Gland balancer Health Dictionary

Gland Balancer: From 1 Different Sources


There are times when the endocrine orchestra fails to strike its normal note; when energies of life flow slowly and body tone is low. Such is when stimulation of the thyroid, pancreas, and adrenals by natural precursors of their hormones is helpful. The following has a hormone- effect and proves useful for general weakness, change of life, persistent fatigue, sterility, puberty and adolescence, frigidity, metabolic disorders:

Formula. Ginseng 2; Liquorice 1; Sarsaparilla 1; Ginger half; Kelp half. Dose – powders: half a teaspoon; tinctures 1-3 teaspoons; liquid extracts: 1-2 teaspoons; in water or honey thrice daily. 

Health Source: Bartrams Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
Author: Health Encyclopedia

Exocrine Gland

A gland that secretes its products through a duct to the surface of the body or of an organ. The sweat glands in the skin and the salivary glands in the mouth are examples. The secretion is set o? by a hormone (see HORMONES) or a NEUROTRANSMITTER.... exocrine gland

Mammary Gland

See BREASTS.... mammary gland

Pituitary Gland

Also known as the pituitary body and the hypophysis, this is an ovoid structure, weighing around 0·5 gram in the adult. It is attached to the base of the BRAIN, and lies in the depression in the base of the skull known as the sella turcica. The anterior part is called the adenohypophysis and the posterior part the neurohy-P pophysis. The gland is connected to the HYPOTHALAMUS of the brain by a stalk known as the hypophyseal or pituitary stalk.

The pituitary gland is the most important ductless, or endocrine, gland in the body. (See

ENDOCRINE GLANDS.) It exerts overall control of the endocrine system through the media of a series of hormones which it produces. The adenohypophysis produces trophic hormones (that is, they work by stimulating or inhibiting other endocrine glands) and have therefore been given names ending with ‘trophic’ or ‘trophin’. The thyrotrophic hormone, or thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), exerts a powerful in?uence over the activity of the THYROID GLAND. The ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC HORMONE (ACTH) stimulates the cortex of the adrenal glands. GROWTH HORMONE, also known as somatotrophin (SMH), controls the growth of the body. There are also two gonadotrophic hormones which play a vital part in the control of the gonads: these are the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and the luteinising hormone (LH) which is also known as the interstitial-cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH) – see GONADOTROPHINS. The lactogenic hormone, also known as prolactin, mammotrophin and luteotrophin, induces lactation.

The neurohypophysis produces two hormones. One is oxytocin, which is widely used because of its stimulating e?ect on contraction of the UTERUS. The other is VASOPRESSIN, or the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which acts on the renal tubules and the collecting tubules (see KIDNEYS) to increase the amount of water that they normally absorb.... pituitary gland

Prostate Gland

This is an accessory sex gland in males which is wrapped round the URETHRA as this tube leaves the URINARY BLADDER. Opening into the urethra, the gland secretes an alkaline ?uid during ejaculation and is a constituent of SEMEN. The gland grows during adolescence and is sensitive to the concentrations of sex hormones.... prostate gland

Thyroid Gland

A highly vascular organ situated in front of the neck. It consists of a narrow isthmus crossing the windpipe close to its upper end, and joining together two lateral lobes which run upwards, one on each side of the LARYNX. The gland is therefore shaped somewhat like a horseshoe, each lateral lobe being about 5 cm (2 inches) long and the isthmus about 12 mm (••• inch) wide, and it is ?rmly bound to the larynx. The weight of the thyroid gland is about 28·5 grams (1 ounce), but it is larger in females than in males and in some women increases in size during MENSTRUATION. It often reaches an enormous size in the condition known as GOITRE (see also THYROID GLAND, DISEASES OF).

Function The chief function of the thyroid gland is to produce a hormone (see HORMONES) rich in iodine – THYROXINE, which controls the rate of body METABOLISM. Thus, if it is de?cient in infants they fail to grow and suffer LEARNING DISABILITY, a condition formerly known as CRETINISM. If the de?ciency develops in adult life, the individual becomes obese, lethargic, and develops a coarse skin, a condition known as hypothyroidism (see under THYROID GLAND, DISEASES OF). Overactivity of the thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, results in loss of weight, rapid heart action, anxiety, overactivity and increased appetite. (See THYROID GLAND, DISEASES OF – Thyrotoxicosis.)

