Human growth hormone (HGH or GH) is not a substance that can be purchased from an over-the-counter source, despite many claims. It is used to treat specific medical deficiencies.
The diseases relating to variations in secretion quantities of growth hormone are of two varieties, naturally those being the lack of said hormone and its production in excess. Specific names are attributed to these diseases indicating whether a lack or excess is involved and whether the condition had its onset in early or later life, a factor that can have a great impact upon the physical appearance of the afflicted. GH excess and deficiency can be the result of many root causes, but is frequently linked with a genetic and/or hereditary condition involving the abnormality of the gene or genes responsible for the production of the hormone in the pituitary.
An excess of growth hormone as a result of a tumor is usually noted by its symptoms, which appear most commonly in mid-to-late life. Late-onset GH excess results in a condition known as acromegaly, recognized most often by the thickening of certain bones, most notably the digits of the feet and hands and the bones of the jaw. Early-onset GH excess is rare, and is classified as gigantism (pituitary gigantism), resulting in the pathological growth of the patient, especially in height.
Pathologic deficiency of growth hormone is, similarly, divided in its effects by age, as well. Children afflicted by a deficiency of growth hormone do not grow at a normal rate, and depending upon the severity of the hormone deficiency may have severely stunted height. Adults have less notable symptoms, but have a tendency toward weakness of bone and muscle, and are often put at higher risk for heart disease.
Growth hormone deficiency is treated with the application of synthetic growth hormone, which may occur through subcutaneous injection only. Any product which claims to contain human growth hormone in any form but which is sold over-the-counter or which is administered orally is medically worthless and a veritable waste of money. Growth hormone is a complex molecule which cannot be absorbed through the digestive tract""even if such products did contain the substance (which they do not), they would not be effective in its application. This is, in fact, quite a good thing""the use of growth hormone as unsupervised by a physician is contraindicated and likely to prove very dangerous.
