Experts say about growing pains when the height and size of a child's body deviate from the average values accepted for a given age. Any deviation from normal growth can lead to serious pathological processes throughout the body. At the same time, the patient cannot lead a full-fledged lifestyle, experiences psychological discomfort. As a rule, growing pains are hereditary or congenital.
Giantism
Growth hormone is a substance that is necessary for the normal development of any human body. If this hormone is produced in excess, gigantism manifests itself. Pathology begins its development in childhood, when the process of ossification of the skeleton is not completed. Most often, the disease develops in boys. The first signs of the disease can be seen as early as 9-13 years old.
When gigantism growth hormone is produced in large quantities. This becomes visible to the naked eye. By the age of 13-14, the patient's height can reach two meters. The frequency of gigantism reaches two to three cases per thousand of the population.
DevelopmentGrowing pains can be prevented if hormonal therapy is started in time. Sex hormones are used to quickly close the growth zones. Additionally, radiation therapy may be performed. With timely treatment, the prognosis for life is usually favorable. However, statistics show that such patients are infertile in most cases. Many of them do not live to old age due to developing complications.
Hypothyroidism
The pathological process is caused by a decrease in thyroid function. As a result, the body begins to produce insufficient amounts of hormones necessary for normal human life. In addition, the activity of hormones at the cellular level is reduced. Against the background of hypothyroidism, bone growth disease can also develop.
The disease can be congenital or acquired. However, in 99% of cases, the disease develops against the background of certain adverse factors. Most often, this is damage to the thyroid parenchyma as a result of trauma or infection. At the same time, unpleasant changes in the body are not immediately noticeable. It may take several years before a patient is diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Severe iodine deficiency in food and water can lead to the development of thyroid diseases, as well as developmental delays in children. Patients with this disease are below average height, they quickly get tired, and cannot fully solve everyday tasks. Complaints can be observed from several body systems at once. For this reason, in many casesinitial diagnosis is incorrect.
Thanks to the achievements of modern pharmacology, children with hypothyroidism can be tall. Proper replacement therapy allows you to normalize the hormonal background, return the patient to good he alth.
Crohn's disease
A fairly rare disease associated with inflammation of certain parts of the digestive tract. The pathological process has a chronic course. It is also referred to as growing pains. The mucous membrane is affected in any areas. If unpleasant symptoms appear in childhood, the patient begins to lose weight significantly, lags behind his peers in development.
The first signs of the pathological process may appear during puberty in boys and girls. Genetic predisposition matters. If close relatives suffered from unpleasant symptoms, the likelihood of encountering the disease increases significantly.
Growing pains don't show up right away. Initially, the patient is bothered by intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation. Gradually there is a decrease in appetite. At this stage, the person is already starting to lose weight. If the disease begins its development in childhood, the patient stops growing.
Pituitary nanism
When considering growing pains, dwarfism comes to mind first. We are talking about a delay in physical development. The pathological process is caused by insufficient production of growth hormone in the human body. The statistics indicate that thisextremely rare disease. Pathology can occur in one child in 10 thousand.
Growing pains can be triggered by various adverse factors. These are birth defects, head injuries in infancy. The disease can also be acquired due to dangerous infectious diseases, radiation or chemotherapy. However, in more than 50% of cases, the cause of stunting remains unknown.
Unfortunately, pathology cannot be completely cured. However, such patients are registered with an endocrinologist and periodically undergo hormone therapy.
Summarize
Growth hormone is the most important substance in the human body. Both too tall people and dwarfs are more likely to face chronic diseases of the internal organs. As a rule, such patients have a shorter life expectancy. Timely diagnosis and proper therapy can reduce the risk of complications.
