Your pituitary gland, also called hypophysis, is a relatively small sized organ that regulates other endocrine glands by secreting hormones. It’s in a bony cavity under the hypothalamus at the base of your brain. Your hypothalamus sends hormonal or electric messages to your pituitary gland directing the release of its hormones.
Hypophysis Function
The function of your hypophysis is two fold, it is essentially the master regulator of a variety of other organs and also secretes hormones that have a widespread effect. Following is a list of the hormones your pituitary produces and their function:
- adrenocorticotropin ~ incites production of cortisol
- thyroid-stimulating hormone ~ prompts secretion of thyroid hormone
- antidiuretic hormone ~ vasopressin, regulates water retention by kidneys
- oxytocin ~ triggers labor, uterine contractions, breast nipple milk ejection
- follicle-stimulating hormone ~ promotes sperm production, activates ovulation
- prolactin ~ stimulates breast milk production, affects sex hormone levels from ovaries & testes
- luteinizing hormone ~ sparks testes testosterone production, ovary estrogen & progesterone production
- growth hormone ~ stimulates growth, maintains healthy muscle & bone mass, affects fat distribution & metabolism
As you can see, your hypophysis hormone release plays a vital role in you health and well-being.
Pituitary Gland Problems
The most frequent cause of pituitary gland problems are tumors, the majority of which are benign. Their occurrence is fairly common and the problem typically involves either pressure related issues, too much (hypersecretion) hormone secretion or too little (hyposecretion) of a hormone being secreted. As a result, these problems related to pituitary gland tumor can lead to other hormonal imbalances or health effects, for example it can be one of the causes for these problems:
- acromegaly
- amenorrhea
- galactorrhea
- hypogonadism
- hyperthyroidism
- diabetes insipidus
- Cushing’s syndrome
Large hypophysis tumors can put pressure on surrounding tissue, thus causing headaches, vision problems, sense of smell problems, etc.