The production of the thyroid hormone is controlled by a hormone of the PITUITARY GLAND – the thyrotrophic hormone.... thyroid gland

Ductless Gland

Any one of certain glands in the body the secretion of which goes directly into the bloodstream and so is carried to di?erent parts of the body. These glands – the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and reproductive – are also known as the ENDOCRINE GLANDS. Some glands may be both duct glands and ductless glands. For example, the PANCREAS manufactures a digestive juice which passes by a duct into the small intestine. It also manufactures, by means of special cells, a substance called INSULIN which passes straight into the blood.... ductless gland

Gland

A collection of CELLS or an ORGAN with a specialised ability to make and secrete chemical substances such as enzymes and hormones essential for the normal functioning of the body. Glands are classi?ed into two groups: ENDOCRINE and EXOCRINE. The former secrete their products, hormones, straight into the bloodstream; the latter’s secretions are discharged through ducts. (These functional differences are the reason why glands have been de?ned as ductless and ducted.) Examples of endocrine glands are the adrenals, PITUITARY GLAND and THYROID GLAND. Exocrine glands include SEBACEOUS GLANDS (in the skin) and the SALIVARY GLANDS in the mouth whose enzymes start the digestion of food. The BREASTS or mammary glands are exocrine glands that secrete milk. Though strictly speaking not a gland, LYMPH nodes (part of the lymphatic system) are sometimes called that. While they do not produce secretions, lymph glands do release white blood cells, an essential part of the body’s defence system.... gland

Parotid Gland

One of the SALIVARY GLANDS. It is situated just in front of the ear, and its duct runs forwards across the cheek to open into the interior of the mouth on a little projection opposite the second last tooth of the upper row. The parotid gland is generally the ?rst of the salivary glands to become enlarged in MUMPS.... parotid gland

Pineal Gland

A small reddish structure, 10 mm in length and shaped somewhat like a pine cone (hence its name), situated on the upper part of the midbrain (see BRAIN). Many theories have been expounded as to its function, but there is increasing evidence that, in some animals at least, it is affected by light and plays a part in hibernation and in controlling sexual activity and the colour of the skin. This it seems to do by means of a substance it produces known as MELATONIN. There is also growing evidence that it may play a part in controlling the circadian rhythms of the body – the natural variations in physiological activities throughout the 24-hour day.... pineal gland

Sebaceous Gland

Oil secreting glands, mostly clustered around hair follicles. The oil, sebum, is released into the oil glands from the disintegrated cytoplasm of shedding holocrine cells that line the alveolar surfaces. The nature of the secretion is a direct reflection of the state of the body’s lipid metabolism.... sebaceous gland

Endocrine Gland

A gland that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream rather than through a duct. Examples include the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, ovaries, testes, and adrenal glands. (See also exocrine gland.)... endocrine gland

Adenitis Means Inflammation Of A Gland.

... adenitis means inflammation of a gland.

Thyroid Gland, Diseases Of

... thyroid gland, diseases of

Apocrine Gland

A gland that discharges cellular material in addition to the fluid it secretes. The term is usually applied to the type of sweat glands that appear in hairy body areas after puberty. (See also eccrine gland.)... apocrine gland

Eccrine Gland

A type of sweat gland.... eccrine gland

Prostate Gland, Diseases Of

Disease of the PROSTATE GLAND can affect the ?ow of URINE so that patients present with urological symptoms.

Prostatitis This can be either acute or chronic. Acute prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection, while chronic prostatitis may follow on from an acute attack, arise insidiously, or be non-bacterial in origin.

Symptoms Typically the patient has pain in the PERINEUM, groins, or supra pubic region, and pain on EJACULATION. He may also have urinary frequency, and urgency.

Treatment Acute and chronic prostatitis are treated with a prolonged course of antibiotics. Patients with chronic prostatitis may also require anti-in?ammatory drugs, and antidepressants.

Prostatic enlargement This is the result of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), causing enlargement of the prostate. The exact cause of this enlargement is unknown, but it affects 50 per cent of men between 40 and 59 years and 95 per cent of men over 70 years.

Symptoms These are urinary hesitancy, poor urinary stream, terminal dribbling, frequency and urgency of urination and the need to pass urine at night (nocturia). The diagnosis is made from the patient’s history; a digital examination of the prostate gland via the rectum to assess enlargement; and analysis of the urinary ?ow rate.

