The Endocrine System – A Delicate Balance
Our endocrine (hormonal) system controls quite a few important bodily functions that we take for granted. This all happens efficiently when there is balance in the system, just like a world famous orchestra playing. It’s no co-incidence that the Chakra points are directly linked to the endocrine glands and organs.
If this system is out of balance, then it sounds like a 7 piece string orchestra playing a piece of classical music WITHOUT the violin player. The other musicians all play a bit louder to make up for the missing instrument but this ends up making things sound worse! And so the system gets further and further out of balance.
So who are the stars of the endocrine system?
- Hypothalamus gland – ‘Master gland’ or conductor of the orchestra! It is responsible for our circadian (daily) rhythm, body temperature and energy levels.
- Pituitary gland – This produces 7 major hormones: FSH/ LH/ TSH/ human growth hormone/ prolactin/ endorphins/ adrenocorticotropic hormone.
- Pineal gland – It secretes melatonin and has the highest level of serotonin in the body. Melatonin is our sleepy hormone.
- Thyroid/ Parathyroid glands – These control our metabolism, ‘fullness’ levels and can be associated with chronic dry, itchy skin. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland inside the neck. It sits in front of the trachea (windpipe) and below the larynx (voicebox). It uses small amounts of iodine to produce two thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. These hormones control many aspects of health, including the body’s “metabolic rate”, body weight and temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, mental alertness and growth in children.
- Pancreas – This produces insulin which controls our blood sugar levels.
- Adrenals – These glands sit on top of the kidneys and release stress hormones, sex hormones and dopamine.
- Ovaries/ Testes/ Placenta – The sex hormones are released for the relevant gender by these organs. The placenta plays a role during pregnancy.
When things go wrong
Pituitary gland issues: Pituitary tumours, including those that make hormones such as: Acromegaly (Growth Hormone-releasing pituitary tumours), Cushing’s disease (ACTH-releasing pituitary tumours), and Prolactinoma (prolactin-releasing pituitary tumours). Hypopituitarism (loss of pituitary hormones usually as a result of non functioning pituitary tumours or as a result of radiotherapy).
Thyroid gland issues: Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and Thyroid nodules.
Adrenal gland issues: Adrenal adenomas (benign adrenal tumours), Pheochromocytomas (tumours that release adrenaline-like hormones) and Congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Some endocrine conditions can be more common based on your genes or chromosomes. These include: Turner’s Syndrome, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes and associated disorders.
5 easy ways to take care of our endocrine systems:
- Exposure to natural daylight helps our pineal gland to make enough melatonin, which helps us sleep well.
- Spending time in nature, meditating or relaxing decreases stress and so puts less strain on the adrenal glands.
- Avoiding synthetic hormones (e.g. contraceptive pill, HRT, steroids, non-organic milk and meat) helps to keep our own natural hormones balanced.
- Switching to fluoride-free toothpaste helps the pineal gland to function correctly. Fluoride causes calcification of the pineal gland.
- If you had an unstable childhood, your nerve pathways are ‘wider’ for the stress hormones. Counselling with NLP techniques can help to re-train the brain and neural pathways where the endocrine messages flow.
Homeopathy can help with all the symptoms and issues listed above. We even have remedies made from the relevant glands or hormones to help you acheive optimum health.
Homeopathic remedies can also help with symptoms and re-balancing the ‘orchestra’!
