Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD

Endocronologist (Pediatric) | Pediatric Endocrinology

4/5(78)

1555 BARRINGTON RD HOFFMAN ESTATES IL, 60169 Show map

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About

Dr. Tseghai Berhe is a pediatric endocrinologist practicing in HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL. Dr. Berhe specializes in growth, puberty, diabetes or other disorders related to hormones that produce certain conditions in children and growing young adults. Pediatric endocrinologists possess copious knowledge on hormone chemicals and how they can affect other parts of the body and their functions.

Education and Training

Spartan Health Sciences University, School of Medicine,Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia Medicine

Board Certification

DermatologyAmerican Board of DermatologyABD

Provider Details

MaleEnglish

Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD

Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD's Expert Contributions

My Answers

My son is putting on weight around his hips. Is it a hormonal issue?
Obesity is a medical condition were excess fat is stored in the body (in adipose tissue). Obesity is becoming a major health problem not only in the USA but also globally. In the United States over 50% of adults and over 25% of children are obese/overweight. Obesity increases risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, cardiovascular and colorectal diseases, irregular menstrual cycle and more other medical problems. excess fat is stored in the body deep in side the body (viscera) or superficial (subcutaneous). It may be distributed in two forms. Central or Android (apple shape) or Gynoid (pear shape) obesity. Central obesity (apple shape) is when fat is deposited on the abdomen, trunk and neck. This form of obesity is common in men. Abdominal girth is much bigger in central or Android obesity. It is also true that abdominal (central) obesity is worse than the gynoid (pear shape) obesity because it exports insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea and others. The Gynoid (pear shape) obesity is when fat is distributed in the hip and thigh area. This type of obesity (Gynoid) is more common in women though some men will have it as well. The gynoid obesity is not as strong as the Android obesity in causing obesity related morbidities such as insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) as the abdominal girth is not increased to the degree of the Android obesity. The majority of obesity whether it is Android or Gynoid are caused by lack of regular physical activity, wrong diet and excess calorie ingestion. Few cases of obesity are as a result of hormonal imbalances and genetic abnormalities. Some of the hormone causes of over weight can be thyroid hormone deficiency, excess cortisol, insulin resistance, leptin abnormalities etcetera. Obesity (overweight) due to hormonal imbalances will follow the Android or central obesity form of body fat distribution. In cortisol excess for example, the fat distribution is more prominent on the trunk and neck. There are also rare genetic abnormalities that can cause obesity. These are beyond the scope of our discussion at this time. The human history has been so successful that we have evolved into a complex and affluent modern society. From the days of scarcity ( hunter and Gatherer) we have evolved into a wealthy society with plenty of food and endless festivities. during the days of food scarcity in the era of hunter and gatherer society a thrifty gene evolved for our survival. The thrifty gene helped as gain more weight during plenty (hunting season) and we used the body fat to survive during scarcity when there was little prey to hunt. The thrifty gene was able to store more fat by creating insulin resistance during the seasons of plenty. Those calories were used during the time of scarcity. The thrifty gene was therefore a survival gene in that era. The people who had the thrifty gene faired better than the people with out the thrifty gene. AS we became affluent the thrifty gene was no longer needed, and instead it be became a liability. It continued to unleash the epidemics of obesity leading to the metabolic syndrome mostly through insulin resistance. Suppose we all go to the Kalahari desert to become hunter and gatherers or we go to some poor countries where there is food scarcity, regardless of the thrifty gene our body fat will melt in a matter of time. It is therefore important to appreciate that wrong diet (high carbohydrate and high saturated fat), excess calorie intake and lack of daily regular exercise are driving most of our obesity and its co-morbidities. It is therefore important to remember that nutrition is the whole mark of the maximum expression of the gene. The more food we have the more maladaptive genes will express leading to more medical problems. Going back to your question, your son most likely has Gynoid (pear shape)type of fat distribution which is milder than Android or abdominal (central) fat distribution. Though this type of fat distribution is more common in females it also happens in many men. It is most like due to excess calorie ingestion and lack of regular physical activity like the majority of over weight and obese people in the USA, though there could be a slim possibility of hormonal imbalance. It is therefore very important that you see your son's doctor for proper evaluation. You should ask him to run some tests to rule out hormonal imbalances. If his weight gain is due to hormone problems, things will improve with correcting the hormone imbalance. The most important issue is to recognize that wrong diet, excess calorie intake and lack of regular (daily) physical activity are the overwhelming causes of the overweight/obesity epidemics in the USA. So I encourage you to look in to this issue. Healthy balanced diet with bigger portions of vegetables and regular daily structured physical activity should be intensified to maintain an ideal body weight. You could also benefit by seeing a nutritionist for nutritional guide. Discuss these issues with you doctor and listen to his expert advice. Good luck READ MORE
My son is gaining a lot of weight. Could it be some hormonal imbalance?
Obesity is a medical condition were excess fat is stored in the body (in adipose tissue). Obesity is becoming a major health problem not only in the USA but also globally. In the United States over 50% of adults and over 25% of children are obese/overweight. Obesity increases risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, cardiovascular and colorectal diseases, irregular menstrual cycle and more other medical problems. excess fat is stored in the body deep in side the body (viscera) or superficial (subcutaneous). It may be distributed in two forms. Central or Android (apple shape) or Gynoid (pear shape) obesity. Central obesity (apple shape) is when fat is deposited on the abdomen, trunk and neck. This form of obesity is common in men. Abdominal girth is much bigger in central or Android obesity. It is also true that abdominal (central) obesity is worse than the gynoid (pear shape) obesity because it exports insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea and others. The Gynoid (pear shape) obesity is when fat is distributed in the hip and thigh area. This type of obesity (Gynoid) is more common in women though some men will have it as well. The gynoid obesity is not as strong as the Android obesity in causing obesity related morbidities such as insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) as the abdominal girth is not increased to the degree of the Android obesity. The majority of obesity whether it is Android or Gynoid are caused by lack of regular physical activity, wrong diet and excess calorie ingestion. Few cases of obesity are as a result of hormonal imbalances and genetic abnormalities. Some of the hormone causes of over weight can be thyroid hormone deficiency, excess cortisol, insulin resistance, leptin abnormalities etcetera. Obesity (overweight) due to hormonal imbalances will follow the Android or central obesity form of body fat distribution. In cortisol excess for example, the fat distribution is more prominent on the trunk and neck. There are also rare genetic abnormalities that can cause obesity. These are beyond the scope of our discussion at this time. The human history has been so successful that we have evolved into a complex and affluent modern society. From the days of scarcity ( hunter and Gatherer) we have evolved into a wealthy society with plenty of food and endless festivities. during the days of food scarcity in the era of hunter and gatherer society a thrifty gene evolved for our survival. The thrifty gene helped as gain more weight during plenty (hunting season) and we used the body fat to survive during scarcity when there was little prey to hunt. The thrifty gene was able to store more fat by creating insulin resistance during the seasons of plenty. Those calories were used during the time of scarcity. The thrifty gene was therefore a survival gene in that era. The people who had the thrifty gene faired better than the people with out the thrifty gene. AS we became affluent the thrifty gene was no longer needed, and instead it be became a liability. It continued to unleash the epidemics of obesity leading to the metabolic syndrome mostly through insulin resistance. Suppose we all go to the Kalahari desert to become hunter and gatherers or we go to some poor countries where there is food scarcity, regardless of the thrifty gene our body fat will melt in a matter of time. It is therefore important to appreciate that wrong diet (high carbohydrate and high saturated fat), excess calorie intake and lack of daily regular exercise are driving most of our obesity and its co-morbidities. It is therefore important