Who is an endocrinologist?

Summary

This short animated video, one of the first on the channel, answers a question many patients ask when they are referred: who is an endocrinologist?

Hormones are chemical messengers made by glands such as the thyroid, the pancreas, the pituitary and the adrenal glands. An endocrinologist is a specialist in diabetes and in conditions caused by these hormones being too high or too low.

The video lists the common reasons adults see an endocrinologist: diabetes, thyroid problems, PCOS, irregular periods, weak bones (osteoporosis), and some causes of infertility in men and women. It also explains paediatric endocrinology, the branch that looks after children with problems such as poor growth in height and puberty that comes too early or too late.

It ends by explaining the idea behind the channel: to share credible, evidence-based information on hormones and diabetes for patients and families, not to promote treatments.

Read the full guide on who an endocrinologist is and when to see one.