A common sign of acromegaly is enlarged hands and feet. People with this disorder often notice that they aren't able to put on rings that used to fit and that their shoe size has progressively increased.

Acromegaly may also cause gradual changes in the shape of your face, such as a protruding lower jaw and brow, an enlarged nose, thickened lips, and wider spacing between your teeth.

Because acromegaly tends to progress slowly, early signs may not be obvious for years. Sometimes, people notice the condition only by comparing old photographs with newer ones.

Acromegaly may produce the following signs and symptoms, which can vary from one person to another:

• Enlarged hands and feet
• Coarsened, enlarged facial features
• Coarse, oily, thickened skin
• Excessive sweating and body odor
• Small outgrowths of skin tissue (skin tags)
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• A deepened, husky voice due to enlarged vocal cords and sinuses
• Severe snoring due to obstruction of the upper airway
• Impaired vision
• Headaches
• Enlarged tongue
• Pain and limited joint mobility
• Menstrual cycle irregularities in women
• Erectile dysfunction in men
• Enlarged organs, such as the heart
• Loss of interest in sex

Acromegaly is caused by the pituitary gland overproducing growth hormone (GH) over time. The pituitary gland, a small gland situated at the base of your brain behind the bridge of your nose, produces a number of hormones. GH plays an important role in managing your physical growth.

When GH is secreted into your bloodstream, it triggers your liver to produce a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). In turn, IGF-I stimulates the growth of bones and other tissues.

If your pituitary gland makes too much GH, excessive amounts of IGF-I can result. Too much IGF-I can cause abnormal growth of your soft tissues and skeleton and other signs and symptoms characteristic of acromegaly and gigantism.

In adults, a tumor is the most common cause of too much GH production:

• Pituitary tumors. Most cases of acromegaly are caused by a noncancerous (benign) tumor (adenoma) of the pituitary gland. The tumor secretes excessive amounts of growth hormone, causing many of the signs and symptoms of acromegaly. Some of the symptoms of acromegaly, such as headaches and impaired vision, are due to the tumor mass pressing on nearby brain tissues.
• Nonpituitary tumors. In a few people with acromegaly, tumors in other parts of the body, such as the lungs or pancreas, cause the disorder. Sometimes, these tumors secrete GH. In other cases, the tumors produce a hormone called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to make more GH.

Progression of acromegaly can result in major health problems. Complications may include:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Cardiovascular disease, particularly enlargement of the heart (cardiomyopathy)
• Osteoarthritis
• Diabetes mellitus
• Goiter
• Precancerous growths (polyps) on the lining of your colon
• Sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Spinal cord compression
• Vision loss