to remember that nutrition is the whole mark of the maximum expression of the gene. The more food we have the more maladaptive genes will express leading to more medical problems. Going back to your question, your son most likely gaining excess due to wrong diet (high carbohydrate, high saturated fat) excess calorie ingestion and lack of daily regular physical activity like the majority of over weight and obese people in the USA, though there could be a slim possibility of hormonal imbalance. It is therefore very important that you see your son's doctor for proper evaluation. You should ask him to run some tests to rule out hormonal imbalances and check for any genetic conditions. If his weight gain is due to hormone problems, things will improve with correcting the hormone imbalance. The most important issue is to recognize that wrong diet, excess calorie intake and lack of regular (daily) physical activity are the overwhelming causes of the overweight/obesity epidemics in the USA. So I encourage you to look in to this issue. Healthy balanced diet with bigger portions of vegetables and regular daily structured physical activity should be intensified to maintain an ideal body weight. You should see a good nutritionist to give you a nutritional guide. Provide your son with healthy diet, limit calorie intake with out restricting growth and daily structured physical activity. Create partnership with a good nutritionist and your doctor and you as the leader of the team. If he still continues to gain more weight despite all endeavors, ask your doctor for appetite suppressing medications. Discuss these issues with you doctor and listen to his expert advice and work as a team. Good luck READ MORE
My son is suddenly gaining a lot of weight. Could it be a hormonal issue?
Obesity is a medical condition were excess fat is stored in the body (in adipose tissue). Obesity is becoming a major health problem not only in the USA but also globally. In the United States over 50% of adults and over 25% of children are obese/overweight. Obesity increases risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, cardiovascular and colorectal diseases, irregular menstrual cycle and more other medical problems. excess fat is stored in the body deep in side the body (viscera) or superficial (subcutaneous). It may be distributed in two forms. Central or Android (apple shape) or Gynoid (pear shape) obesity. Central obesity (apple shape) is when fat is deposited on the abdomen, trunk and neck. This form of obesity is common in men. Abdominal girth is much bigger in central or Android obesity. It is also true that abdominal (central) obesity is worse than the gynoid (pear shape) obesity because it exports insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea and others. The Gynoid (pear shape) obesity is when fat is distributed in the hip and thigh area. This type of obesity (Gynoid) is more common in women though some men will have it as well. The gynoid obesity is not as strong as the Android obesity in causing obesity related morbidities such as insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) as the abdominal girth is not increased to the degree of the Android obesity. The majority of obesity whether it is Android or Gynoid are caused by lack of regular physical activity, wrong diet and excess calorie ingestion. Few cases of obesity are as a result of hormonal imbalances and genetic abnormalities. Some of the hormone causes of over weight can be thyroid hormone deficiency, excess cortisol, insulin resistance, leptin abnormalities etcetera. Obesity (overweight) due to hormonal imbalances will follow the Android or central obesity form of body fat distribution. In cortisol excess for example, the fat distribution is more prominent on the trunk and neck. There are also rare genetic abnormalities that can cause obesity. These are beyond the scope of our discussion at this time. The human history has been so successful that we have evolved into a complex and affluent modern society. From the days of scarcity ( hunter and Gatherer) we have evolved into a wealthy society with plenty of food and endless festivities. during the days of food scarcity in the era of hunter and gatherer society a thrifty gene evolved for our survival. The thrifty gene helped as gain more weight during plenty (hunting season) and we used the body fat to survive during scarcity when there was little prey to hunt. The thrifty gene was able to store more fat by creating insulin resistance during the seasons of plenty. Those calories were used during the time of scarcity. The thrifty gene was therefore a survival gene in that era. The people who had the thrifty gene faired better than the people with out the thrifty gene. AS we became affluent the thrifty gene was no longer needed, and instead it be became a liability. It continued to unleash the epidemics of obesity leading to the metabolic syndrome mostly through insulin resistance. Suppose we all go to the Kalahari desert to become hunter and gatherers or we go to some poor countries where there is food scarcity, regardless of the thrifty gene our body fat will melt in a matter of time. It is therefore important to appreciate that wrong diet (high carbohydrate and high saturated fat), excess calorie intake and lack of daily regular exercise are driving most of our obesity and its co-morbidities. It is therefore important to remember that nutrition is the whole mark of the maximum expression of the gene. The more food we have the more maladaptive genes will express leading to more medical problems. Going back to your question, your son most likely gaining excess due to wrong diet (high carbohydrate, high saturated fat) excess calorie ingestion and lack of daily regular physical activity like the majority of over weight and obese people in the USA, though there could be a slim possibility of hormonal imbalance. It is therefore very important that you see your son's doctor for proper evaluation. You should ask him to run some tests to rule out hormonal imbalances and check for any genetic conditions. If his weight gain is due to hormone problems, things will improve with correcting the hormone imbalance. The most important issue is to recognize that wrong diet, excess calorie intake and lack of regular (daily) physical activity are the overwhelming causes of the overweight/obesity epidemics in the USA. So I encourage you to look in to this issue. Healthy balanced diet with bigger portions of vegetables and regular daily structured physical activity should be intensified to maintain an ideal body weight. You should see a good nutritionist to give you a nutritional guide. Provide your son with healthy diet, limit calorie intake with out restricting growth and daily structured physical activity. Create partnership with a good nutritionist and your doctor and you as the leader of the team. If he still continues to gain more weight despite all endeavors, ask your doctor for appetite suppressing medications. Discuss these issues with you doctor and listen to his expert advice and work as a team. Good luck READ MORE
Can childhood obesity be triggered because of a hormone imbalance?
Obesity is a medical condition were excess fat is stored in the body (in adipose tissue). Obesity is becoming a major health problem not only in the USA but also globally. In the United States over 50% of adults and over 25% of children are obese/overweight. Obesity increases risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, cardiovascular and colorectal diseases, irregular menstrual cycle and more other medical problems. excess fat is stored in the body deep in side the body (viscera) or superficial (subcutaneous). It may be distributed in two forms. Central or Android (apple shape) or Gynoid (pear shape) obesity. Central obesity (apple shape) is when fat is deposited on the abdomen, trunk and neck. This form of obesity is common in men. Abdominal girth is much bigger in central or Android obesity. It is also true that abdominal (central) obesity is worse than the gynoid (pear shape) obesity because it exports insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea and others. The Gynoid (pear shape) obesity is when fat is distributed in the hip and thigh area. This type of obesity (Gynoid) is more common in women though some men will have it as well. The gynoid obesity is not as strong as the Android obesity in causing obesity related morbidities such as insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) as the abdominal girth is not increased to the degree of the Android obesity. The majority of obesity whether it is Android or Gynoid are caused by lack of regular physical activity, wrong diet and excess calorie ingestion. Few cases of obesity are as a result of hormonal imbalances and genetic abnormalities. Some of the hormone causes of over weight can be thyroid hormone deficiency, excess cortisol, insulin resistance, leptin abnormalities etcetera. Obesity (overweight) due to hormonal imbalances will follow the Android or central obesity form of body fat distribution. In cortisol excess for example, the fat distribution is more prominent on the trunk and neck. There are also rare genetic abnormalities that can cause obesity. These are beyond the scope of our discussion at this time. The human history has been so successful that we have evolved into a complex and affluent modern society. From the days of scarcity ( hunter and Gatherer) we have evolved into a wealthy society with plenty of food and endless festivities. during the days of food scarcity in the era of hunter and gatherer society a thrifty gene evolved for our survival. The thrifty gene helped as gain more weight during plenty (hunting season) and we used the body fat to survive during scarcity when there was little prey to hunt. The thrifty gene was able to store more fat by creating insulin