Specialty Area: Endocrinology

Description of Specialty: Endocrinology is the field of medicine which diagnosis and manages diseases of the endocrine (glandular) systems.

1. Diagnosis: Diabetes (general)

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What kind of diet should I be on?
  2. How important is exercise?
  3. How do I measure my blood sugar?
  4. How often should I check my blood sugar?
  5. What are ketones?
  6. How and when should I check for ketones?
  7. How much should I weigh?
  8. How often should I have an office visit?
  9. What kind of diabetes do I have?

2. Diagnosis: Diabetic Foot

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Why do you want to check my feet?
  2. How often should my circulation be checked?
  3. What are the instructions for caring for my feet?
  4. Should I have surgery to correct my bunions?
  5. My feet are somewhat deformed. What kind of shoes do I need?

3. Diagnosis: Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Questions that should be asked:

  1. I have a foot ulcer but it is not painful. Why is it not painful?
  2. Since the ulcer is not painful, can I walk on it?
  3. Why do you want to trim the ulcer?
  4. How can I tell if the ulcer is infected?
  5. Do I need to see a specialist?
  6. Do I need a x-ray of this foot?

4. Diagnosis: Diabetes and Exercise

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Why is exercise important in controlling my diabetes?
  2. What affect does exercise have on my blood sugar?
  3. Does it cause low blood sugar?
  4. How can I prevent hypoglycemia when exercising?
  5. I have foot problems. Does this limit the kinds of exercise I can do?
  6. Can exercise injure my eyes?

5. Diagnosis: Diabetes and Hypertension

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Why do you take my blood pressure both standing and when I am lying down?
  2. Since I have hypertension and diabetes, what kind of medicine should I take?
  3. Can hypertension affect my eyes and kidneys?
  4. Can hypertension contribute to atherosclerosis?
  5. If it does, how and why does this happen?

6. Diagnosis: Diabetes and the Kidney

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What are the first signs of diabetic kidney disease?
  2. What is microalbuminuria?
  3. Are there certain drugs to help treat diabetic kidney disease?
  4. Does hypertension cause kidney disease?

7. Diagnosis: Diabetes and the Eye

Questions that should be asked:

  1. How common are diabetic eye problems?
  2. Do diabetics have more cataracts than non-diabetics?
  3. Is glaucoma more common in diabetics?
  4. How often should I see the eye doctor?
  5. How important is good blood sugar control in preventing diabetic eye problems?

8. Diagnosis: Diabetes and Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Why do some diabetics have trouble emptying their stomach?
  2. How do you treat this?
  3. Why do some diabetics get diarrhea?
  4. How do you treat this?
  5. Why do some diabetics get constipation?

9. Diagnosis: Diabetes and Heart Disease

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Do diabetic women get heart disease as often as diabetic men do?
  2. Does diabetes affect the heart muscle?
  3. Can a diabetic have a heart attack and not feel pain?
  4. Should a diabetic take a low dose aspirin every day to help prevent heart attacks?

10. Diagnosis: Atherosclerosis

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Is atherosclerosis the same thing as hardening of the arteries?
  2. Do diabetics have more atherosclerosis than non-diabetics?
  3. Does smoking affect the arteries?
  4. How often should I have my cholesterol checked?
  5. What are LDL, HDL, and triglycerides?
  6. Should these be checked?

11. Diagnosis: Hyperthyroidism

Questions that should be asked:

  1. I have hyperthyroidism (Graves disease). Is treatment with radioactive iodine safe?
  2. Will it eventually cause hypothyroidism?
  3. What are the possible complications of thyroid surgery?
  4. Are anti-thyroid drugs safe?
  5. Do they affect bone marrow?
  6. Can they affect the liver?
  7. If I take these pills for a year, will I have a permanent cure?
  8. Does an overactive thyroid cause osteoporosis?

12. Diagnosis: The Thyroid

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is the best test to determine whether my thyroid is over or under active?
  2. I have a cold thyroid nodule.
  3. Should it be removed?
  4. Is needle biopsy of the thyroid safe?
  5. How reliable is it in detecting thyroid cancer?

13. Diagnosis: Pheochromocytoma

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is a pheochromocytoma?
  2. What are the symptoms?
  3. How do you check for it?
  4. How do you treat it?

14. Diagnosis: Prolactinoma

Questions that should be asked:

  1. I have been lactating for a month. Why?
  2. Can any of the drugs I am taking for depression cause this?
  3. Do I have a pituitary tumor?
  4. If I have a pituitary tumor can it be treated with medicine?

15. Diagnosis: Cushing's Disease

Questions that should be asked:

  1. In the past six months I have gained thirty pounds. Can this be due to glandular disease?
  2. Why is my muscle strength diminished?
  3. Why have I developed purple striae on my abdomen?
  4. Why has my blood pressure recently gone up?
  5. What is Cushing's disease?
  6. How do you treat it?

16. Diagnosis: Hyperparathyroidism

Questions that should be asked:

  1. My blood calcium is elevated. What are the possible causes for this?
  2. I take a lot of vitamins, especially A and D. Can this cause an increase in blood calcium?
  3. Could I have an overactive parathyroid gland?
  4. Do all overactive parathyroid glands have to be surgically removed?

Marvin E. Levin, MD Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

                                                                                             

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