The name acromegaly comes from the Greek words for "extremities" and "enlargement," reflecting one of its most common symptoms-the abnormal growth of the hands and feet. Swelling of the hands and feet is often an early feature, with patients noticing a change in ring or shoe size, particularly shoe width. Gradually, bone changes alter the patient's facial features: The brow and lower jaw protrude, the nasal bone enlarges, and the teeth space out.
Overgrowth of bone and cartilage often leads to arthritis. When tissue thickens, it may trap nerves, causing carpal tunnel syndrome, which results in numbness and weakness of the hands. Body organs, including the heart, may enlarge.
Other symptoms of acromegaly include
joint aches
thick, coarse, oily skin
skin tags
enlarged lips, nose, and tongue
deepening of the voice due to enlarged sinuses and vocal cords
sleep apnea-breaks in breathing during sleep due to obstruction of the airway
excessive sweating and skin odor
fatigue and weakness
headaches
impaired vision
abnormalities of the menstrual cycle and sometimes breast discharge in women
erectile dysfunction in men
decreased libido
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anbuma
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yes a few-obviously the nose and lip and have had swollen tongue .fatigue -tho that could be anything-CTS in left hand -disabling and beginning of symptoms of it In r hand.browbone is sore to touch and more prominent.hands and feet are swollen-feet wider at base of toes and fingers well swollen plus thickened skin on palms.
I had not heard of this so I have had a good read on NHS Choices. Acromegaly is a condition in which the body produces too much growth hormone, leading to excess growth of body tissues over time. I have seen people on the TV with this in documentaries but I did not know what the name was? There was a Russian man in one programme who was over 7 feet tall yet all of his family were only 5 feet something?
Taken from NHS Choices
Acromegaly is caused by excessive production of growth hormone after the skeleton and organs have stopped growing. If it occurs before puberty, it leads to excessively tall height and is termed gigantism.
It is usually caused by a benign (non-cancerous) brain tumour, called an adenoma.
I must admit that it was a fascinating read, and apparently it is caused by a genetic change within a cell of the pituitary gland. This genetic change switches on a signal that tells cells in the pituitary gland to divide and secrete growth hormone.
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