Top 16 Symptoms of Acromegaly

The Main Symptoms of Acromegaly  that we should not ignore. Also, Acromegaly  is a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood. When this happens, your bones increase in size, including those in your hands, feet, and face.

Acromegaly  usually affects middle – aged adults. In children who are still growing, too much growth hormone can cause a condition called gigantism. These children have exaggerated bone growth and an abnormal increase in height. Because acromegaly is uncommon and physical changes occur gradually, the condition is usually not recognized right away: sometimes it hasn’t been for years.

If not treated promptly, Acromegaly  can lead to serious illness and even become life threatening. However, the treatments available for Acromegaly  can reduce your risk of complications and significantly improve your symptoms, including increasing your features.

Causes of Acromegaly:  Acromegaly is  caused by the pituitary hormone hormone over producing growth hormone (GH) over time. The pituitary, a small gland located at the base of the brain behind the bridge of the nose, produces a series of hormones. GH plays an important role in managing your physical growth.

When GH is secreted into your bloodstream, it triggers your liver to produce a hormone called insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I). In turn, IGF-I stimulates the growth of bones  and other tissues. If your pituitary gland makes too much GH, excessive amounts of IGF-I can result. Too much IGF-I can cause abnormal growth of your soft tissue and skeleton and other characteristic signs and symptoms of acromegaly  and gigantism. In adults, a tumor is the most common cause of excessive GH production:

• Pituitary tumours. Most cases of acromegaly  are caused by a non-cancerous (benign) tumor (adenoma) of the pituitary gland. The tumor secretes excessive amounts of growth hormone, causing many of the signs and symptoms of acromegaly . Some of the symptoms of Acromegaly , such as headaches and impaired vision, are due to the tumor mass pressing on nearby brain tissues.
• Non-hospital tumors. In some people with acromegaly , tumors in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, pancreas, or adrenal glands, cause the disorder. Sometimes these tumors actually secrete GH. In other cases, tumors produce a hormone called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more GH.

Symptoms of Acromegaly:  One of the most common signs of Acromegaly  is enlargement of the hands and feet. People with this disorder often find that they can no longer put on rings that used to fit and that their shoe size has progressively increased. Acromegaly can also cause  you to experience gradual changes in the shape of your face, such as a protruding lower jaw and eyebrow, a flared nose, thickened lips, and wider spacing between your teeth.

As acromegaly  tends to progress slowly, the initial signs may not be readily apparent for several years. Sometimes people observe the condition just by comparing old photographs. Acromegaly  can produce the following signs and symptoms, which can vary from person to person:

• Enlarged hands and feet
• Coarse and enlarged facial features
• Coarse, oily and thickened skin
• Excessive sweating and body odor
• Small detachments of skin tissue (skin tags)
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• A deep, husky voice due to enlarged vocal cords and breasts
• Severe snoring due to upper airway obstruction
• impaired vision
• constant headaches
• extended language
• Limited joint pain and mobility
• Menstrual cycle irregularities in women
• Erectile dysfunction in men
• Liver, heart, kidneys, spleen and other enlarged organs
• Larger chest size (barrel vault)

When to See a Doctor:  If you have signs and symptoms associated with Acromegaly , contact your doctor for an evaluation. Acromegaly usually develops  slowly, and even your family members may not notice the gradual physical changes that occur with this disorder. Early diagnosis is important, however, so you can receive proper care. Acromegaly can lead to serious complications if left  untreated.

Complications of Acromegaly:  The progression of Acromegaly  can result in major health problems. Complications can include:

• osteoarthritis
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Cardiovascular disease, in particular an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy)
• diabetes mellitus
• Goiter
• Pre-cancerous growths (polyps) in the lining of your colon
• Sleep apnea , a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• Decreased secretion of other pituitary hormones (hypopituitarism)
• Uterine fibroids, benign tumors in the uterus
• spinal cord compression
• vision loss

Early treatment of Acromegaly can prevent these complications from developing or worsening. If left untreated, Acromegaly  and its complications can lead to premature death.

Diagnosis of Acromegaly:  To begin the process of diagnosing Acromegaly , your doctor will take a medical history and perform a physical exam. Then he or she may recommend the following steps:

• GH and IGF-I measurement. After you fast overnight, your doctor will take a blood sample to measure your GH and IGF-I levels. Elevated levels of these hormones suggest Acromegaly .
• Growth hormone suppression test. This is the definitive method to check for Acromegaly . In this test, blood levels of GH are measured before and after drinking a sugar (glucose) preparation. Normally, glucose intake depresses GH levels. If you have Acromegaly , your GH level will tend to stay high.
• Image. Your doctor may recommend that you undergo an imaging procedure, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to identify the location and size of a pituitary gland tumor. If radiologists, who usually perform the procedures, don’t see any pituitary gland tumors, they can look for non-hospital tumors that could be responsible for high GH levels.

Acromegaly Treatment: Acromegaly  treatment  focuseson reducing GH production as well as reducing the negative effects of the tumor on the pituitary gland and surrounding tissues. You may need more than one type of treatment.

Prevention of Acromegaly:  Acromegaly can  not be prevented, however early treatment prevents the complications of the disease.