THE PITUITARY GLAND

The pituitary gland may cause major changes in the appearance if it overproduces growth hormone in adult life after normal growth has ceased. This is not a common occurrence which is fortunate as the effects of excessive growth hormone on the skull, feet and hands may enlarge them considerably requiring a change in the size of hats, gloves and shoes. The length of the bones will not increase, but the soft tissues of the body and cartilage of the joints will enlarge causing an increase in the size of the jaw and nose so that the face will eventually assume a coarse, heavy-featured look with a protruding jaw line.
The physical condition caused by excessive growth hormone is called Acromegaly. Because these changes occur slowly, once again they may be mistakenly put down to overeating or getting older, especially as Acromegaly is uncommon.
The cause of this condition is usually a tumour of the pituitary gland which could be cured by surgery.
Cushings Syndrome and Acromegaly are awful diseases but, luckily, they are the rare and extreme cases — the most terrible results of how hormones can affect your appearance.
                                                                                                                                           *39\5*