The pituitary gland is an organ that plays a very important role in the process of height growth. Therefore, once the pituitary gland has problems, it cannot secrete growth hormone (GH), then the child has a very high risk of short stature. Let’s learn about the pituitary gland and the role of the pituitary gland through the following article of Debametulam.com
What is pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland is an endocrine (hormone-producing) gland that is an important part of a special signaling system that helps regulate many different body functions. This is an endocrine gland that helps control body functions by releasing hormones into the bloodstream. The hormones are then transported in the blood to the target organs. When they reach the target organs, they release a second hormone.
The pituitary gland is often called the central endocrine gland because it controls many other hormone-secreting glands such as the ovaries, adrenal glands, and testes.
The pituitary gland is found at the base of the skull, behind the nose, about the size of a pea. The pituitary gland is very close to another part of the brain, called the hypothalamus. It is divided into 2 main parts (lobes): the anterior pituitary gland (in front) and the posterior pituitary gland (in the back). These two parts will release different hormone secretions that target different target organs of the body.
What is the role of the pituitary gland in height growth?
In response to activities and surroundings, the body has special systems that continuously monitor these changes and other vital functions. Accordingly, these systems not only monitor, but also respond to change and help the body restore balance. One of those systems is the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
The hypothalamus receives information from many sources about basic body functions and controls the pituitary gland. To do this, the hypothalamus uses its own hormones to communicate with the pituitary gland, allowing the pituitary gland to produce one or more other hormones. Hormones produced by the pituitary gland are released into the bloodstream, where they are transported to other endocrine glands such as the thyroid gland.
For the process of height development, the pituitary gland will secrete growth hormone GH, go to the target organ, cartilage, stimulate proliferation, so that the process of creating bone from cartilage takes place continuously, increasing optimal height . When the growth hormone GH is secreted more, the child’s chance to grow taller is bigger, helping to make full use of genetic potential, effectively increasing the length of bones. In addition, when the pituitary gland secretes growth hormone, it also helps control muscle mass and body fat, heal wounds and strengthen the immune system. These are the “necessary” factors for the effective height development process.
What are the consequences of the pituitary gland not producing growth hormone?
According to specialists, if the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone, it will have great consequences for the development of the child, especially in the process of height development and sex formation.
Regarding height growth:
When the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone, it means that the child will have a lack of growth hormone. When there is a lack of growth hormone, children will slow down in height growth. As a result, children will be short compared to their peers and if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Over time, the difference in height will become more and more, causing psychological loss of confidence when children reach adulthood, difficult to integrate into the community.
On the issue of sexual development
Because growth hormone GH has the function of stimulating the body to lengthen and grow, it also stimulates the enlargement and secretion of sex hormones of the reproductive organs. Therefore, when the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone, the typical manifestation of the disease is that the child does not grow up, remains a child forever, and is unable to bear children. Therefore, the patient is always short, underweight and does not see any gender expression. If not treated in time, the patient will not grow and mature.
In addition to the expression of height and abnormalities of the quality of the genital organs, the patient rarely has any other symptoms. Only a few cases, can experience double vision (one to two vision), blurred vision, headache, headache, nausea, vomiting for no apparent reason.
When the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone, it should be detected as soon as possible. To overcome this situation, there are 2 ways to surgically remove the brain tumor, return the normal space for the pituitary gland to develop and help the body secrete enough growth hormone GH. If the pituitary gland is damaged and loses its function, it is necessary to promptly supplement GH hormone from the outside to stimulate the allowed height to grow, enough to bounce up to reach puberty. If the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone late after the age of 13, then when the child has passed puberty, it cannot be cured, it cannot be returned to puberty for the child.
How to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce growth hormone?
According to Howtogrowtaller.com: Many studies show that human height is influenced by nutritional factors (32%), genetics (23%), physical training (20%). These are also very influential factors. to the pituitary gland to produce growth hormone GH .
+ Sleep well and get enough sleep: In fact, the process of releasing growth hormone GH takes place throughout the day, especially at night, GH is released 4 times more than when awake. The peak is in the period from 10 pm to 3 am when the amount of growth hormone GH is most secreted. Therefore, experts recommend that children should practice the habit of going to bed early before 10 pm, limiting vigorous activity or eating too much before going to sleep… to ensure the best quality of sleep and to secrete the amount of GH hormone
+ Nutrition: In order to promote bone development, increase height, children’s nutrition needs to provide adequate materials for bone formation, so parents need to give priority to supplementing calcium-rich foods. , magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D , vitamin K2… for children.
In particular, it is necessary to supplement with an adequate amount of vitamin D. By researchers at the University of Genoa in Italy have found that vitamin D increases the production of growth hormone GH. Besides, it also increases the IGF-1 receptor – the factor that controls the body’s growth. Moreover, a lack of vitamin D and calcium will affect deep sleep and increase the secretion of growth hormone GH. Therefore, daily vitamin D and calcium supplementation is necessary to help children sleep better and stimulate growth factors to work better.
+ Exercising regularly: Exercise with high intensity, lasting 90-120 minutes/day can increase growth hormone by 3 times, the whole body develops, including height. Sports that help increase height such as barbells, curling exercises, sprinting, cycling, swimming … are ways to help growth hormone secrete strongly if you persist in doing it regularly.
In addition, parents need to limit the amount of sugar in their children’s daily diet because eating too much sugar will increase insulin, which can reduce the activity of secreting growth hormone GH of the pituitary gland.
Above are some information that Debametulam wants to share with you to help you better understand the impact of the pituitary gland on the growth and development of children’s height. Hope this information will be useful for mothers in improving their children’s height