Treatment This can be with tablets, which either shrink the prostate – an anti-androgen drug such as ?nasteride – or relax the urinary sphincter muscle during urination. For more severe symptoms the prostate can be removed surgically, by transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), using either electrocautery or laser energy. A new treatment is the use of microwaves to heat up and shrink the enlarged gland.

Cancer Cancer of the prostate is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer in northern European males: more than 10,000 cases are diagnosed every year in the UK and the incidence is rising by 3 per cent annually.

Little is known about the cause, but the majority of prostate cancers require the male hormones, androgens, to grow.

Symptoms These are similar to those resulting from benign prostatic hypertrophy (see above). Spread of the cancer to bones can cause pain. The use of a blood test measuring the amount of an ANTIGEN, PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA), can be helpful in making the diagnosis – as can an ULTRASOUND scan of the prostate.

Treatment This could be surgical, with removal of the prostate (either via an abdominal incision, total prostatectomy, or transurethrally), or could be by radiotherapy. In more advanced cancers, treatment with anti-androgen drugs, such as cyprotexone acetate or certain oestrogens, is used to inhibit the growth of the cancer.... prostate gland, diseases of

Thymus Gland

The thymus gland was given its name by Galen in the second century AD because of its resemblance to a bunch of thyme ?owers. It has two lobes and lies in the upper part of the chest. The centre (cortex) resembles LYMPHOID TISSUE and is made up of masses of small round cells called thymocytes (see THYMOCYTE; LYMPHOCYTE). The medulla is more loosely cellular and consists of a stroma which contains far fewer lymphocytes than are in the cortex.

The thymus gland is a vital part of the immunological system. Stem cells (see STEM CELL) from the BONE MARROW come to the thymus where they develop into immunologically competent cells. There are two distinct populations of lymphocytes. One is dependent on the presence of the thymus (Tlymphocytes); the other is independent of the thymus (B-lymphocytes). Both are concerned with immune responses (see IMMUNITY). The T-lymphocyte is a cell which in the absence of antigenic stimulation (see ANTIGEN) circulates through the blood, lymph nodes and back into the circulation again over a period of more than ten years. It performs a policing role, awaiting recognition of foreign material which it is able to identify as such. It reacts by multiplication and transformation and these are the ingredients of the immune response. B-lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow and are concerned with the production of the circulating humoral ANTIBODIES.

The most common clinical disorder associated with abnormality of the thymus is MYASTHENIA GRAVIS. Ten per cent of patients with myasthenia gravis will have a tumour of the thymus, whilst the remainder will have in?ammatory changes in the thymus called thymitis.... thymus gland

Lymph Gland

A popular name for a lymph node.

(See also lymphatic system.)... lymph gland

Salivary Gland

a gland that produces *saliva. There are three pairs of salivary glands: the *parotid glands, *sublingual glands, and *submandibular glands (see illustration). They are stimulated by reflex action, which can be initiated by the taste, smell, sight, or thought of food.... salivary gland

Sublingual Gland

one of a pair of *salivary glands situated in the lower part of the mouth, one on either side of the tongue. The sublingual glands are the smallest salivary glands; each gland has about 20 ducts, most of which open into the mouth directly above the gland.... sublingual gland

Submandibular Gland

(submaxillary gland) one of a pair of *salivary glands situated below the parotid glands. Their ducts (Wharton’s ducts) open in two papillae under the tongue, on either side of the frenulum.... submandibular gland

Cancer – Prostate Gland

Adeno-carcinoma. A hormone-related tumour in elderly men. Enlargement of the gland may be benign or carcinomatous. Fibrosis (hardening) may arise from inflammation. Obstruction of the outlet of the bladder through swelling of the gland (prostatism) may cause uraemia.

Symptoms. Bladder irritability; increased frequency during the night. Feeble forked stream of urine. Sometimes blood. Three quarters of such tumours are located in the posterior lobe of the prostate gland – readily accessible to the examining finger through the front wall of the rectum. Rectal examination reveals a hard rugged prostate. Cystoscopy confirms. Bone pains in the low back or pelvis reflect a stage where the tumour has already spread. Anaemia, weight loss, urgency.

All symptoms are worse by alcohol and spicy foods.

