Acromegaly

Symptoms of acromegaly can develop slowly. They may include:

• swollen hands and feet
• tiredness or difficulty sleeping
• sleep apnoea
• sweating
• numbness and weakness in your hands
• abnormal height growth in children and teenagers (gigantism)
• body growth – feet, fingers, head, tongue and neck may increase in size
• headaches
• joint pain
• thicker, more oily skin
• a deeper voice
• irregular periods
• erection problems

You usually get acromegaly between the ages of 30 and 50 years old, but you can get symptoms at any age.

• you think you may have acromegaly

Early diagnosis and treatment can stop symptoms getting worse.

Acromegaly is usually caused by an adenoma (a non-cancerous tumour) in the pituitary gland. This is a pea-sized gland at the back of your brain. An adenoma can cause you to produce too much growth hormone.

Acromegaly is not usually passed on from your parents (inherited).

Acromegaly may take time to be diagnosed.

If the GP thinks you have it, they may ask to see photographs of you from the past couple of years to check any changes.

They may also refer you to a specialist for tests, including:

• blood tests
• an MRI scan of your brain to see if you have a tumour

Treatments for acromegaly can include:

• surgery to remove the tumour
• radiotherapy to target the tumour and reduce growth hormone levels
• injections or tablets to reduce growth hormone levels

Treatment usually stops your body producing too much growth hormone and usually improves your symptoms.

After treatment, you'll continue to have appointments with a specialist. They can monitor how well your pituitary gland is working and check that your treatment is right for you.

Acromegaly can increase your risk of:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• heart disease
• bowel polyps

You'll have regular health checks to monitor these conditions, including colonoscopy screenings to check for bowel polyps.

The early symptoms of acromegaly are swollen hands and feet, tiredness and sleep problems. Later symptoms include body growth and headaches.

Acromegaly is caused by the body producing too much growth hormone. This is usually because of a non-cancerous tumour below the brain.

Treatment for acromegaly can include surgery, medicine and radiotherapy.

If acromegaly is left untreated, there's a risk of developing other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.