body and muscle hair in men, mental slowing, sudden weight gain and change in menstrual cycle. Hypothalamus disorders can cause reduced adrenal activity. Weakness, dizziness are some common symptoms of hypothalamus disorders. Other less common disorders include emotional problems, body temperature issues, occurrence of excessive thirst, uncontrolled urination and inability to smell.

Testing the hormone levels in the blood, urine is vital to ascertain the cause of the hypothalamus disorders. Hormones like estrogen, cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin, pituitary hormones, testosterone, thyroid levels are tested prior to treatment. Other tests for diagnosing hypothalamus disorders include administrating hormonal injections to the patients. This is often followed by performing MRI or brain imaging, visual field eye exam to detect presence of tumor before commencing treatment for the condition. The treatment however depends on the cause of the disorder. The following paragraph lays out the treatment procedure that causes such disorder.

If the hypothalamus disorders are caused due to the presence of tumors, then radiation or surgery is the best treatment. For hormonal deficiencies that cause hypothalamus disorders, replacing missing hormones is the best option. Besides there are other treatment options for infection, bleeding, or other causes.

There are no particular home remedies for hypothalamus disorders. The hypothalamus is an important part of the body and its function is to keep the body balance, maintain the body temperature, weight, body and fluid balance, blood pressure. This part of the body helps to keep the body in control. Damage to the brain hypothalamus implies that hormonal disturbances or disorders. Severe disorder in this part of the body can be fatal. It is important to seek advice of the registered practitioner to prevent brain damage. In many instances, it is observed that such conditions are a result of poor lifestyle standards of an individual. It is important on the part of the person to make appropriate amendments to their lifestyle for a healthy living. Consuming processed or preserved food can run the risks of occurrence of hypothalamus disorders and hence they need to be avoided in totality. The reason for shunning processed or canned food under such circumstances is that they contain chemicals that are detrimental to a person’s health.

There are different types of hypothalamic conditions and each of which is associated with a certain set of symptoms. Proper diagnosis of the condition is important prior to starting the treatment process. The patients suffering from hypothalamic disorders that are caused because of tumor needs radiation therapy or surgery. The recovery period or healing time can take months. Though, periodic check-ups are essential in such cases. With respect to hormone replacement, which is also another reason for hypothalamus disorders, the healing time or recovery period condition can take days. However, it is important that the hypothalamus disorders are avoided from the very beginning and this can be ensured if the person suffering from such disorders adopts a healthy diet and lifestyle for the same.

Hypothalamus disorders can be irritating and therefore, prevention is always better than cure. It is important to maintain a healthy diet. Excessive weight loss or too much of hard exercise can be an issue. For individuals who have eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, seeking the advice of a registered medical practitioner is crucial as these conditions can get life threatening. For those who suffer from hormonal deficiency, taking necessary hormonal supplements in their regular diet can prevent the occurrence of the symptoms of the disorder.

Observations reveal that many of the causes of hypothalamus disorders can be treated. Most of the treatments include replacement of hormones. However, there can be hypothalamic disorders caused because of the occurrence of tumors. Such disorders can be cured by radiation or other ways.

Certain lifestyle changes boost good health. These alterations in lifestyle enhance longevity. Conditions like hypothalamus disorders are often treated, cured by adopting proper lifestyle measures. It is prerequisite for individuals suffering from such conditions to get adequate amount of sleep, eat balanced diets which include breakfasts, engage in physical activity, maintain body weight, avoiding tobacco products, alcohol. Observations reveal that hypothalamus disorders discussed above occur in environments, which is stressful. Therefore, it is important for individuals with hypothalamus disorders to avoid stressful environment, avoid living in big cities, engage in regular exercise and take a balanced diet. Adequate relaxation, plenty of sleep is some of the other positive lifestyle changes that contribute to a person’s health, enhance longevity.

The major reason for hypothalamus disorders is excessive stress. Coping with hypothalamus disorders implies coping with stress. Besides maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is important to cope up from the condition of hypothalamus disorders. Hypothalamus is an important part of the brain and it’s malfunction implies hormonal disturbances and disorders. Though maintaining a balanced diet, living a healthy lifestyle is important for the cure of the condition, yet, it is recommended to seek the advice of a doctor to prevent the escalation of the adverse effects of the condition. It is observed that such conditions are mainly caused because of tumors in the brain. If that is the cause then radiation or surgery is the best treatment procedure. There can be hormonal imbalances and that can lead to such conditions. Hormone replacement therapy is then the best form of treatment.

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• Functions of Hypothalamus & What Happens if it Gets Damaged?