Symptoms of acromegaly
Acromegaly symptoms often start slowly and may be difficult to notice at first. The condition affects your body’s bones and tissues, making them grow in irregular ways. Some people only notice their hands are bigger when the rings they regularly wear feel tight or their shoe size changes, especially the width.
Specific symptoms of acromegaly include:
Large hands or feet Changes in your face shape, like a more prominent jaw and/or forehead Increase in size of your lips, nose and/or tongue Excessive sweating or oily skin Deepening of your voice Gaps between your teeth
Other symptoms could include:
Headaches Joint pain Vision changes Numbness in your hands Sleep apnea Carpal tunnel syndrome
Acromegaly causes
The most common cause of acromegaly is a tumor on your pituitary gland called a pituitary adenoma. Most of these tumors don’t release any hormones. Sometimes, the tumor releases too much growth hormone (GH). This leads to acromegaly.
Pituitary adenomas usually develop for unknown reasons. Sometimes, they run in families due to inherited genetic conditions.
Pituitary adenomas are almost always benign (noncancerous). Most adenomas that cause acromegaly grow slowly. This is why you may not notice symptoms for many years.
Depending on its size and location, the adenoma may press against other tissue and affect other hormones your pituitary gland makes. If the adenoma is large, it may also press against nearby parts of your brain, causing headaches and vision problems.
Risk factors
Acromegaly can develop at any age after puberty. But healthcare providers most often diagnose it in people who are in their 40s or 50s.
You can’t lower your risk for the condition because experts don’t know exactly why some people develop it.
It affects about 3 to 14 people in every 100,000.
Complications of this condition
High levels of GH cause high levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). IGF-1 affects how your body processes sugar (glucose) and fats (lipids). This can lead to complications like:
Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure (hypertension) Heart disease
Other complications of acromegaly can include:
Cardiomyopathy Arthritis Colon polyps, which can turn into colon cancer