Harvard University scientists report: heavy consumption of animal fat, especially the fat in red meat appears to increase the chance that a man will develop advanced prostate cancer.

Of therapeutic value. Comfrey, Echinacea, Horsetail, Poke root, Thuja, Cornsilk, Goldenseal.

Tea. Combination. Comfrey leaves, Horsetail, Cornsilk. Equal parts. 2-3 teaspoons to each cup boiling water. Drink freely.

Formula No. 1. Echinacea 2; Comfrey 1; Poke root half; Thuja half. Mix. Dose: Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon). Liquid extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 2 teaspoons. Thrice daily in water or cup of Cornsilk tea.

Formula No. 2. (Alternative) Echinacea 2; Goldenseal 1; Gotu Kola 1; Poke root half. Mix. Dose: Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon). Liquid extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 2 teaspoons in water or cup of Cornsilk tea.

Bee pollen. Of value.

Garlic. Of value.

Diet. See: DIET – CANCER.

There is a very low incidence of prostate cancer in countries where Soya products are widely consumed – Soya contains a female hormone which is a protector factor.

Supplements. Morning and evening.

Vitamin A 7500iu or more. Large doses may be required. Vitamin C 1-2g. Vitamin E 200iu. Calcium 500mg. Selenium 100mcg. Zinc.

Study. Men with prostate cancer may not need to undergo radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland). A 10-year follow-up study of men with early prostate cancer left untreated showed that 10 years later only 8.5 per cent of the 223 patients had died from prostate cancer. The survival rate of 86.8 per cent in the untreated group was nearly identical to a subgroup who met all the conditions for radical prostatectomy. (Journal of American Medical Association, 22/29 April 1992)

Commonly treated with female sex hormone or by orchidectomy.

It would appear that surgical removal of the gland offers little benefit, and possibly a disadvantage to patients wishing to leave well alone, particularly the elderly. Treatment by a general medical practitioner or oncologist. ... cancer – prostate gland

Adrenal Gland Disorders

A range of uncommon but sometimes serious disorders due to deficient or excessive production of hormones by one or both of the adrenal glands.

A genetic defect causes congenital adrenal hyperplasia, in which the adrenal cortex is unable to make sufficient hydrocortisone and aldosterone, and androgens are produced in excess. In adrenal failure, there is also deficient production of hormones by the adrenal cortex; if due to disease of the adrenal glands, it is called Addison’s disease. Adrenal tumours are rare and generally lead to excess hormone production.

In many cases, disturbed activity of the adrenal glands is caused, not by disease of the glands themselves, but by an increase or decrease in the blood level of hormones that influence the action of the adrenal glands. For example, hydrocortisone production by the adrenal cortex is controlled by ACTH, which is secreted by the pituitary gland. Pituitary disorders can disrupt production of hydrocortisone.... adrenal gland disorders

Thyroid Gland, Disorders Of

Disorders of the thyroid gland may cause hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or enlargement or distortion of the gland. Myxoedema, Graves’ disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are common disorders. Goitre may sometimes occur with no accompanying abnormality of thyroid function. In rare cases, the gland is absent at birth, producing severe cretinism. Sometimes it develops in an abnormal position in the neck, causing, in rare cases, difficulty in swallowing or breathing.

A genetic disorder may impair the thyroid’s ability to secrete hormones and goitre may result. Thyroid infection is uncommon and leads to thyroiditis. Viral infection can cause extreme pain and temporary hyperthyroidism. Hormonal changes during puberty or pregnancy may cause a degree of goitre temporarily. Hyperthyroidism due to excessive production of by the pituitary gland is rare but can occur as a result of a pituitary tumour.

Because iodine is necessary for the production of thyroid hormone, its deficiency may lead to goitre. Severe iodine deficiency in children may cause myxoedema. (See also thyroid cancer.)

thyroid hormones The 3 hormones produced by the thyroid gland are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which regulate metabolism, and calcitonin, which helps to regulate calcium levels in the body.... thyroid gland, disorders of

Submaxillary Gland

see submandibular gland.... submaxillary gland

Sweat Gland

a simple coiled tubular *exocrine gland that lies in the dermis of the *skin. A long duct carries its secretion (*sweat) to the surface of the skin. Sweat glands occur over most of the surface of the body; they are particularly abundant in the armpits, on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands, and on the forehead.... sweat gland



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