Growth Hormone Deficiency: The Real Deal Quiz

Answer: pituitary

The pituitary gland is the gland in your brain that releases growth hormone to your body. In teenagers who are going through puberty, this triggers the growth spurt. When the pituitary gland doesn't produce enough growth hormone, a person is diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.

Answer: endocrinologist

An endocrinologist treats conditions having to do with your hormones and endocrine glands. Endocrinologists specialize in treating growth hormone deficiency and diabetes. Children and teenagers with growth hormone deficiency see a pediatric endocrinologist.

Answer: growth hormone stimulation test

If an endocrinologist suspects that you have growth hormone deficiency, he or she will send you to get a growth hormone stimulation test. The test involves putting an IV into your arm and dripping medicine into your body over a period of time. Every half hour, your blood is taken through the IV line (which means that you only get "pricked" once). The test takes about 4 hours.

Answer: an MRI and Bone Age X-Ray

The MRI shows doctors the pituitary gland up close. It takes about a half hour for the whole procedure. You lie on a table with earplugs and the table moves you into the MRI machine. The machine makes loud noises as it takes many x-rays of your brain and pituitary gland. An injection is often needed during the MRI.

A bone age x-ray is simpler. An x-ray technician has you put your wrist on the table with the film and takes one x-ray. The whole thing takes only a minute.

Answer: growth hormone injections

If you are diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, your endocrinologist will prescribe growth hormone injections. Often, a nurse comes straight to your home and teaches you how to administer the injections. After that, most people inject once every day although some inject less or more frequently.

Answer: False

Growth hormone must be injected into your body. That way, the medicine goes straight to your pituitary gland. If it were to be swallowed in a pill, your digestive juices would take away much of the medicine before it reached your brain.

Answer: upper arms, thighs, stomach, lower back

Injections are done into the fatty parts of the body. Injecting into the buttocks is also possible but it is harder to learn so most endocrinologists advise patients to stick to the upper arms, thighs, stomach and lower back. Although many patients are afraid to inject into the stomach, those who do often find that injections there hurt less.

Answer: True

Stopping injecting growth hormone won't do any damage to your body. However, if you stop or skip a day or two the growth hormone won't be as effective.

Answer: True

There are many support groups out there for you. Your endocrinologist will help you find one.

Answer: no, not at all

This is the biggest myth about growth hormone deficiency. No matter what anybody says, growth hormone deficiency only affects the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland does not have any affect on your intelligence. The only way you can infer that somebody has growth hormone deficiency is if they are short. However, short stature can be caused by many other things.