resistance during the seasons of plenty. Those calories were used during the time of scarcity. The thrifty gene was therefore a survival gene in that era. The people who had the thrifty gene faired better than the people with out the thrifty gene. AS we became affluent the thrifty gene was no longer needed, and instead it be became a liability. It continued to unleash the epidemics of obesity leading to the metabolic syndrome mostly through insulin resistance. Suppose we all go to the Kalahari desert to become hunter and gatherers or we go to some poor countries where there is food scarcity, regardless of the thrifty gene our body fat will melt in a matter of time. It is therefore important to appreciate that wrong diet (high carbohydrate and high saturated fat), excess calorie intake and lack of daily regular exercise are driving most of our obesity and its co-morbidities. It is therefore important to remember that nutrition is the whole mark of the maximum expression of the gene. The more food we have the more maladaptive genes will express leading to more medical problems. Going back to your question, your son most likely gaining excess due to wrong diet (high carbohydrate, high saturated fat) excess calorie ingestion and lack of daily regular physical activity like the majority of over weight and obese people in the USA, though there could be a slim possibility of hormonal imbalance. It is therefore very important that you see your son's doctor for proper evaluation. You should ask him to run some tests to rule out hormonal imbalances and check for any genetic conditions. If his weight gain is due to hormone problems, things will improve with correcting the hormone imbalance. The most important issue is to recognize that wrong diet, excess calorie intake and lack of regular (daily) physical activity are the overwhelming causes of the overweight/obesity epidemics in the USA. So I encourage you to look in to this issue. Healthy balanced diet with bigger portions of vegetables and regular daily structured physical activity should be intensified to maintain an ideal body weight. You should see a good nutritionist to give you a nutritional guide. Provide your son with healthy diet, limit calorie intake with out restricting growth and daily structured physical activity. Create partnership with a good nutritionist and your doctor and you as the leader of the team. If he still continues to gain more weight despite all endeavors, ask your doctor for appetite suppressing medications. Discuss these issues with you doctor and listen to his expert advice and work as a team. Good luck READ MORE
My son is putting on a lot of weight despite being active. Is there something we should get checked out?
Obesity is a medical condition were excess fat is stored in the body (in adipose tissue). Obesity is becoming a major health problem not only in the USA but also globally. In the United States over 50% of adults and over 25% of children are obese/overweight. Obesity increases risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, cardiovascular and colorectal diseases, irregular menstrual cycle and more other medical problems. excess fat is stored in the body deep in side the body (viscera) or superficial (subcutaneous). It may be distributed in two forms. Central or Android (apple shape) or Gynoid (pear shape) obesity. Central obesity (apple shape) is when fat is deposited on the abdomen, trunk and neck. This form of obesity is common in men. Abdominal girth is much bigger in central or Android obesity. It is also true that abdominal (central) obesity is worse than the gynoid (pear shape) obesity because it exports insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea and others. The Gynoid (pear shape) obesity is when fat is distributed in the hip and thigh area. This type of obesity (Gynoid) is more common in women though some men will have it as well. The gynoid obesity is not as strong as the Android obesity in causing obesity related morbidities such as insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) as the abdominal girth is not increased to the degree of the Android obesity. The majority of obesity whether it is Android or Gynoid are caused by lack of regular physical activity, wrong diet and excess calorie ingestion. Few cases of obesity are as a result of hormonal imbalances and genetic abnormalities. Some of the hormone causes of over weight can be thyroid hormone deficiency, excess cortisol, insulin resistance, leptin abnormalities etcetera. Obesity (overweight) due to hormonal imbalances will follow the Android or central obesity form of body fat distribution. In cortisol excess for example, the fat distribution is more prominent on the trunk and neck. There are also rare genetic abnormalities that can cause obesity. These are beyond the scope of our discussion at this time. The human history has been so successful that we have evolved into a complex and affluent modern society. From the days of scarcity ( hunter and Gatherer) we have evolved into a wealthy society with plenty of food and endless festivities. during the days of food scarcity in the era of hunter and gatherer society a thrifty gene evolved for our survival. The thrifty gene helped as gain more weight during plenty (hunting season) and we used the body fat to survive during scarcity when there was little prey to hunt. The thrifty gene was able to store more fat by creating insulin resistance during the seasons of plenty. Those calories were used during the time of scarcity. The thrifty gene was therefore a survival gene in that era. The people who had the thrifty gene faired better than the people with out the thrifty gene. AS we became affluent the thrifty gene was no longer needed, and instead it be became a liability. It continued to unleash the epidemics of obesity leading to the metabolic syndrome mostly through insulin resistance. Suppose we all go to the Kalahari desert to become hunter and gatherers or we go to some poor countries where there is food scarcity, regardless of the thrifty gene our body fat will melt in a matter of time. It is therefore important to appreciate that wrong diet (high carbohydrate and high saturated fat), excess calorie intake and lack of daily regular exercise are driving most of our obesity and its co-morbidities. It is therefore important to remember that nutrition is the whole mark of the maximum expression of the gene. The more food we have the more maladaptive genes will express leading to more medical problems. Going back to your question, your son most likely gaining excess due to wrong diet (high carbohydrate, high saturated fat) excess calorie ingestion and lack of daily regular physical activity like the majority of over weight and obese people in the USA, though there could be a slim possibility of hormonal imbalance. It is therefore very important that you see your son's doctor for proper evaluation. You should ask him to run some tests to rule out hormonal imbalances and check for any genetic conditions. If his weight gain is due to hormone problems, things will improve with correcting the hormone imbalance. The most important issue is to recognize that wrong diet, excess calorie intake and lack of regular (daily) physical activity are the overwhelming causes of the overweight/obesity epidemics in the USA. So I encourage you to look in to this issue. Healthy balanced diet with bigger portions of vegetables and regular daily structured physical activity should be intensified to maintain an ideal body weight. You should see a good nutritionist to give you a nutritional guide. Provide your son with healthy diet, limit calorie intake with out restricting growth and daily structured physical activity. Create partnership with a good nutritionist and your doctor and you as the leader of the team. If he still continues to gain more weight despite all endeavors, ask your doctor for appetite suppressing medications. Discuss these issues with you doctor and listen to his expert advice and work as a team. Good luck READ MORE
Is stevia okay for juvenile diabletes?
Juvenile or type 1 diabetes is the commenest metabolic disorder encountered in children. It is also called Insulin dependent diabetes. Insulin is an absolute requirement not only to control diabetes but also for survival in juvenile (type 1) diabetes. The goal or the treatment plan of diabetes is to maintain near normal or reasonable blood glucose levels at all times. Reasonable blood glucose levels are obtaining blood glucose to near normal at least above 50% of the time (70-140mg/dl). An ideal HA1c of <7.5% with out creating excessive low blood glucose levels. Proper management of diabetes especially juvenile diabetes in small children is therefore very challenging. Since Insulin is given by subcutaneous injections or Insulin pump infusion to the subcutaneous tissue (under the skin) irratic blood sugars should be expected. Children may not consistently eat and activity level may vary from time to time. These add more variability to the blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose levels she always be managed with enough carbohydrates intake depending on the level of the blood glucose. Similarly high blood glucose should be managed with sufficient Insulin matching to the degree of the high blood glucose and proper hydration. Hydration is very important in diabetes especially when blood glucose is high. Hydration by itself will lower blood sugars to some extent and it will make Insulin work better. Without properly hydration Insulin will not work. So hydration, hydration, hydration. Sweetners, though, they may be safe they have very little role in a growing child. Children are growing and they need calories to continue to grown and develope. If blood glucose are high you can treat with Insulin and of course hydration. If the child is sick and the blood glucose is high and could not be lowered with oral hydration and insulin at home, then the child needs intravenous hydration in the emergency room. Sugar drinks can be given for hydration as long as you can chase the calories with Insulin. Stevia is an FDA approved sweetner in the USA and many other countries. Its Cancer causing risk in children is not entirely known. Though it may be safe, avoid it if you can. Only use as a last resort if you absolutely have to use it. Talk to your doctor about this. It is very important that you listen to your doctor's advice. Good luck READ MORE
