Endocrinology
COVID-19 Messages for Patients
- Virtual Visits: As we work together to navigate the coronavirus emergency, our endocrinology office is offering Virtual Visits, also called telehealth visits, so that you can get the care you need from the comfort and safety of your own home. // Learn More
- Coronavirus & Diabetes: We encourage our patients with diabetes to learn more about staying safe during coronavirus emergency by visiting coronavirusdiabetes.org.
We take a comprehensive, compassionate approach to managing endocrine disorders—so that you can enjoy the activities you love.
Endocrinology is the branch of medicine that researches, diagnoses and treats problems with endocrine glands. Endocrine glands are located throughout the body and make up what is known as the endocrine system. These glands produce hormones and send them throughout the body to perform specific tasks.
Endocrinologists are medical specialists who diagnose and treat conditions related to the endocrine system. This includes diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, and much more.
How can we help you today?
Need to Call? 860-358-2470 | Find a Location
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is an illness that occurs when the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high.
Blood sugar is controlled by a hormone called insulin. If your body does not have enough insulin or is resistant to it, it cannot properly process and use the sugar, which comes from food you eat. Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys and nerves, as well as other serious issues.
There are two types of diabetes:
- Type 1: The body does not produce insulin.
- Type 2: The body is resistant to the effects of insulin
Learn More About Diabetes Signs, Symptoms, Treatment and Management
What services does Middlesex Health offer?
Prediabetes Support: If your blood sugar levels are increasing, there are ways to help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes through changes in diet and activity. Our office offers nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian.
Diabetes Management: There are a number of ways to treat and manage diabetes through lifestyle changes and medications. Our providers work with you to diagnose diabetes, develop a treatment plan, and support you in managing this condition. Learn More.
Insulin Pumps: Insulin pumps are small, computerized devices that deliver small doses of short acting insulin continuously and give variable amounts of insulin when a meal is eaten. Our providers are expertly trained in the management of insulin pump therapy.
Continuous glucose monitors: A continuous glucose monitor is a device used for monitoring blood glucose on a continual basis. For many patients, a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system can be extremely helpful and convenient to closely track their sugars in real-time, without the need to perform a fingerstick each time a blood sugar is needed.
What Are Common Thyroid Conditions?
Hypothyroidism: A condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enoughthyroid hormone Hypothyroidism develops slowly, and Symptoms vary a great deal between individuals. The only way to obtain a concrete diagnosis is through a blood test. Treatment for hypothyroidism focuses on supplementing the thyroid hormone. At present, doctors cannot cure hypothyroidism but they can help people control it.
Hyperthyroidism: The production of too muchthyroid e hormone. Hyperthyroidism can cause a wide variety of symptoms and mimic other health problems, making it difficult for your doctor to diagnose. However several treatments are available for hyperthyroidism including mediations , radioactive Iodine therapy and surgery.
Thyroid Nodules: A solid or fluid-filled lump. Most thyroid nodules don't cause symptoms and don't require treatment Some nodules will require a procedure called a fine needle aspiration, which can be performed in our office.. However, there are treatment options for cancerous nodules or nodules that produce additional thyroid hormones.
Thyroid Cancer: Thyroid cancer is becoming more common. There are multiple types of thyroid cancer but the most common tend to be slow growing and non aggressive. This is diagnosed by a fine needle aspirate of a suspicious appearing thyroid nodule. Most thyroid cancers are treated with surgery and sometimes radioactive iodine.
Middlesex Health's Center for Gender Medicine and Wellness is committed to providing equitable and inclusive care to individuals who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or gender expansive, as well as excellence in access, services, and outcomes. As a community hospital, we believe that we are in a unique position to provide nearly a full spectrum of medical care in a safe, personal, and convenient setting.
At Middlesex Health, we are pleased to have Katy Tierney, M.S.N, A.P.R.N.-B.C., lead our gender-affirming hormone therapy program, in collaboration with her colleagues in endocrinology and our network of primary care providers.
