What Are The Complications Of Acromegaly?

Acromegaly is a disorder of the hormones where too much growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland during adulthood. An excess amount of growth hormone in the body will cause the bones in the feet, hands, and face to increase in size. Acromegaly can form at any age, but it usually affects middle-aged individuals. This condition typically takes a long time to recognize because it is rare, and physical alterations happen gradually over time. Common symptoms of acromegaly include increased shoe size, increased ring size, protruding brow and jaw, enlarged nose, wider spacing between teeth, thickened lips, and deepening of the voice. Acromegaly is usually caused by a hormone-secreting tumor in the pituitary gland, lungs, or pancreas. There are numerous complications that occur as acromegaly progresses, and a lack of treatment often results in premature death.

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition where a nerve in the carpal tunnel or narrow channel on the underside of the wrist becomes compressed. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a complication commonly seen in acromegaly patients. This condition often affects the median nerve, which provides the palm side sensation to the fingers and thumb excluding the little finger. It is also responsible for the motor function of the muscles around the base of the thumb. The median nerve runs to the hand from the forearm through the carpal tunnel space in the wrist. The squeezed nerve can cause tingling, numbness, pain, and other symptoms in the arm and hand. Acromegaly can cause the bones to grow excessively or grow larger than they are supposed to. It can also cause the bones to develop into an abnormal shape. The bones of the hand, wrist, or arm can affect the nerves in the area adversely if they are distorted or larger than normal. Any shape abnormality or excessive growth in the bones that causes irritation or compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel space can cause carpal tunnel syndrome to develop.

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Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where long term force of the blood on the walls of the arteries is high enough to cause serious health issues such as heart disease. The resistance to arterial blood flow and the amount of blood the heart pumps are both factors that determine blood pressure levels. There are numerous ways the excess hormones in patients with acromegaly can produce the complication of hypertension. Excess growth hormone produces an anti-natriuretic action or intercepts the healthy process of urinary sodium excretion the kidneys are responsible for carrying out. Too much sodium in the blood causes the blood pressure to increase. The prevalence of insulin resistance in acromegaly patients can produce hypertension from increasing the amount of sodium that is being reabsorbed into the blood. In addition, excess growth hormones can stimulate sympathetic nervous activity which may influence blood pressure levels. The increased amount of growth hormones can cause new growth of abnormal blood vessels that contribute to the prevalence of hypertension in acromegaly patients.

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