What causes Acromegaly?

Acromegaly can be considered a hormonal problem when your body secretes growth hormone in a large amount in your adulthood. In childhood, it leads to an increase in height. The condition is also known as gigantism. 

When it happens in adulthood, there is no change in the height, but the bones of an individual’s face, feet, and hands start increasing. This condition is what we call acromegaly. Since the situation is not very common and it takes years to observe such changes. It takes a long time to diagnose the condition. If it remains untreated, it leads to severe life-threatening problems. The best solution to such a problem is on-time treatment. 

Symptoms and Causes of Acromegaly 

After your pituitary gland releases growth hormone in the body’s bloodstream, it moves to the liver, where it secrets a chemical known as insulin-like growth factor-1. It is also abbreviated as IGF-1. This chemical lets your bone grow in size along with tissues. Too much growth hormone will lead to too much IGF-1 chemical. If the growth hormone level increases, it also causes changes in how your body processes blood glucose and fats known as lipids. This is one of the answers to what causes acromegaly. 

When we talk about acromegaly in adults and answer the question of what causes acromegaly, the most common cause is the tumour. There are two kinds of tumours:

1. Pituitary Tumour– Most cases of Acromegaly are caused by a non-cancerous benign tumour, also known as adenoma, in the pituitary gland. The tumour produces growth hormone excessively. Some of the symptoms of such conditions like impaired vision and headache happen because the tumour is pressing the nearby brain tissues.
2. Non-Pituitary Tumour– In very few people, the condition of acromegaly happens when the tumour is present somewhere else or in other parts of the body, such as the pancreas and lungs. Tumours on them could also lead to disorders that release growth hormones.

In both cases of tumours, some grow gradually, but some grow pretty rapidly. Depending on the tumour’s location, it may press on other tissues. Some of the effects of acromegaly are-

• Change in menstruation cycle in women
• Erectile dysfunction in men
• There are also some changes in the thyroid hormone that result in weight gain or loss and have a severe effect on energy level, skin, and hair
• Your cortisol level also decreases in some cases, resulting in weight loss, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, and low blood pressure

The question here arises: how do you know if you have acromegaly. For this, you should know the symptoms. Some of its symptoms are as follows-

Symptoms

• One of the most common symptoms of acromegaly is enlarged feet and hands
• You might notice an increase in shoe size, and the fingers are also enlarged because of these conditions
• The rings that should have previously fit are now not fitting in your hands
• The increase in size happens gradually as it is a long process
• Apart from this, there is also a gradual change in your face shape,your lower jaw starts protruding and there is wider space in your teeth

What causes acromegaly treatment varies from situation to situation. Some might go for surgery, some for medication, and others for radiation. The treatment is dependent on the degree of the disorder and what the doctor seems fit. All three treatments are necessary and will do the work. It is better to visit a doctor in the disorder’s early stages, so there might be fewer complications and health issues.

Conclusion

With the help of the above findings, we can conclude that it is a rare disorder that affects both males and females. To answer what causes acromegaly: it happens when the pituitary gland over-secretes growth hormone as it is a slow process. People find out about the condition only after 5 to 10 years after it begins. Under this condition, people’s life expectancy is reduced by 10 years. It generally happens when the hormone level is uncontrollable, and people also have conditions like diabetes and heart conditions. People who have successfully cured the disease and whose hormone level falls to normal after the treatment have an average life expectancy. Acromegaly treatment varies from situation to situation. Some might go for surgery, some for medication, and others for radiation. The treatment is dependent on the degree of the disorder and what the doctor seems fit