What is the most common cause of acromegaly ?
ACROMEGALY :
Acromegaly is a rare but serious medical condition that happens when you have too much growth hormone in your body . Acromegaly affects your body's bones and tissues and causes them to grow in irregular ways . The most common treatment for acromegaly include surgery , medication and radiation therapy. Acromegaly is a rare but serious condition that happens when you have high levels of growth hormone {GH} in your body . Pituitary gland normally produce s GH , but tumors on your pituitary or in other parts of your body produce excess GH in acromegaly . Pituitary gland is a small , pea -sized endocrine gland located . at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus . Pituitary gland releases eight important hormones, including GH . Growth hormones , also known as human growth hormone and somatotropin , is a natural hormone that acts on many parts of the body to promote growth in children .
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ACROMEGALY ?
In adults , acromegaly affects your body's bones and tissues and causes them to grow in irregular ways .
Adults with acromegaly may experience the following symptoms :
- Enlarged hands or feet
- Changes in your face shape , including 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 .
Other symptoms include :
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Vision changes
- Increase in the number of skin tags
- Numbness in your hands
-Sleep Apnea
- Carpal tunnel syndrome or spinal cord issues
Acromegaly symptoms often start slowly and may be difficult to notice at first . some people only notice their hands have grown in size when rings they regularly wear feel tight or their shoe size changes , especially the width .
How is acromegaly diagnosed ?
Symptoms of acromegaly often show up very slowly over many years . this makes it hard to diagnose . They'll make a diagnosis based on your medical history , a through clinical evalution and specialized tests like blood tests and imaging tests .
How to treated acromegaly ?
There are several treatment options for acromegaly . Healthcare provider will consider your symptoms and circumstances before offering treatment options that are right for you .
In many cases , surgery greatly improves acromegaly symptoms or corrects the condition entirely . Surgeons most often use a type of surgery called transsphenoidal surgery , which involves going through your nose and sphenoids sinus , a hollow space in your skull behind the nasal passages and below your brain , to perform surgery . The specifies of the surgery will depend on the size and location of the tumor . The goal of surgery is to remove all of a tumor that is causing excess growth hormone production .
Medications work in different ways to normalize your body's growth hormone levels and improves your symptoms . a person may take medication until the tumor has shrunk . This can allow a surgeon to then safely remove it . Other people may need to take medication long - term to effectively manage growth hormone levels and symptoms .
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