What is Acromegaly?
Acromegaly refers to a hormonal disorder that causes abnormal growth of the hands, feet and face. It is mainly caused by excessive production of Growth Hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland.
What Causes Acromegaly?
This disorder is most commonly caused by an overproduction of growth hormone in the pituitary. The pituitary hormone is a tiny gland located at the base of your brain. It synthesises some of the most important hormones in your body. The excessive growth of this gland causes nerve tissues and optic nerves to become compressed. This causes the bone to grow and organs to expand. This disease causes people to have larger bones than others. About 95% of people with this disease have a pituitary tumour.
What are the symptoms of Acromegaly?
Patients may have different symptoms. The symptoms tend to appear gradually, and may not be apparent for many years. Acromegaly can cause a variety of symptoms. Below are some common signs and symptoms.
- Sleeplessness
- Excessive fatigue
- A hoarse voice
- Sweating profusely
- Frequent headaches
- An abnormal weight gain
- Body with an unpleasant odour
- An increase in the size of the jaws or tongue
- Weakness in your muscles
- Swollen and painful joints
- Women experiencing excessive hair growth
- It is common to have fingers and toes widespread
- More space between the teeth
- Usually, non-cancerous growths can be identified by skin tags
- The skin thickens and the sebaceous glands become larger
- An increase in the bone density of the hands, feet and face
What is Acromegaly?
A series of tests are performed to confirm that the body has an overproduction of the growth hormone. This test is:
- Blood test
- MRI scan of the brain
- Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1)
- Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
How is Acromegaly treated?
The symptoms of Acromegaly are not evident at the very beginning stages. Although most cases of Acromegaly are found in adults aged between 30 and 50, there is always a chance that you could develop the condition at any age. Proper treatment could reduce the severity of the condition. The treatment of this disorder will vary depending on the patient’s health and age. Acromegaly can be treated in three ways:
- Surgery – This is the best treatment for people suffering from acromegaly. The procedure known as transsphenoidal surgery involves the complete removal of the tumour cells
- Radiation – Radiation therapy is used to kill large tumour cells and reduce growth hormone levels
Medicine – Few medications are prescribed
- Hormone deficiency
- Improving the symptoms of acromegaly is prescribed
- Reduce the growth hormone production to normal levels
Acromegaly and Other Complications
This disease can lead to serious health problems if it is not treated. These include:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Vision loss
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Failure of the kidneys
- Hypopituitarism
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- The spinal cord can be compressed