Common Adrenal Gland Conditions
Primary Aldosteronism: a condition that occurs when the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, the hormone responsible for balancing potassium and sodium in the body. Primary Aldosteronism often doesn't cause clear symptoms. The first clue that you may have primary aldosteronism is high blood pressure that is especially hard to control. Learn More
Cushing's Disease: A disorder that occurs when your body makes too much cortisol. Our providers can use a variety of tests to diagnose cursing disease. Treatment depends on the cause and may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or cortisol-reducing medicines. Learn More
Pheochromocytoma: A rare tumor that causes your adrenal gland to make too much adrenaline . We use lab tests and imaging tests to diagnose it. Surgery is the most common treatment. Learn More
Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison’s Disease): A disorder in which the adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisol. Symptoms vary; however, the most common symptoms are fatigue and weight loss. Learn More
Osteoporosis is characterized by a loss of bone mass While most people experience some loss of bone mass as they age, osteopenia and osteoporosis are not inevitable parts of the aging process. There are things that can be done to keep bones healthy such as exercising and maintaining a healthy diet, getting adequate calcium and vitamin D and avoiding smoking and drinking. Learn More
What Services Does Middlesex Health Offer?
We offer a range of medications for osteoporosis including Prolia, Reclast, Forteo, Tymlos and Evenity. Additionally, Middlesex Health has physical therapists specifically trained in working with patients with osteoporosis
Lifestyle Medicine
At the Middlesex Health Lifestyle Medicine program, we share evidence-based non-medication techniques to help you realize your power to achieve a healthy lifestyle. We believe that every person can take steps to achieve their wellness goals, and our board-certified lifestyle medicine clinicians will guide you every step of the way.
Our team will work with you to understand your health and story, including the goals you want to achieve, the medications you need, and much more. The techniques we use can be added to what you are already doing, and you can be confident that our lifestyle medicine clinic is a judgment-free space. We are all working together to achieve one goal: your best possible health.
Six Areas for Improvement
Lifestyle medicine focuses on six areas in which patients can improve their health:
- Nutrition
In lifestyle medicine, food is medicine! We teach simple ways to incorporate new and interesting foods into your daily routine, making healthy eating more fun and less overwhelming. - Physical Activity
Regular exercise is essential to our health, and lifestyle medicine recognizes that this doesn’t have to mean going to the gym every day. Activities that range from walking to gardening to pushups at home are all options that can be maintained daily. - Relationships
Social connectedness is key to good mental, emotional and physical health. We work with you to determine what healthy relationships look like for you and how you can build or strengthen your support system. Additionally, our team-based program is a source of social connection in and of itself! - Stress Reduction
Stress comes in many forms and can have both good and bad effects on our health. We work with you to determine the difference between positive and negative stress so that you can build a toolkit of techniques to reduce the stress that causes anxiety, depression, problems with the immune system, and more. - Sleep
A lack of sleep—or poor quality sleep—impacts the body, mind, and spirit. In addition, it has been shown to strain the immune system and lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms as we try to get more rest. In lifestyle medicine programs, we look at all factors that may compromise your nighttime routine and help you develop techniques to get the best night’s sleep. - Use of Risky Substances
Addiction can increase your risk for serious long-term health problems, such as heart disease and cancer. We can support you in quitting smoking, stopping other forms of tobacco use, limiting alcohol consumption, and more.
How are lifestyle medicine visits structured?
At Middlesex Health, lifestyle medicine is a small group program. Patients gather in groups of 8–12 people for 90-minute sessions led by a team of expert providers. To keep you safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, these sessions are currently taking place online. Our patients report that this is the most empowering and helpful aspect of lifestyle medicine.
Who are the lifestyle medicine providers?
Three providers lead each session:
- A board-certified lifestyle medicine physician
- A registered dietitian
- A health coach/patient navigator.
Meet Dr. Mahima Gulati
Mahima Gulati, MD, MSc, ECNU, FACE is a fellowship-trained endocrinologist certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is the founder and director of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Middlesex Health and is passionate about helping her patients live healthy, joyful lives.
What do we do during the sessions?
Lifestyle medicine sessions are a combination of discussion, counseling and hands on experiences.
