What is the pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland is a pea-sized bit of tissue at the bottom of your brain. Glands are organs that make and release hormones into your blood. Hormones are chemicals that stimulate other cells or tissues into action. The pituitary gland puts out many different hormones. Each pituitary hormone controls a different gland and body function.
The pituitary gland is controlled by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
What are pituitary hormones?
Each pituitary hormone controls different glands and body functions.
Pituitary hormones include:
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ACTH: Controls your adrenal gland hormones, which affect heart rate, blood pressure, and the balance of salt and water in your body
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Growth hormone: Controls how fast and big your body grows
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Thyroid-stimulating hormone: Controls your thyroid gland hormones, which control how fast your body's chemical functions work
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LH and FSH: Control your sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, which affect fertility
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Prolactin: Controls the production of breast milk
What happens if your pituitary gland doesn't work right?
Your pituitary gland may:
Sometimes there's a problem with only one pituitary hormone. Other times, you have a problem with many or all of the hormones.
If your pituitary gland produces too much, or not enough, of a hormone, you can get health problems such as:
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Increased growth (acromegaly and gigantism)
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Decreased growth (short stature)
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Unexpected breast milk production (galactorrhea)
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Excessive thirst and urination, which can dehydrate you (central diabetes insipidus)
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Excessive weakness and tiredness (hypothyroidism)
What causes problems with the pituitary gland?
Causes of pituitary gland problems include:
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A head injury
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An autoimmune disease or other disease
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Radiation therapy to your head
