Understanding Diabetes Warning Signs and Providing Evidence-Based Care
Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder in which your pituitary gland fails to produce one or more hormones, or doesn’t produce enough hormones.
The pituitary gland is a kidney-bean-sized gland situated at the base of your brain. It is part of your body’s endocrine system, which consists of all the glands that produce and regulate hormones. Despite its small size, the pituitary gland creates and releases a number of hormones that act on nearly every part of your body.
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Changes in body fat composition
- Lack of ambition
- Social isolation
- Decreased facial or body hair
- Mood changes
Hypopituitarism has a number of causes. In many cases, hypopituitarism is caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland. As a pituitary tumor increases in size, it can compress and damage pituitary tissue, interfering with hormone production. A tumor can also compress the optic nerves, causing visual disturbances.
