Saturday, May 23, 2009

Understanding The Reasons Why You May Not Be Gaining Height

By Rodney Williams

When you or your child suffers from a shorter stature, then you undoubtedly experienced the unfair bias our society has toward taller people. It may even have made you feel sad . If you are a shorter person, you have probably tried many things to increase your height. This is a very natural thing to do, but you need to first understand why you have not grown.

Your genetic composition plays the biggest role in determining how tall you will be. There are people who have other situations that keep them from growing to their full potential. Many of these situations happen during childhood, which is when your body does most of its growing. No one person has the same problem, so talk with your doctor about why you have a short stature and how you can increase height. When you talk to your doctor, he or she will probably explain the four basic reasons for stunted growth, familial, constitutional growth delay, growth failure, and idiopathic .

Growth is most commonly limited for Familial reasons. Familial height is totally dependent on your genetic makeup. Normally, you will not be much taller than your parents.

The modern advances in nutrition and medicine have made it possible for many people to overcome their familial height disadvantages. Eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep can give your body the stimulation it needs to grow. Administering Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, is not recommended in this situation. It is best to naturally make your body grow taller.

Another type of limitation is Constitutional Growth Delay. This is when your body does not grow at the normal time, but then quickly grows later than normal. A child suffering from this condition will normally be much shorter than his or her peers. Once puberty hits, he or she will have a major growth spurt and reach the genetic predetermined height. This condition normally runs in the family.

When Growth Failure occurs it is normally a sign of a greater problem in the body. There are generally three reasons for this problem. A systemic problem is when one or more of your body's natural systems, such as nervous or cardiovascular, are not functioning properly. An endocrine malfunction means that there is a problem with your system of organs, which release the vital hormones and enzymes you need to grow. Congenital disorders are those that are caused to the fetus in the womb. Unfortunately, these situations are not always treatable and you should see your doctor, or pediatric endocrinologist, to discuss your options.

Idiopathic Short Stature may be the most frustrating reason. You may have no symptoms and no health issues. In fact, your body might be in good health. However, you do not gain height. Fortunately, this is not a very common condition. Also, artificial HGH has not been proven to have an impact on this type of limitation.

Once again, only a doctor can tell you exactly why you, or your child, are not growing taller. While administering HGH might be discussed, it will be better if you try to naturally grow by eating right, working out, and sleeping. Also, do not smoke because second hand smoke may stunts growth. However, once you know the fundamental reason for your shorter stature, you can work to improve your situation.

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