Question: Are there any cases where hormones have failed somehow?

Laura Wales answered on 24 Jun 2015:

Yes, there are loads of conditions that are caused by hormones failing to work properly. The type of disorder depends on the hormones involved and if there is too little or too much of that hormone produced. Here are a few examples but there are many many more!

ADRENAL DISORDERS
The adrenal cortex (the outer part) produces cortisol, aldosterone and hormones that can be converted to testosterone. The adrenal medulla (the inner part) of the gland produces adrenaline and noradrenaline. Examples of adrenal disorders:
– Addison’s Disease: Too little cortisol and often insufficient aldosterone
– Cushing syndrome: Too much cortisol (because the pituitary produces too much ACTH)

GROWTH HORMONE DISORDERS
These types of disorders happen if there is too little or too much growth hormone produced by the pituitary. Examples of growth hormone disorders:
– Dwarfism: Not enough growth hormone is produced.
– Gigantism: Too much growth hormone is produced.

THYROID DISORDERS
The thyroid gland produces two hormones – thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T4 is normally converted into T3, which is the biologically active hormone and regulates metabolism (ie. the speed at which the cells in the body work). Too much or too little of these hormones can affect weight quite dramatically. Examples of thyroid hormone disorders:
– Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid): not enough T4 is produced for the body’s needs.
– Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid): too much T4 is produced for the body’s needs.

DIABETES is caused when blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high because the body can’t use it properly. It could be because the pancreas isn’t producing any insulin, enough insulin or because the insulin produced doesn’t work properly.
Types of diabetes include:
– Type 1: Autoimmune disorder. The immune system usually ignores healthy cells but with this type of diabetes, the immune system destroys the beta-cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. This means that there is no insulin to control blood glucose levels.
– Type 2: Not enough insulin produced or it doesn’t work properly.
– Gestational diabetes: Happens to a woman during pregnancy. This type of diabetes disappears once the baby is born but it does increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.