Symptoms of Growth Hormone Deficiency:-Short Height.
Symptoms of Growth Hormone Deficiency
Low energy levels, especially after meals, during the day, and in the afternoon. Children with growth hormone deficiencies tend to be sleepy and tired most days and may have difficulty waking in the morning or staying awake at school and seem too tired for physical activity.
Their ability to concentrate also decreases so they become increasingly bored at school and find it difficult to learn new things if their understanding is weak due to poor concentration. They may start having more behavior problems such as moodiness, very fussy eating habits, and temper tantrums because they are tired or bored.
symptoms of growth hormone deficiency in teenagers:
Teens and adults with growth hormone (GH) deficiency experience many of the same symptoms:
· Weakness and fatigue
· Slow or delayed puberty in teens
· Slowed muscle development
· Decreased bone mass, potentially leading to osteoporosis, especially if there is a family history of the disorder. Adults with GH deficiency may also experience · Obesity (especially around the abdomen) · Depression or apathy (very uncommon among children) ·
Increased cholesterol levels and risk for cardiovascular disease. Teens with untreated GH deficiency don’t grow as tall as they could because of shorter leg bones. They may be of short stature but not have GH deficiency. Children under age 2 whose height is more than two standard deviations below the median for other children of the same age are unlikely to have GH deficiency.
Symptoms of growth hormone deficiency in adults:
People with GH deficiency may experience the following symptoms: Elderly individuals who have low levels of GH in their bodies may also develop short stature, unexplained weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. This condition is known as somatopause or age-related somatic decline.
Growth hormone injections can help treat GH deficiency in both children and adults. Children who do not produce enough growth hormone need to take daily injections; however, there are several options for administering these injections.
Adults with hypopituitarism, an adverse diagnosis that includes diminished secretion of pituitary hormones like GH, often require supplementary doses of synthetic GH. Growth hormones supplements improve development in children who do not make enough of their own GH.
Growth hormone deficiency symptoms:
In children with a growth hormone deficiency, the following may occur:
·Growth is slow in height and in weight. As a result, a child may be short in stature in comparison to his or her classmates. The testes do not grow normally and puberty will usually occur late, sometimes when a boy is as old as 14 years.
Girls affected by this condition also have delayed menarche (first menstruation). In both sexes, the body fat content increases during adolescence with the development of obesity at an early age.
In adulthood, low levels of GH mean that muscle mass decreases. It’s possible to have a normal BMI but have less lean muscle mass than average due to decreased production of growth hormones.
· Growth hormone supplementation may help increase muscle mass and strength in people with GH deficiency who are of normal weight or slightly overweight. It’s possible for them to look like they have a muscular physique, but this is an illusion created by body fat and not solid muscle mass.
Some studies show that people on treatment including GH replacement therapy gain lean body mass, which leads to more muscularity. They also reported less fatigue and better quality of life. · Symptoms of the condition become more evident when puberty begins (in both boys and girls) because these children will experience delayed onset of puberty.
· There may be a greater risk for the cardiovascular disease since low levels of GH can contribute to high levels of fats in the blood ( high cholesterol ). Adults with untreated GH deficiency may develop: Abnormal body composition, including increased fat around the waist, lower quality of bone and muscle mass, decreased sexual function.
· Growth Hormone Therapy :
This can increase height velocity by about 4 to 6 inches per year. Parents should be aware that this treatment has also been associated with an increased risk of a rare but serious condition called intracranial hypertension. Before starting therapy parents need to have their child evaluated by a pediatric endocrinologist or family doctor who is experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of GH deficiency.
Growth hormone deficiency in babies:
GH deficiency in infants leads to short stature and poor weight gain, both of which can affect health.
Children who are born with GH deficiency often look like they’re starving (thin body, protruding abdomen) because their bodies don’t store nutrition properly. About 30% of children with GH deficiency have normal length/height at birth; however, over 50% of these kids fail to show expected growth after the first six months.
Treatment for growth hormone deficiency:
The following methods may be used: · Regular daily injections. This is a solution containing synthetic somatotropin (a protein that stimulates the production of human growth hormone), given under the skin with an insulin syringe or an injection device. People need to be taught how to give themselves injections and they will need to do this regularly for life.
The injection is usually given in the evening because high levels of GH are normally produced when you sleep. A skin patch (Transdermal patches) may also be used to deliver growth hormone, with a lower risk of side effects than with daily injections.
untreated growth hormone deficiency:
· Untreated childhood GH deficiency increases the risk for poor health and a shorter lifespan, which is why it’s very important to diagnose this condition as early as possible.
· In adults, growth hormone deficiency leads to decreased muscle mass, increased fat deposits around the middle of the body ( central obesity ), low bone density, increased cholesterol levels in the blood, increased risk of diabetes, fatigue. Adults with untreated GH deficiency can also develop depression because they experience low self-esteem due to their appearance and social and work situations.
Adult height:
People who didn’t get treatment when they were children will probably not grow taller than 4 foot 11 inches ( 1 .5 meters ). If they received proper treatment during childhood until at least 16 years of age, they may reach a normal adult height. GH replacement therapy:- GH can be used as a treatment for adults with growth hormone deficiency who didn’t get the condition treated when they were younger.
This treatment is generally only recommended if the person has other serious health problems related to their short stature or overall poor quality of life; and if their height falls below -2 standard deviations ( SD ) from the mean (which is approximately 4 foot 11 inches).
Possible side effects:
These include tummy pain, flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, and tiredness shortly after starting treatment; allergic reactions such as rash; swelling; joint pains; carpal tunnel syndrome (tightness in the hands and fingers, usually due to fluid collecting in the tunnel that runs through part of the hand), etc.
Untreated growth hormone deficiency should not be confused with other conditions such as anorexia nervosa and depression. It is important to diagnose this condition as early as possible.
Growth hormone deficiency in adults guidelines:
For adults with a growth hormone deficiency, the main aim of treatment is to improve their general health and well-being rather than just their height.
GH treatment isn’t expected to undo the damage caused by being short during childhood, for example, poor self-esteem or low social status. However, patients are often more motivated once they realize how serious the condition is, so GH therapy can help them cope better with some of these problems.
Treatment may also improve mood and reduce fatigue in people who have other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes . Treatment should be continued until you reach a height within 1 standard deviation ( SD ) of the mean adult height in your population group when further increases in final height will not occur.