Discussion and Counseling
Getting started with lifestyle changes can be a challenge. With a focus on taking small steps and enjoying our day-to-day lives, we will talk about:
- How to identify the triggers or impulses that lead to less healthy choices
- How to react to triggers and impulses with positive steps instead of old habits
- The importance of awareness and mindfulness
- Techniques for being successful in developing healthy habits
Hands On Opportunities
Sessions focus a lot on healthy eating and how to incorporate small changes into your diet. We will cook together during sessions, and our providers will bring interesting and novel fruits, veggies and other foods that are delicious and easy to prepare.
We focus on:
- Foods that may be new to you but are simple to cook and enjoyable to eat
- How to have fun in the kitchen & with healthy eating
- How easy it can be to make simple, healthy changes—even during your busiest days
- How to get started if you’ve never been a cook
Prevention and Treatment without Medication
Chronic conditions—like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and overweight/obesity—are widespread. In fact, More than half of adults in the United States have at least one chronic health concern. This impacts our lives in many ways. For example, it changes day-to-day routines, means more medications and time at doctor’s offices, and can make it difficult to enjoy favorite activities.
A growing body of research shows that lifestyle medicine can treat—and even prevent—chronic illness. Rather than just treating symptoms, lifestyle medicine focuses on understanding why someone is sick. This means we can work on fixing the cause of illness.
Lifestyle Changes that Work for You
Another benefit of lifestyle medicine is that it can be adjusted to work for you—your lifestyle, goals, and schedule. So while our team will share recommendations and strategies, we will also support you in building a lifestyle that meets your needs.
Many major insurance providers cover lifestyle medicine programs. Please contact your insurance carrier for specifics about your plan.
To learn more about lifestyle medicine or schedule an appointment, please call Middlesex Health Multispecialty Group—Endocrinology at 860-358-2470 or request an appointment online.
A Message from Our Director
Dr. Mahima Gulati
Welcome to the Lifestyle Medicine Program at Middlesex Health! Our goal is to familiarize our patients with what they can do to unleash their own potential to live a healthy, joyful life. We often don't come face-to-face with our own strengths, but each and every person has the extraordinary power to live fully, with vibrancy and vitality. We will help you to implement small, positive, scientifically-proven changes, because making changes to your diet, exercise routines and sleep habits doesn't have to feel like a punishment.
We look forward to coaching you and helping you find empowerment in a healthy lifestyle!
Lifestyle Medicine In The News
Calcium Disorders
calcium plays many roles in the body. It is important to muscle and nerve function, as well as the release of some hormones. We care for patients with:
- Hypocalcemia (not enough calcium)
- Hypercalcemia (too much calcium)
-
Hyperparathyroidism
Prolactinoma
Prolactinoma is a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland. This tumor causes the pituitary to make too much of a hormone called prolactin. It can lead to decreased levels of some sex hormones — estrogen in women and testosterone in men. Prolactinomoas can sometimes cause vision difficulties, infertility and other problems. Learn More.
The MyChart patient portal creates a single medical and financial record through which you can:
- access your medical information
- see lab and other test results
- access your list of medications and renew or request prescriptions
- use e-Checkin to review and update information before a visit
- interact with your providers' offices
- pay bills
Pay a Bill
You can pay a bill for your visit to Middlesex Health online. You can also reach our central billing office at 860-358-4870.
Financial Assistance
We know how hard it can be to manage the cost of health care. But we're here to help.
Forms & Paperwork
Filling out forms before you come to the office helps us make the most of your visit! Please use the link below to download the appropriate paperwork.
Middlesex Health Endocrinology Forms
Helpful Links
Locations
2 Specialty Care Locations
1Middlesex Health Multispecialty Group - Endocrinology, Middletown
540 Saybrook RoadSuite 210
Middletown, CT 06457
- Mon
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- Tue
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- Wed
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- Thu
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- Fri
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
2Middlesex Health MultiSpecialty Group - Endocrinology, Westbrook
250 Flat Rock PlaceWestbrook, CT 06498
- Wed
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