Can a low carb diet help in controlling an overactive thyroid?
Thyroid is an important gland that makes important hormones. Thyroid hormone is one of the hormones the thyroid gland makes. Thyroid hormone is essential for controlling energy balance, growth and body repair. Sometimes the thyroid gland becomes abnormal due to many causes. It can be overactive (hyperthyroid) or under-active (hypothyroid). When it is overactive it makes too much thyroid hormone (thyrotoxicosis) it doesn't need. The cause of the hyperactivity of the thyroid gland need to be identified. Based on the cause and magnetude of the disease treatment plan should be worked out. Watchful waiting, medical therapy, surgical removal or radio iodine ablation are some of the steps. In rare cases, iodine excess or iodine related thyroid overactivity can be encountered. In this case low iodine intake and symptomatic therapy will be instituted. When the thyroid gland is under-active (hypothyroidism) the thyroid gland makes less thyroid hormone. The exact cause should be identified as management plans are different. In America it is mostly due to autoimmune disorder. But in third world country it is due to nutritional deficiency of iodine. Treatment depends on the degree of the disease and the cause of the disease. Treatment could be from close monitoring to medical therapy. When the thyroid is under-active the person can have the symptoms of weight gain, fatigue, irregular periods, depression, cold feeling, constipation etc. In most cases there is no diet that will fix overactive or under-active thyroid gland. In few case were iodine excess or iodine deficiency is the cause, controlling iodine intake will be advisable. Generally eating healthy diet (good nutrition with sufficient micronutrients) regular exercise, maintaining ideal weight, avoiding stress and good sleep hygiene is very important. You can see a good nutritionist to guide you about micronutrients that supports thyroid health. Your daughter may have under-active hypothyroid not overactive thyroid. Dot confuse high TSH with overactive thyroid gland. If TSH is high in most cases it means under-active hypothyroid (hypothyroid). That may be why your daughter is gaining more weight. If thyoid gland is overactive it mostly leads to weight loss than weight gain. Low carbohydrate diet will not fix the thyroid gland. It may be good to loss weight but not treat thyroid diseases. Maintaining healthy weight, regular exercise and eating healthy diet will benefit not only the thyroid gland but also the overall body health. Please discuss about these issues with your doctor. It is very important that you follow your doctor's advice. Good luck READ MORE
What are the symptoms of juvenile diabetes?
Diabetes is the commenest metabolic disorder encountered in children. Children mostly have type 1 diabetes, though type 2 diabetes is also catching up. The symptoms of diabetes are dry mouth, excessive thirsty, nocturia, excessive urination, bedwetting, headaches, blurred vision, weight loss etc. If you have a family history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes you have increased risk of diabetes in the children as well. There is up to 80% risk of developing type 2 diabetes in genetically susceptible family depending whether one or both parents have diabetes. In type 1 diabetes the risk of developing diabetes is lower than in type 2 but there is real risk involved compared to the general population. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is about 9% (30 million have Type 2 diabetes) in America. Every year about 1.5 million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in America. The prevalence of type 1 diabetes is about 0.5% (about 1.5 million people have type 1 diabetes in America). About 40 thousand people are diagnosed each year with type 1 diabetes in America. The risk of a child developing type 1 diabetes if the father has type 1 diabetes is about 8-10%. But if the mother has type 1 diabetes the risk to the child is about 4-5%. If a child has type 1 diabetes in the family the siblings will have 8-10% risk of developing type 1 diabetes. If they are identical twins the risk goes up to 35% for the second twin. This shows that if there is a family history of diabetes the a real risk of developing diabetes in the family. If there is a family history of diabetes the children should be monitored regularly. Your doctor should perform regular evaluation for blood glucose and HA1c. Fasting glucose should be <100 m g/dl. 2 hours after big meal should be <140 mg/dl. HA1c between 5.6-6.5% is considered prediabetes. HA1c >6.5% is considered diabetes. If there is a family history of type 1 diabetes in the family your doctor should perform the pancreatic autoantibodies such as GAD, ICA, USA, IA2; znT8 Insulin and c-peptide. If any of these 2 or more antibodies are positive close monitoring of blood glucose would necessary. You can check blood glucose your self at home using blood glucose machine as needs and when you notice some of the above mentioned symptoms. Fasting blood glucose should be <100 mg/dl and 2 hours after eating big meal should be <140 mg/dl. It is important that you monitor the blood glucose at home your self with out waiting for diabetics symptoms to emarge if they ever happen. Always listening to the advice of your doctor is very important. Good luck READ MORE
I am diabetic and I feel very hungry. What can I do?
Diabetes is a state of metabolic disorder were blood glucose is high due to either Insulin deficiency or Insulin insufficiency. It could be type 1, type 2, or other forms of diabetes. When blood glucose is uncontrolled the symptoms of diabetes can manifest. Symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes could be due to high blood glucose or due to low blood glucose. When blood sugars are high symptoms could be acute or chronic. Symptoms of acute complications include, excessive urination, excessive thirsty, nocturia (waking up at night to urinate) unusual hunger, weight loss, etc. Or may go on to develop diabetes ketoacidosis and coma. The symptoms of chronic complications are cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve disease, eye disease, etc. The symptoms of low blood sugars could be moderate or severe. Mild and moderate complications of diabetes could be, unusual hunger, palpitations, shakiness, headache, dizziness abdominal pain, light headedness, etc. Severe complications of hypoglycemia include, stupor, loss of consciousness, and seizures. To answer your question we have to start with the question of how well your diabetes is controlled. The first step is to control your blood glucose to a reasonable range (blood glucose between 70-140 mg/dl over 50%of the time or HbA1c less than 7.5%). Prevent high or low blood glucose levels. After managing your diabetes well, the next step is to have regular exercise, maintaining ideal weight, eating healthy diet lower stress and sleep well. You should feel better overall and your hunger would be reasonable. Lower carbohydrate intake, especially fast-acting foods such as soft drinks and sweet. Eat lots of vegetables with each meal and hydrate your self at all times. Eat plenty of vegetables and drink sufficient water before each meal. This will slow absorption of your sugar from the body and you will be less hungry. Limit intake of fruits as they contain a lot of sugars. You can eat vegetables unlimited. They will fill you up and ease your hunger. Vegetables also lower your blood glucose especially if you eat them before each meal. The most important thing to do, is to pay attention to your diabetes, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and lower stress. Talk your doctor about these issues. It is very important that you listen to the advice of your doctor. Good luck. READ MORE
My daughter is extremely short for her age. What should I do?
Growth is affected by genetics, nutrition, physical, and psychosocial and hormonal factors. Besides genetic endowment and hormones, poor nutrition, and psychological or psychological deprivation can stunt (restrict) growth. Loving care make children grow better than keeping them in orphanage. in other words institutionalized children thrive less than children in loving homes. Nutrition is also the whole mark of maximum expression of the gene for a better growth. During the American civil war the average man was about 5 feet 2 inches. At this time, the average man is about 5 feet 10 inches. The gene does not change in 150 years. What has changed is nutrition. The better the nutrition is the better the growth. Similarly children who are small and picky eaters are generally small due to sub-optimum nutrition. Hormones also play a very important role in growth. Growth hormone and thyroid hormone are prime examples. Other hormones given in excess amount or produced in excess can cause growth restriction. excess cortisol is an example. Numerous genetic abnormalities can also interfere in growth. examples will not be discussed here because they are beyond the scope of this topic. Gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac, inflammatory bowel disease can lead to growth failure. Anemia, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease will also stunt growth. There many other medical conditions that will interfere with normal growth as well. In your daughter's case, there is no simple answer to your question without proper medical evaluation of your daughter. She needs to have proper evaluation to exclude turners syndrome, skeletal dysplasia's growth hormone or thyroid hormone deficiency and other hormonal and medical problems. You can optimize his nutritional intake. you can also see a nutritionist if you think his nutritional intake is in question. Make sure you also pay attention to his weight. You do not want to create obesity in trying to promote his height growth. Regarding hormone supplement, she needs to see her doctor to determine if she needs hormone therapy after a proper work-up. If your doctor determines there are hormone imbalances, the doctor will do what is appropriate to help her achieve the genetic potential. Good luck. READ MORE
