Looking for an endocrinologist / diabetes specialist in San Diego?
Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups has a comprehensive list of physicians specializing in all aspects of endocrinology. The endocrine system is responsible for the production of hormones controlling metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, and responses to stress and the environment. Endocrinologists diagnose and treat disorders of the endocrine system, including the thyroid, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, pineal gland, hypothalmus, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes. An endocrinologist may work in a multidisciplinary team of specialists including primary care physicians, internists, OB/GYNs, otolaryngologists, radiologists, oncologists, cardiologists, and dieticians in order to provide the best management and/or treatment plan for your health condition.
One of the most common conditions treated by an endocrinologist is diabetes, a disorder in which inadequate insulin hormone is secreted by the pancreas, resulting in excess blood sugar and damage to various organs. There are several ways your doctor may test to see if you have diabetes, including a Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) test, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), or Random Plasma Glucose Test. Common symptoms of diabetes include: urinating often, feeling very thirsty, feeling hungry even after eating, extreme fatigue, cuts/bruises that are slow to heal, blurry vision, weight loss (type 1), and tingling or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2). Many diabetes cases can be managed by primary care physicians, but complex cases are referred.
Other common reasons to see an endocrinologist include infertility, menopause, thyroid disease, growth disorders (including lack of growth, and excessive growth or acromegaly/gigantism), metabolism, obesity, glandular cancers, osteoporosis/calcium conditions, and a wide range of hormonal imbalances (including overproduction and underproduction of hormones).
