Small Bones, Big Body: Understanding Potential GH Related Issues

[Jekertee]

My hand bones are small, my fingers are smaller and shorter than any adults of the same age and height. My wrist is small, but my body is big.
Am i having any problem related to GH ? Thanks

 

[jim mcnamara]

By GH you mean growth hormone?

The best answer is to see a doctor. If you are in the bottom 2% for height and weight for your age/gender then this might be, say, 2.5 standard deviations below mean. You may be considered to have a problem. Or not. We are not in a position to do any kind of diagnosis, nor should we try. And never self-medicate with things like hormones, the results can be really awful.

This is a discussion of hGH -
http://www.hgfound.org/

 

[fleem]

...and don't just trust what the first doctor says. Be glad of modern medicine, but do your own homework, as well. There are a lot of things the msm (main stream medicine) is wrong about. Take xenoestrogens, for example (I mean that only figuratively!)

Seriously, a search for...

xenoestrogens "small hands"

... gets 39 hits.

 

[jim mcnamara]

I've got to disagree with fleem on this one. There are indeed compounds like DDT and phytoestrogens that effect humans. Either positivley, negatively (DDT), or neutrally.

Most of the "hits" I saw were from people marketing something either directly or indirectly.
I skimmed four or five sites. None had references to anything resembling science, that I could see. One sold books and was referenced as a resource by other sites that sold other products and services.

This one from pubmed says not all xenoestrogens are created equal, many are harmless.
Some NOT ALL[/color] are bad. Unlike what fleem's sites indicate.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1247635

The problem is this information is not given out to everyday people in easily understandable language. So the fringe marketeers step in, provide semi-science and sell you expensive books, pills and potions.

 

[fleem]

Jim, I certainly agree they are not ALL BAD. And you're right about most of those sites. I didn't bother looking at them. I was only guessing that small hands-large body might have something to do with them. And your right about snake oil salesmen--there are a lot out there.

However, they wouldn't call them xenoestrogens if they didn't act like estrogen. Some are far more powerful, per molecule, than is natural estrogen, and they are found in considerable quantities in pretty much all humans, where most can be attributed to insecticides, herbicides, certain solvents, emulsifiers (mostly from shampoo and soap) and plastics exposed to heat, solvents, or oils.

Unfortunately their effects are the sort that take decades to notice. However, there are studies, and they are revealing. Although I know of no studies implying small hands-large body (I was only guessing at that), there are a lot of reputable studies showing their correlation with myriad other ailments. Check out:

http://www.johnleemd.com/store/resource_references1.html

 

[fleem]

I took a look at the study you referenced, but can find nothing in it suggesting some xenestrogens are not bad. Can you find a quote from it about that?

In fact, the concluding paragraph on that first page reads:

This study sheds new light on the conundrum of why exposure to concentrations of environmental estrogens deemed safe by the genomic model exhibit well-documented harmful effects on wildlife. It raises new concerns about the effect of xenoestrogens on human health and important questions about the adequacy of current environmental protection policy and regulations based on the genomic model.

 

[fleem]

Whether anyone shows signs of xenoestrogen dominance or not (the effects are more related to the balance of (xeno)estrogen with progesterone (or testosterone), rather than the absolute level of (xeno)estrogen), it is wise to notably reduce one's exposure to xenoestrogens. Ideally this means eating a Mediterranean diet of organic foods. (And watch out for mercury in fish!). Also, stay active. Do some mild aerobic exercises every day for at least 15 minutes. Good circulation solves a ton of ailments.

Also, note that xenoestrogens are fat soluble. They'll show up in the oils & fats. So try to especially use organic olive oil (in that Mediterranean diet), and especially keep your meats organic (which shouldn't hit your pocket book too hard since that diet is low in meat, especially red meat). Fat solubility also means that (xeno)estrogen rides on the surface of red cells rather than in the plasma--most labs look for it (as well as other fat-soluble hormones like progesterone and testosterone) in the plasma. A saliva test is most accurate for (xeno)estrogens and ~I think~ also for progesterone & testosterone (but I could be wrong about that).

That site I cited with all the references also explains how natural progesterone can mostly counteract many effects of xenoestrogens (assuming that is your problem, jekertee--fair chance it isn't!). This is because much of the effect results from the imbalance in the ratio of progesterone (or testosterone) with (xeno)estrogen. Natural progesterone is available in low-dosage over the counter (make sure its real--there's a list of sources on that site). It absorbs through the skin far better than when it is taken internally, so it comes as a cream. Men can also take it when there is evidence of xenoestrogen problems.

Those many references on that page proving the damage of xenoestrogens are all reputable (please test what I say), and Lee has no association with any marketer of progesterone. Lee is not the only one touting this. There are quite a few doctors in my town of 150k that highly recommend his books. Lee has really been simply the collector and publisher of evidence that has gradually come to light over the last couple decades.

Most doctors just don't have time to study the literature. So their main source of information is the pharmaceutical salesmen. And guess what. Natural substances cannot be patented. Thus the companies do everything in their power to defend the unatural remedies and slander the natural--and those companies are quite powerful in government and in academia. Don't get me wrong. Modern medicine has saved my life at least twice and the lives of several of my loved ones. But that doesn't mean it can't stand any improvement in certain areas!

 

[Astronuc]

My hand bones are small, my fingers are smaller and shorter than any adults of the same age and height. My wrist is small, but my body is big.
Am i having any problem related to GH ? Thanks

If one is an adult, then one's limbs have stopped growing. One could have a genetic condition or was affected in utero, or was exposed as a child to some compound which affected the growth of the limbs/extremities.

Jim is right - see a doctor, possibly an endocrinologist, who specializes in the endocrine system.

No one should seek a diagnosis over the internet. One must see the approporiate (qualified) medical specialist.