Is diabetic kidney disease common in children?
Diabetes is the most common metabolic disease. It is characterized by high blood glucose, excessive thirsty, excessive urination, nocturia (waking up at night to urinate or bedwetting) and weight loss. There are two major categories though there are other classes too. The major classes are type 1 and 2. Children have mostly type 1 diabetes, though type 2 diabetes is also catching up. Type type 2 is more common in adults. Type 1 is an absolute insulin deficiency state. Insulin is important not only to control the blood glucose but also for survival. Type 2 can respond to weight loss, diet, regular physical activity and oral medications. However most type 2 diabetic patients may require Insulin in the long run in order to control the diabetes well. Your daughter has type 1 diabetes. She needs to be on insulin using different insulin regiments suitable for her in order to control her blood glucose at a disirable range. Reasonable blood glucose range would be 70-140 mg/dl above 50%of the time. That is if you have 10 blood glucose results at least 5 of them should be in range. Good diabetes control would be getting HA1c <8%, ideally <7.5% with out causing frequent low blood glucose. Insulin management can achieved using Insulin infusion pumps, basal bollus injections, long acting or intermediate acting insulin with Short or fast acting insulin algarythms for food or other combinations. Any form of insulin combinations would work as long as the patient or the care taker of the diabetes understands the dynamics of insulin action and have reasonable understanding of diabetes. If diabetes is well controlled complications are less likely to happen. However when diabetes is uncontrolled acute and chronic complications are possible. Acute complications can be due to high or low blood glucose. Diabetic ketoacidosis and seizure are the extreme manifestation of acute complications. Before ketoacidosis one will have the signs of high blood glucose such as excessive urination, thirsty, nocturia etc. And before sizure one would have the signs of low blood glucose such as shaking, hunger, dizziness, lightheadedness, etc. Chronic complications are mostly eye disease, kidney disease, nerve disease and cardiovascular disease. In uncontrolled diabetes,chronic complications can develope in few years to decades after diagnosis. Those are determined by genetic susceptibility. Some will get it early some late. The key issue is to control the diabetes well. Controlling blood glucose well will prevent the chronic complications of diabetes. Kidney disease, like all chronic complications of diabetes, can start early in the course of diabetes or many years after having uncontrolled diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes starts with spilling albumin in the urine called microabuminuria. This will lead to proteinuria. Eventually this may lead to renal insufficiency and renal failure. If your child is spilling albumin in the urine, you need to control diabetes well (reasonably). And she may need to be on medications called ACE inhibitors, such as Lisinopril and enalpril. She can start small dose of Lisinopril 2.5 mg daily. Make sure the urine collection is done correctly. No competitive sports for 3 day before the test and repeat the test three times at least one month apart for each test before one establishes the diagnosis of microabuminuria. Once the diagnosis is established correctly you can either work on controlling the diabetes well and repeat the test in three months or start her on medication or you can do both. You should work with your doctor closely. Your doctor's advice is very important. Good luck READ MORE
Can nuclear medicine help in treating endocrine disorder?
Thyroid is an important hormone producing gland at the base of the neck. One of the important hormone it produces is thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone is important to maintain the bodies energy balance. Some times the thyroid gland can be lazy or under-active. When it is lazy (under-active) it makes less thyroid hormone. And the treatment is thyroid hormone replacement. A person with under-active thyroid needs to take thyroid hormone medications on daily basis. In the USA most under-active thyroid glands are due to autoimmune information of the thyroid gland though in rare cases, it could be due to iodine deficiency and other causes. Sometimes the thyroid gland could be overactive. That is the thyroid gland makes excessive amount of thyroid hormone it doesn't need. In this scenario toxic amounts of thyroid hormone levels could cause the symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. Those are, palpitation, shakiness, sweating, more hunger, stooling more often, weight loss, anxiety etc. It is mainly caused by autoimmune process called graves disease. It can also be transient from viral inflammation of the throat or autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland called hashitoxicosis. Occasionally a thyroid nodule can cause an overactive thyroid gland. The management of overactive thyroid gland depends on the cause of the thyroid gland over-activity. The most important issue in the treatment of overactive thyroid gland is to establish the cause of the overactive thyroid. Some overactive thyroid glands do not need treatment. They only need monitoring for a while untill the thyroid gland returns to normal function and/or treat the symptoms if necessary. If the cause is Graves disease (autoimmune cause of thyrotoxicosis). It can be managed, with medication, surgical removal or radioiodine ablation. This will depend on you and the doctor taking care of your daughter and other circumstances (once you have a reasonable understanding of the thyroid disease). If it is an overactive thyroid nodule the the treatment is either surgical removal of the module or radioiodine ablation of the overactive thyroid nodule. Therefore the first step is to get an exact diagnosis. Once you have a complete diagnosis a treatment plan can be worked out between you, your daughter and the treating physician. Assuming your daughter has an overactive thyroid gland the answer to your question if nuclear medicine is used to treat thyroid diseases is yes. Nuclear medicine is used to treat not only thyroid cancers but also overactive thyroid gland or overactive thyroid nodules. Use of radioiodine in the treatment of overactive thyroid gland and thyroid cancer is effective treatment modality. Please discuss this issue with your doctor. Listening to your doctor's advice is very important. Good luck READ MORE
Can juvenile diabetes be treated?
Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic condition in which the body does not make sufficient insulin, whereby the patient requires insulin for survival. It is mostly an autoimmune disease. The autoimmune process destroys the insulin producing cells and blood glucose gets uncontrolled. Therefore, insulin is important not only to manage the diabetes, but also for survival. If diabetes is left untreated with insulin, this can lead to diabetic coma, organ failure, and death. But with proper treatment, the patient can live (almost) normal life. There are acute and chronic complications of uncontrolled diabetes. The acute complications of uncontrolled diabetes are severe 1) hypoglycemic symptoms, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, jitteriness. Sometimes it can lead to seizures (from too much insulin). 2) Diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to coma (from too little insulin). There are also chronic complications of uncontrolled diabetes such as eye disease, kidney disease, nerve disease, high cholesterol, etc. Since uncontrolled diabetes has grave consequences, it needs to be treated properly to avoid these short-term and long-term complications. When diabetes is well-controlled, the patient should be able to continue normal life like any normal person. Does type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes go away? In most cases, it may not go away because the immune system keeps on destroying the insulin producing cells continuously. So, the destruction of islet cells is greater than regeneration. Therefore, the number of Islet cells will dwindle with time. In a few cases (atypical diabetes), they may improve or go away. But, in the vast majority of cases, juvenile diabetes is lifelong. When it is managed well, life is almost normal. During the early phase of diabetes, most children go through a honeymoon period (transient improvement in blood sugars) after a couple of weeks of starting treatment. But most honeymoons will be over in a couple of months. You have to focus more on managing the diabetes and will have an excellent outcome. Once you manage it well, the child will excel in life. Your child will do well not only at school, but also excel in sports. Please work closely with your diabetes educators and your doctor. Good luck. READ MORE
My son has thyroid nodules. What happens if they are malignant?
