When tumors press on the pituitary gland, they interfere with hormone production. More common are benign tumors of the gland-forming tissue, HVL adenomas, which cause hormone imbalance. Malignant tumors of the pituitary gland are extremely rare. Inflammation of the meninges (meningitis) or brain (encephalitis), an accident or surgery, radiation, or circulatory problems can also affect pituitary function.
What happens when the pituitary gland produces too little hormone?
- When the pituitary gland produces too little ADH, central diabetes insipidus (not to be confused with diabetes mellitus, the “sugar disease”) develops. Affected individuals cannot retain water in the body and excrete up to 20 liters of urine per day. To replace the loss of fluid, they drink a lot.
- Deficiency of growth hormone (GH) causes pituitary dwarfism in children. The children remain small, but intelligence and body proportions are normal. In adults, GH deficiency causes increased fat storage in the abdomen and muscle mass decreases. Fat metabolism is disturbed and the risk of vascular calcification increases.
- If too little FSH and LH are produced, menstruation stops in women and sexual potency is disturbed in men. The hair in the armpit and pubic area decreases and the desire for sex decreases.
- Deficiency of TSH leads to hypothyroidism. Symptoms include fatigue and listlessness, weight loss, freezing, constipation and sometimes depression.
- If the body lacks ACTH, this affects sugar, salt and fluid balance. Blood pressure and blood sugar drop, the affected are often low in drive.
- If too little MSH is produced, the skin looks pale.
- A lack of prolactin causes breastfeeding women to stop producing milk.
What happens when the pituitary gland produces too much hormone?
Some of the benign tumors of the pituitary gland produce hormones themselves – overproduction occurs.
- The most common benign hormone-producing tumor of the pituitary gland is prolactinoma, which produces prolactin. Women with prolactinoma suffer from disrupted menstrual periods and sexual aversion; some also experience milk flow from the mammary glands. In men, potency is affected and the desire for sex decreases.
- If the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone, this leads to excessive height growth (gigantism) in children. In adults, it triggers acromegaly: Hands, feet and head grow, facial features become “coarser.” The internal organs also become disproportionately large.
- Overproduction of ACTH causes the adrenal glands to release too much cortisol, thus triggering Cushing’s syndrome. Affected people have a round, large face, thin arms and legs, but strong fat accumulation in the abdomen and neck (truncal obesity) and red stripes on the skin (striae rubrae). In addition, there are disorders of sugar metabolism, in some cases diabetes, and the breakdown of bone and muscle tissue.
- If the pituitary gland secretes too much ADH, one speaks of Schwartz-Bartter syndrome (SIADH). Causes can be inflammation in the brain, severe burns or even the use of certain drugs (for example, tricyclic antidepressants). In many cases, the disease goes undiagnosed, sometimes nausea, vomiting, headaches or muscle cramps occur.
Other effects of a pituitary tumor
Particularly large tumors on the pituitary gland cause visual disturbances because they press on the adjacent junction of the optic nerves. Sometimes headaches also occur.
How can I protect and support my pituitary gland?
There is no actual protection for the pituitary gland. However, everything that is good for the entire organism, i.e. a balanced diet, regular exercise and as little stress as possible, naturally supports the pituitary gland.
