Acromegaly Causes and Symptoms

Acromegaly Causes

The most common cause is a noncancerous tumor in your pituitary gland. This tumor is called a pituitary adenoma. The pituitary gland is in the skull, just below the brain. Because of the tumor, your body makes too much growth hormone.

Once in a while, tumors in the pancreas, liver, or parts of the brain can cause acromegaly by producing higher levels of another hormone, called IGF-1, which causes the symptoms you see.

Acromegaly Symptoms

Changes happen slowly, sometimes over years. Your hands and feet are usually large. You might notice a change in your ring or shoe size, especially your shoe width.

The features in your face — your lips, jaw, nose, and tongue — often change, becoming coarser and broader. Your teeth may begin to space out. Your brow and lower jaw may start to jut out from your face.

Other symptoms may include:

• Achy joints, possibly leading to arthritis
• Stiff, rough body hair
• Hoarser, deeper voice
• Pinched nerve problems
• Skin that’s oily or thick
• Skin tags
• Sweating a lot with body odor
• Headaches
• Snoring and sleep apnea, a breathing problem that happens during sleep
• Weakness and being tired
• Tingling or pain in fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Vision problems
• Lower sex drive
• Changes in menstrual cycle and breast discharge in women
• Erectile dysfunction in men

Acromegaly Complications

If you start acromegaly treatment early, you may not have any complications, or if you do, you can stop them from getting worse.

Complications can include:

• Cardiovascular disease (heart disease)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Diabetes 
• Goiter (when your thyroid gland gets bigger)
• High blood pressure 
• Osteoarthritis, a common form of arthritis
• Precancerous growths on your colon
• Sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where you might stop breathing
• Spinal cord compression
• Vision loss

It’s important to get treatment for acromegaly. Left untreated, you can die from it.

Getting Support for Acromegaly

When you get diagnosed with a condition like acromegaly, it can help to connect with other people who have it. Ask your doctor if there are local support groups, or consider joining an online support group. If you think it would be helpful to talk with a counselor, your doctor can give you a referral.

Let your family and friends know what they can do to support you. They’ll want to help, but they may not know what to offer, so be specific about what you would find helpful.

To learn more about acromegaly, visit the acromegaly website of the Pituitary Network Association. You can get information there about joining a support group near you.