Guide To Understanding The Pituitary Gland

Keeping The Pituitary Gland Healthy

There is no way to actually prevent the development of tumors in the pituitary gland that produce the aforementioned conditions. However, there are ways to keep the pituitary gland healthy and working at an optimal level. An individual who consumes a balanced and healthy diet will be able to produce growth hormone and others better. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can help keep the pituitary gland healthy because it provides critical fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Avoiding refined sugars can help stop the process of a developing metabolic disorder that interferes with hormones produced by the pituitary gland. Reducing sodium intake can help improve blood flow to the pituitary gland by lowering an individual's blood pressure. Individuals ensuring they meet their daily requirement of iodine can help keep the pituitary gland healthy by supporting the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormone. Controlling and adequately coping with chronic stress can stop the pituitary gland from producing too much cortisol, which may cause problems like insomnia, anxiety, depression, and weight gain.

Compare brain tumors and pituitary tumors next.

Brain Tumors Vs Pituitary Tumors

The pituitary gland is physically located in what many would consider the brain, but it is not medically considered to be part of the central nervous system. Once again, the pituitary gland is a small mass of glandular tissue attached to the brain tissues by a thin stalk that sits just behind the bridge of the nose. Because the pituitary gland is not made up of nervous tissue, a tumor that develops in it is not medically considered a brain tumor. The majority of diagnosed brain tumors are malignant and have formed from nervous tissue in the brain. The majority of pituitary gland tumors are benign and have formed out of glandular tissue. Brain tumors usually do not interfere with any hormones, where most pituitary tumors produce an excessive amount of one or more of the hormones the pituitary gland would normally produce. A pituitary gland tumor is more likely to cause symptoms related to hormone imbalances, and a brain tumor is more likely to cause symptoms associated with the compression of other brain structures and tissues.

Learn about the symptoms linked to pituitary gland problems next.