`The thyroid gland is very important gland that makes an important hormone called thyroid hormone. It also makes other important hormones. it is located at the base of the neck. It is homogeneous in consistency. it has three parts the right lobe left lobe and an isthmus (bridge). In an adult person it weighs about 25 grams. Its diagonal size is about 3 cm. If greater than 3 cm it is called a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland). Some times it could have a bump called a nodule. A nodule can be cystic or solid. It can be calcified or have abnormal vasculature. It could be benign or neoplastic (cancerous). The first step in the evaluation of thyroid nodule is physical palpation of the thyroid gland. Some times the nodule is visible to the naked eyes and may need fine needle aspiration biopsy right away (in children unlike in adults). However after physical palpation of the thyroid gland the next step is the use of ultrasound of the thyroid gland to determine if this is solid, cystic, calcified or have abnormal vasculature. If it is cystic with normal vasculature and no calcification, only follow up monitoring is needed. But it is calcified or the vasculature is abnormal then, biopsy is required to determine for its cytological studies. If the biopsy say neoplastic tissue then the nodule needs to be removed. If the ultrasound shows solid mass the size needs to be determined. In children if the size is small (less than 10mm) only monitoring is needed. If the nodule is greater than 10 mm in size (large nodule) biopsy is advisable. If the biopsy shows benign cell only monitoring is required. But if it is neoplastic then determination should be done it has spread to the surrounding area including the adjacent lymph nodes. If it did not spread out of the capsule, the removal of the side of the thyroid where it resides (partial thyroidectomy or lobectomy) or the whole thyroid should be removed depending on the circumstances. However if it spread out of it place to the surrounding area total thyroid removal and removal of the surrounding lymph nodes followed by radioiodine ablation should be performed. After 6-12 months whole body scan with radioiodine should be performed to determine complete destruction of malignant cell. Once the whole thyroid is removed the patient will be on thyroid hormone replacement life time. The dose should be titrated higher than normal to suppress the TSH to below 0.5 miu/ml. TSH, Thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibodies need to be monitored on regular basis to assure optimum therapy and suppression. Prognosis of thyroid neoplasia in most case is excellent if caught early and treated well depending on the type of the neoplasia. There are different types of thyroid neoplasia but they are beyond the scope of this discussion. To go back to your question your son could have any of the above cases. But only 1/3 childhood nodules may be abnormal. Over 2/3 of the nodules are likely benign in children. So statically speaking he will have a better chance of having benign results than abnormal. But basically the above discussion will give a reasonable ideal how thyroid nodules are approached. In adults only about 5% of thyroid nodules are worrisome. In adults doctors may not be aggressive and the guidelines a bite different though the approach similar. I am sorry I did not respond to you concern on time. At last I would like to say medicine is an art and you are going to see some differences in approach. Listing to your sons doctor is very important. Good luck. READ MORE
My child has been hospitalized for diabetes complications. Will he be OK?
Diabetes is a metabolic condition characterized by high blood glucose, excessive urination and excessive thirsty due either lack of Insulin or insulin deficiency. There are different kinds of diabetes. But the major categories of diabetes are type 2 and type 1. Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) is insulin dependent (with out Insulin survival is not possible) and type 2 can respond to life style change wieght reduction and oral medications. Though as the time goes by they both required insulin to controll blood glucose. Diabetes have acute and chronic complications. Chronic complications are as a result of long term poor diabetes care. Those are cardiovascular disease, nerve disease (neuropathy) kidney disease, eye disease etc. These complications have serious morbidity and mortality rate. To prevent these grave health consequences one needs to take good care of his or her diabetes. Maintaining an HbA1c below 8% will be desirable and getting it below 7% is ideal. Taking good care of diabetes, regular exercise, healthy diet and avoiding stress are helpful even if one has already chronic complications of diabetes. Optimum care may reverse or slow the progression of these chronic complications. If your son has diabetic neuropathy which is a chronic complications of diabetes, then it means that his nerves which control movement, mainly extrimties are affected. He will feel pins, pricks, tingling sensation, numbness and leg pain at night. It can also developed to problems with the movement of the food on his stomach (intestines) called gastroparesis were he will feel full and nausea when eating as the intestines do not move properly. If he doesn't not control blood sugars other complications may also follow. At this time try to control his diabetes. In the long run you may reverse it or slow it down not only the neuropathy but also the other chronic complications. You should work closely with his doctor and diabetes educators. To control his diabetes better. If he is experiencing pain and tingling sensation. Ask your doctor to prescribe him, pain killers (naproxen) or gabapentin, Lyrica, amitriptyline, doulexetin etc. They are different classes of medications. They will bring some relief if he has pain. I use them in my clinic all of these and others depending on the response of the patient. Please manage his diabetes well. Get HA1c <7%. And please discuss these issues with your doctor. Good luck READ MORE
How can I manage my son's type 1 diabetes while he's at school?
Managing type 1 diabetes in children can be very challenging. Managing their diabetes at school can be even more challenging. Because this involves the school environment, the school bus, the teachers, nurses, caregivers, diabetes educators, the child and parents. This can cause immense problems in delivering optimum care of the child's diabetes. But if the above mentioned actors work as a team, the care would be reasonable. Therefore these actors should work at a team in harmony. The parents should have a very important role in the decision making and care delivery of the child's diabetes. Childhood diabetes is managed at school the same way that it is managed at home. The primary goal of managing juvenile diabetes is to deliver the right amount of insulin at regular intervals to maintain near normal or reasonable blood glucose levels throughout the day. Blood glucose levels should be checked at regular intervals (before meals and snacks) and as needed. At meals (and snacks times if indicated) short acting or fast acting insulin should be given to match the amount of food eaten with additional correction insulin if blood sugars are above target range. Intermediate, long acting or basal insulin should always be given regardless of food intake in addition of the fast acting or short acting insulin. If the child does not want to eat or is not meal or snack time and blood sugars are high fast acting insulin should be given to correct the blood glucose closer to the target range. Long acting insulin is not given as correction insulin. There are different Insulin regiments. From insulin infusion pumps to basal bolus injections based on carbohydrate counting and a scale of Insulin based on algarythms. They all work well if used correctly. For each child with diabetes their Insulin regiments, blood glucose target ranges should be established. Blood glucose should be tested before each meal and snacks and also as needed depending how the child feels. Insulin should be given for meals and to correct high blood sugars. If the child is not eating and blood sugars are higher than say 300mg/dl correction insulin should be given. If child is not eating and blood sugars are low the child needs to get fast acting glucose such as juice. Correct blood sugars below 70 food (drinks or tablets etc) and with Insulin if blood sugars greater than 300mg/dl. If the child is sick check blood sugars more often as often as every hour and bring blood glucose less than 200mg/dl. You can give correction insulin as often as every hour to keep the blood glucose reasonable. Treat fever like you treat any child and hydration is the most important issue. Give him plenty of hydration. If the hydrating fluid has carbs give more Insulin to cover the carbs and to correct the blood glucose. Check the urine ketones if blood glucose is consistently high and or if the kid is sick. The goal is hydration, hydration, hydration and insulin. If blood glucose is consistently high or the child is sick you can give insulin more often and also increase your insulin regiment 20% more until he/she feels better. If the child is sick and vomitted more than twice and you can not hydrate him well you need to go to the ER for iv hydration. Remember with hydration even you give him more Insulin it will not get absorbed. It will not work. If the kid is sick but blood glucose is lowish and the kid is not eating. You can try to give him glucagon up-to-date 20 units every half hour to bring the blood glucose up. You can pull the glucagon will insulin syringe once you mix it. If the blood glucose is high but the child is not sick give correction for the high blood glucose and let him participate in any activity. You will always see blood glucose