Endocrinology in Germany – in the Best Hospitals

Endocrine diseases cause severe disturbances in the functioning of the whole organism. They cause hypertension, weight gain, infertility, and many other problems. Diabetes mellitus may lead to severe complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, heart, brain, and lower extremities. To avoid irreversible health consequences, it is necessary to provide timely treatment for endocrine disorders. You can undergo treatment in one of the German clinics. The doctors of the Departments of Endocrinology in Germany use modern medicines, perform surgical operations, and, if necessary, refer their patients to radiation therapy and radionuclide therapy.

Content

1. What diseases can be treated by endocrinologists?
2. Diagnostics of endocrine diseases
3. Treatment of endocrine diseases

What diseases can be treated by endocrinologists?

The most common endocrine disease is diabetes mellitus. It develops due to autoimmune lesions of the pancreas (type 1 diabetes mellitus) or an impaired tissue sensitivity to insulin (type 2 diabetes mellitus).

Thyroid diseases go second in terms of the prevalence of endocrine disorders. These include autoimmune inflammation (thyroiditis), decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism) or hyperfunction of the organ (thyrotoxicosis), nodules, and other pathologies. Less commonly, endocrinology doctors in Germany have to deal with the pathologies of other endocrine glands: adrenal glands, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and parathyroid glands. Most endocrine pathologies are acquired, although some people have a hereditary predisposition to them. Congenital pathologies such as adrenal insufficiency are common in pediatric endocrinology.

Diagnostics of endocrine diseases

The tasks of the diagnostics of endocrine diseases are as follows: 

• determine whether there is an excess or a lack of hormones; 
• find out in which organ the problem arose; 
• establish the cause of the development of the disease since some of them can be eliminated (for example, a hormone-secreting tumor);
• assess the complications of the endocrine pathology (for example, osteoporosis, infertility, arterial hypertension, obesity, etc.).

The main diagnostic tool in the hands of endocrinologists is laboratory tests. With blood tests, doctors determine the levels of hormones and substances that are important for the normal functioning of the endocrine glands. The tests also allow the specialists to assess metabolic disorders caused by a hormonal imbalance.

The imaging diagnostic methods are also helpful: 

• ultrasound scans;
• computed tomography;
• magnetic resonance imaging; 
• radionuclide diagnostics. 

A biopsy can be performed to confirm the presence of some diseases, primarily oncological ones. The procedure implies tissue sampling for its subsequent histological examination.

Treatment of endocrine diseases

Whatever the cause, the essence of most endocrine diseases is that certain hormones are produced in insufficient or excessive amounts, or a person has an impaired hormone receptor sensitivity.

The goals of endocrinology treatment in Germany depend on a specific clinical situation. Sometimes the cause of the disease can be eliminated, and for example, the hormone-secreting tumor can be removed or destroyed. But more often, the problem can only be solved by compensating for the lack of hormones with drugs or suppressing the production of excess hormones.

The main methods of endocrine diseases treatment include: 

• drug therapy with hormones or medicines that reduce their biological activity (suppress production, or reduce the degree of impact on the target organs);
• drug therapy with medicines that eliminate the effects of a hormonal imbalance (for example, a hypoglycemic therapy for diabetes Mellitus or drugs for improving bone metabolism in osteoporosis);
• lifestyle modification, including a diet and physical activity;
• insulin pump therapy (the implantation of a device for continuous insulin administration in type 1 diabetes mellitus);
• radioiodine therapy can be used for certain thyroid diseases;
• radiation therapy can be used to suppress a pituitary adenoma or other hormone-secreting neoplasms.

Some endocrine disorders require surgical treatment. The surgical interventions are performed not by endocrinologists, but by specialists who have different profiles, depending on which organ the intervention is performed on. For example, pituitary adenoma is removed by neurosurgeons, and adrenal surgery is performed by abdominal surgeons.

If you are going to have treatment for endocrine diseases, seeking medical attention from one of the endocrinology clinics in Germany will be the best decision. With the Booking Health website, you can find the most suitable medical centers and compare the cost of medical services in different German hospitals in order to book your treatment at the best prices and on the most suitable dates for you. Our experts will help you to make the right choice and organize your trip.

Authors: 

The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!

Sources:

Verywell Health

The Lancet