Living Well: Pituitary Awareness Month

1 – 31 October 2022

The Pituitary Foundation is delighted to announce the 2022 Pituitary Awareness Month with the theme of “Living Well”. 

A month long programme of events, both online and in person will be open to pituitary patients, their families, friends and carers and offer practical advice, networking, support and thought-provoking discussion around endocrinology.

Pituitary conditions are uncommon, affecting around 80,000 people in the UK. Conditions include Cushing’s, acromegaly, diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism, and others. Diagnosis can be challenging, often taking 6+ years, with patients experiencing debilitating symptoms. Conditions are largely lifelong, and can be life altering, including having to take daily medication. 

As well as joining in with the events, patients and their support networks are invited to raise awareness of pituitary conditions and the support available to live well with a lifelong condition, by telling their story.

The Pituitary Foundation hopes that with patients across the country telling their story to friends, communities and medics, awareness of pituitary conditions will be raised. This will help to reduce the time it takes to be diagnosed and welcome patients who are unaware of the charities’ support to make use of our free services, helping them to live well with a long-term condition.

Pat McBride, Head of Patient and Family Services, says “Diagnosis can be a stressful time for patients and their families. We know pituitary patients want to see that experience improve in the future. Telling their story, and raising awareness of the different conditions and symptoms related to pituitary is a really strong way of doing that.”

Ren Renwick, CEO, says: “This Awareness month is arriving with a bang this year, and we are urging patients and healthcare professionals to join our vibrant program of talks and events, as well as taking the moment to tell their story to friends and colleagues.  By working together, we can raise awareness and help all pituitary patients to live well with their condition.”

Sessions in October will be by donation, and range from practical Q&A sessions with world class endocrinologists, insights into the future of endocrinology services, to inspirational stories from patients and ways to get involved with local support groups and fundraising. All sessions will have the theme of ‘Living Well’ at the heart.

Fantastic speakers, including the acclaimed Professor John Wass, Professor of Endocrinology at Oxford University; John Newell-Price, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Sheffield, and Sofia Llahana, Consultant Nurse & previously a Chair of Nurses Committee for European Society of Endocrinology, along with many patients, volunteers and medical professionals. Sessions will range from Q&As with endocrine professionals, to sessions supporting people to live well with their condition, to ways to get involved with The Foundation.

See the full programme and book tickets on our website. There are limited spaces so be sure to book your place today to avoid disappointment.

This information pack offers ideas about how to tell your story, or to find out more about our patient services, please do visit The Pituitary Foundation website.

ENDS

For more information contact Lottie Storey, Communications Officer

[email protected] or 01173701312

Editorial notes

About Pituitary Foundation

The Pituitary Foundation is the UKs leading charity supporting people with pituitary conditions. Established in 1994, we provide support for the 70,000+ people in the UK who are affected by disorders of the pituitary gland, as well as their families, friends and carers. 

We want to ensure that every person affected by a pituitary condition has a timely diagnosis and access to high quality treatment, information and support.  We have a dedicated nurse helpline, online and printable resources, and we work with leading medical experts to improve patient care.

The Pituitary Foundation is a registered charity and relies on generous donations from individuals and companies as well as grants.

www.pituitary.org.uk

Facebook: The Pituitary Foundation

Twitter: @pituitary_org

Instagram: @pituitaryfoundation

LinkedIn: The Pituitary Foundation

About Pituitary conditions

Pituitary disorders are considered rare. It is estimated that there are around 70,000 pituitary patients in the United Kingdom. The most common problem with the pituitary gland occurs when a benign tumour (also called an adenoma) develops.

Some pituitary tumours can exist for years without causing symptoms and some will never produce symptoms. The most common type of tumour is the ‘non-functioning’ tumour. This is a tumour which doesn’t produce any hormones itself. It can cause headaches and visual problems or it can press on the pituitary gland, causing it to stop producing the required amount of one or more of the pituitary hormones, or it can produce too much of a specific hormone.