variability (excursions) with diabetes. Blood sugars will be high and low, but as long as you give him carbs for low blood glucose and correction insulin for high blood glucose his school activities should not be interrupted. Target blood glucose are usually about 120+-20. Blood glucose between 70-140 are good. A reasonable blood glucose control would be about 50% of the blood glucose in target range. How often can one need to check blood glucose?. As often as necessary. At least before each meal and bedtime, before and after spots activity. High or low blood glucose are not limitations for sports. As long as you treat the high and the low blood glucose and child is not sick, he can participate in sports activity. Do not do excessive Blood sugar testing that will stress the child. Only do reasonable blood glucose testing. Be realistic but not idealistic. The child will be fine if you provide a reasonable care. To answer your question about your child's management of diabetes at school is that he needs to be managed the way you manage it home. But some one is doing it for you and you are supervising them by phone etc and if they have difficulties they inform you how to proceed with the issue. You can involve your diabetes educators if you need too. The care givers at school should know when to give insulin, when to test blood glucose levels, when to give correction, to recognize low blood glucose and take action and when to call you without stressing you or your child. They need to understand what to do when the child is sick. They should not restrict his physical activity for high or low blood glucose unless he is sick. They should be taught how to manage it. You should work with them as a team. Remember you are the team leader. You should involve his physian as well. The care givers at school should have a guideline or the care plan. And they apply it with commen sense and should not stress you or the child. Work as a team and talk to your physician or diabetes educators. Good luck READ MORE
My son had low blood sugar during exams. Should I get any testing done for him?
Hypoglcemia (low blood glucose) can be a manifestation of many things. Some signs and symptoms of hypoglcemia are palpitation, anxiety, shackiness, sweating irritability, fatigue, unusual hunger etc. The low blood glucose per se has no symptoms. However in trying to correct the low blood glucose the body release hormones mainly adrenaline. Release of excess adrenaline causes the symptoms of low blood sugar. Prolonged fasting can cause low blood in people with limited reserve of glucose store in the body. There are other numerous medical and hormonal conditions that can cause hypoglycemia. Stressful condition such as taking examintation can lead to low blood glucose through release of adrenaline, and thus the symptoms of low blood glucose. This may be what is going on with your son assuming he is not a diabetic patient on Insulin or other medications. On the other hand he needs to have proper evaluation to rule out medical or hormonal causes of low blood glucose. In the meantime encourage freguent snacking and eating before taking example may help. Anxiety may also interfer with his ability to take examination. So you need to discuss these issues with your doctor and let him be evaluated properly. Good luck READ MORE
Type 2 diabetes in children. Is it because my child is considered obese?
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic condition characterized by high blood sugars, insulin resistance, and, eventually, inadequate insulin secretion. Type 2 diabetes is therefore mostly driven by obesity, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet. As we get more obese, Type 2 diabetes also increases proportionally to the degree of obesity. It is the commonest form of diabetes in the adults population. Currently, as children become more obese, type 2 diabetes is becoming more prevalent. Though type 1 diabetes is more common in children, type 2 diabetes is catching up very fast. In some areas of America, type 2 diabetes in children is becoming more prevalent than type 1 diabetes due to more prevalence in obesity. In native Indians, children with type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1 diabetes. Type 2 is surpassing type 1 diabetes in Hispanic and black children in some areas of the united States. As the epidemic of obesity explodes (the tsunami of obesity), type 2 diabetes will be the most encountered metabolic disease very soon in both adults and children. To prevent type 2 diabetes, we need to prevent obesity, have regular physical activity, healthy diet, and maintain ideal weight. Once the prevalence of obesity is controlled, type 2 diabetes would be prevented better. Your son needs regular physical activity, weight loss, and a healthy diet. He needs to participate in regular sports activity and needs to see a nutritionist. He needs to lose weight, at least 10% of his body weight. It is important that he works closely with his diabetes educators and dietitians. The goal is weight loss, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet. Good luck. READ MORE
When is one recommended insulin injections?
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic state of high blood glucose mostly caused by insulin Resistance and relative insulin insufficiency. Unlike type 1 diabetes (absolute insulin deficiency), it may take long time to evolve into full blown symptomatic diabetes. The initial treatment is diet, exercise, and weight loss. If blood sugars are not normal, then oral medications are introduced; insulin sensitizers, mainly Metformin, are started. If blood sugar is not controlled (HA1c <7.0), then a 2nd, 3rd, etc., oral medications with a different mechanism of action is also introduced depending on the individual response. If blood sugars are not controlled with all these medications and HA1c stays above 8%, then long-acting insulin is introduced besides the oral medications. If HA1c stays above 8%, then meal times short-acting insulin are required and adjusted to bring the blood glucose to a desired goal between 70-140 mg/dl (HA1c <7%). If blood sugars on oral medications are above the desired range, then insulin should be introduced, at least long-acting insulin either daily or twice a day depending on the individuals situation. In case of abnormal kidney function, oral medications should be lowered or stopped. In this scenario, insulin is the way to go. High blood pressure and abnormal lipids should be aggressively treated. Also, any diabetic patient with HA1c of >7% persistently should consider treatment with statins (cholesterol medications) to protect the heart regardless of there cholesterol level in the blood. Remember, medicine is an art. Doctors may practice medicine slightly different regardless of guidelines or evidence based medicine. So, expect some differences among practitioners. This should not be seen as bad or good. Just normal variations. This is general advice but does not substitute your doctor's advice. Please discuss it with your doctor as well. Good luck. READ MORE
Why does my son burst into a sweat whenever he is hungry?
Sweating is the bodies mechanism created to it dissipate heat so it can cool down. With out sweating it will not be able to dissipate heat and it could over heat that would lead to serious health problems. Some times excessive sweating may not be a normal response to heat dissipation. Even though sweating is a necessary mechanism to cool the body temperature excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) may cause disturbance in our way of life. hyperhidrosis is therefore a condition where the body parts or the whole body will sweat profusely regardless of the body temperature or the need to dissipate the body heat. Most hyperhidrosis are of unknown cause and are not serious. Some are as a result of medical and hormonal conditions. Exercise, obesity, eating chili, spicy food, kidney disease, over active thyroid gland, adrenal disease, low blood sugar, menopause or other medical conditions are some examples. If your son does not have medical conditions such as diabetes and he is not on any medication, but he is sweating when he is hungry or after prolonger fasting, he likely has low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Hunger induced low blood sugar or prolonged fasting can cause sweating due to low blood sugar induced adrenalin release. When blood sugar is low or the body perceives that the blood sugar is low it releases adrenalin to release glucose from the body glucose stores so we can get enough energy to support the bodies energy and mainly the brain function. The brain mainly functions on sugar than the rest of the body. So adrenalin is released to allow stored sugar to be used mainly by the brain. Release of adrenalin (fight and Flight) cause sweating palpitation, shakiness, tremors etc. If after adrenalin release the glucose reserve of the body is depleted and we do not eat we may experience stupor, unconsciousness or seizure since there is no sugar to support the brain function. One can still sweat after prolonged fasting or when hungry in the absence of low blood sugars. The body will perceive low blood sugar before it goes lower and allows the release of adrenalin though blood sugar is normal. One can also have sugar storage diseases that even with the release of adrenalin the body may not release the glucose properly (storage diseases) to correct the blood sugar. In this case the person need to be seen by a specialist. Your son may there for responding to adrenalin release most likely due to low blood sugars. You could feed him on time and have him some snacks in between meals. May also consider complex carbohydrate such as corn starch, potatoes etc. to last him longer. It may also be advisable to have him get evaluated properly by his physician. Good Luck READ MORE

Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD's Practice location

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HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL 60169

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Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD's reviews

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Patient Experience with Dr. Berhe

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Dr. Tseghai Berhe MD has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on the reviews from 78 patients. FindaTopDoc has aggregated the experiences from real patients to help give you more insights and information on how to choose the best Endocronologist (Pediatric) in your area. These reviews do not reflect a providers level of clinical care, but are a compilation of quality indicators such as bedside manner, wait time, staff friendliness, ease of appointment, and knowledge of conditions and treatments.

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Get to know Endocrinologist Dr. Tseghai Berhe, who serves the population of Illinois. Dr. Berhe graduated with his Medical Degree from the Spartan Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, NY, in 2000 giving him nearly two decades of experience in his field. After obtaining his Medical Degree he completed his Pediatrics residency with Howard University Hospital. Wanting to further his training he then completed his Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship with the National Institute Of Health/Bethesda Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Berhe is dual certified in pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology by the American Board of Pediatrics. He currently practices as a Endocrinologist within his private practice Midwest Pediatric Endocrinology, and remains affiliated with AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet, Advocate Sherman Hospital, and Provena St Joseph Medical Center. Endocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events proliferation, growth, and differentiation, and the psychological or behavioral activities of metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sleep, digestion, respiration, excretion, mood, stress, lactation, movement, reproduction, and sensory perception caused by hormones. Specializations include behavioral endocrinology and comparative endocrinology. The endocrine system consists of several glands, all in different parts of the body, that secrete hormones directly into the blood rather than into a duct system. Hormones have many different functions and modes of action; one hormone may have several effects on different target organs, and, conversely, one target organ may be affected by more than one hormone.