Hormone Balance: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Hormone balance refers to the interaction of all hormones in the body. It is controlled by the endocrine system. Disturbances in hormone balance can lead to serious diseases.

What is hormone balance?

Hormone balance refers to the interaction of all hormones in the body. It is controlled by the endocrine system. The body’s hormone balance is controlled by regulatory mechanisms within the endocrine system. It is characterized by the interaction of all hormones. However, there are always normal fluctuations in the hormone levels of individual hormones depending on the body’s functions. Hormones are endogenous messenger substances that regulate important bodily functions. Their formation is controlled and regulated within the hormone system by a regulatory mechanism. For example, certain hormones are responsible for energy metabolism. Others regulate primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Blood sugar levels, for example, are controlled by the hormone insulin. Growth is also subject to hormonal influences through the growth hormone. Likewise, the body’s water and mineral balance cannot be regulated without hormones. Even emotions and behavior are influenced by hormonal processes. The production of hormones that control bodily processes is in turn regulated by other hormones within the endocrine system. In order to coordinate bodily processes with each other, there are constant changes in hormone levels of individual hormones. In the process, hormone levels fluctuate within certain limits. When the limits are exceeded, the entire hormone balance is disturbed.

Function and task

The hormone balance of the body is regulated by the endocrine system. Every day, all hormones in the body are subject to fluctuations in concentration, which in turn are dependent on bodily processes. However, for all hormones there are average values around which the concentrations fluctuate. The hormones are produced in the endocrine glands of the body or scattered endocrine cells. The endocrine organs include the Langerhans cells in the pancreas, the thyroid gland, the parathyroid gland, the pineal gland, the adrenal glands, the Leydig cells in the testes, the ovarian follicles in the ovary and, above all, the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland, also called the pituitary gland, is the superior organ of the endocrine system. It produces many different hormones with different chemical makeup and functions. Its hormones sometimes act directly on organs, such as growth hormone, or regulate the production of other hormones in the subordinate endocrine glands. The adrenal glands produce adrenaline, noradrenaline, and the steroid hormones cortisol or aldosterone. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are short-term acting stress hormones that rapidly release energy from glucose. Cortisol is a long-term stress hormone that produces glucose by breaking down protein in the body, causing blood glucose levels to rise. The increase in blood glucose levels, in turn, causes increased production of insulin in the pancreas. Insulin causes blood glucose to be transported into cells. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones, which stimulate metabolism. Without thyroid hormones, metabolic processes would not be able to occur. The parathyroid gland produces the parathormone. The parathyroid hormone is responsible for calcium metabolism. It ensures calcium absorption from food. Furthermore, the sex hormone testosterone is produced in the Leydig cells of the testis and estrogens in the ovarian follicles of the ovaries. Within the normal hormonal balance, hormone concentrations are subject to constant fluctuations within certain limits. During physical changes due to growth, puberty or menopause, the hormone balance also changes drastically. These phases represent normal transitional phases, each of which leads to different hormonal equilibrium states. During these changes, there can be such strong fluctuations in the hormone balance that even physical complaints occur. As a rule, however, these complaints do not require treatment, as they occur within a normal process of change in hormonal balance.

Diseases and complaints

However, changes in hormone balance can also indicate serious diseases. For example, hyperfunction or hypofunction of some endocrine organs may occur.One example is adrenal hyperfunction with increased production of cortisol. This hyperfunction is often caused by an adenoma or tumor. In this case, the adrenal glands produce cortisol autonomously without being influenced by a higher-level endocrine organ such as the pituitary gland. The result is the so-called Cushing’s syndrome with truncal obesity, full moon face, hyperglycemia and weakening of the immune system. The hyperglycemia in turn causes an increased production of insulin in order to lower the blood sugar level again. Thus, in Cushing’s syndrome, cortisol levels on the one hand and insulin levels on the other are constantly elevated. Cortisol causes the permanent breakdown of the body’s own proteins into glucose, which is then channeled by insulin into the fat cells for fat synthesis. Diseases of the pituitary gland can upset the entire regulatory mechanism of the hormonal system. If the pituitary gland fails, many hormones are no longer produced or are no longer produced sufficiently. One example is the so-called Sheehan syndrome, which is caused by necrosis of the pituitary gland as part of a pregnancy complication. In this case, a deficiency of many hormones occurs, leading to a serious condition with many different symptoms. Another example of a hormone deficiency disease is Addison’s disease. This is the failure of the adrenal glands. This results in a deficiency of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The result is a disturbance in mineral metabolism and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with feelings of weakness, nausea and vomiting, and weight loss. In the course of this disease, a life-threatening Addisonian crisis can occur, which requires rapid treatment. Treatment consists of lifelong substitution of cortisol and aldosterone. When sex hormone levels are too low, there is hypofunction of the gonads (testes or ovary) with impaired sexual function or infertility.