A person should be 7 feet (2.20 meters) tall or more to be considered a giant. Gigantism is a disorder and the medical reason for gigantism is a surplus of growth hormone.
If the doctors diagnose gigantism in an early stage, it is possible to slow down the growth. But it may be challenging to detect gigantism.
Gigantism develops during childhood. The main symptom is significantly large body parts. For example, when hands are more extensive than other body parts.
Other symptoms are sleeping disorders, headaches, pain, vision problems, weakness, etc.
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What Causes a Person to Grow that Tall?
Gigantism is not a common disorder. The main cause is the too much production of growth hormone and tumor in the pituitary gland. Other reasons can be genetic disorders, which may affect bones, skin color, and overall cause tumors.
There are certain cases when the doctors can’t determine the exact cause of the gigantism. But for most cases, the main issues are connected with the genes and certain mutations.
Can You Prevent Gigantism?
Abnormal growth can be slowed down if the doctors diagnose it early and apply specific steps. The treatment should start during childhood.
Below you can find the primary treatments to prevent gigantism caused by a tumor.
Surgery
First of all, with the help of surgery, you can remove a tumor. It is one of the first recommendations that the doctor may give.
Usually, the surgery depends on the size of the tumor and the level of complication.
Sometimes the doctor may not remove the whole tumor but just minimize the size.
Medication
There are cases where doctors don’t recommend surgery. For example, when there is a high risk of serious injury.
In that case, the doctor may recommend medication. Some strong drugs may have a positive result.
The primary aim is to decrease the size of the tumor, or slow down the growth hormone or stop production.
To reduce the growth hormone, the doctor may offer, for example, bromocriptine.
Drugs such as octreotide help to stop the production of growth hormone.
There are also other drugs, but the doctor offers them after analyzing the condition of the patient.
Radiation
If surgery didn’t have a positive result, then the doctor may recommend radiation. This may help to control the growth hormone production.
Overall the patient may pass radiation therapy for a couple of years. For many patients, it takes about seven years to achieve the desired growth hormone control level.
Radiation can also help to reduce the size of the tumor. In many cases, doctors recommend passing radiation therapy before the surgery.
This may have a positive contribution before the surgery, as it may shrink the tumor’s size.
Which Height is Considered “Too Tall”?
Different countries have their tall stats and average heights. Mostly, for men, the average height is around 180 cm. If a male’s height is between 188-200 cm, then it is considered tall.
As a guy, being taller than 200 / 6’6″ centimeters is by many considered too tall in the sense that life starts to become more complicated at that height (clothes, cars, living space, etc).
For females, the average height is around 160 cm. When a woman’s height is between 175-190 cm, then it is considered tall. A height that is more than 190 cm would be too tall for many women.
However, these are just some statistics, which are not rules. So, if someone’s height is more than the average, it should not be a problem.
Whether a person is tall, average, or short, they are beautiful in their way. Here are 3 reasons why being tall is good.
Who is the Tallest Person in History?
Robert Wadlow is an American who is the tallest man in history, whose height was 272 cm. He had an abnormal production of growth hormone.
Robert Wadlow died when he was 22 years old, and even at the end of his life, the production of growth hormone continued.
Currently, the tallest person alive is Sultan Kösen, whose height is 251 cm. He is Turkish and around 40 years old.
For him, the main advantage of being tall is helping the family with daily activities. And one of the disadvantages is finding clothes that fit him.
He is listed in the Guinness World Record list as the tallest man alive.
What is Dwarfism?
Dwarfism is when someone’s height is shorter than 145 cm / 4′ 9″.
This restricted growth can cause short extremities. Another aspect is that a person may have different body proportions than people of average height.
The leading cause of dwarfism is genetic. For example, someone may have parents who are average size but born as a dwarf.
It can be because of the gene’s mutation. Another cause can be the lack of growth hormone. It is hard to determine the reason for this, but it may also be because of a mutation.
Famous Dwarfs in the World
Being dwarf doesn’t mean that the person can’t continue to live normally like others. Moreover, some dwarfs become famous actors, artists, and media personas. Below you may find a couple of them.
Peter Dinklage
If you watched the famous series “Game of Thrones,” you most definitely know Peter Dinklage and his excellent acting. He is 132 cm tall.
Because of his role in the “Game of Thrones,” he gained international fame. Now his net worth is estimated to be $16 million.
Warwick Davis
You may recognize Warwick Davis from the Harry Potter movies, where he played three different characters. His height is 106 cm, and he is an English actor.
He continues his career and appears in many movies and tv shows. In addition to this, he is part of a couple of TV programs.
Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker became famous because of his role in the Star Wars movies. He was 112 cm tall.
Besides Star Wars, he was part of other notable films, such as The Elephant Men. He died when he was 81 years old.
Who is the Shortest Person in History?
Chandra Bahadur Dangi is the world’s shortest man who was from Nepal. His height was 57 cm. The reason why his growth was slowed down is unknown.
In 2014 the world’s tallest man (Sultan Kösen) and Dangi met each other. During his life, Dangi used his status in favor of Nepal, so the world became familiar with his homeland.
He is living proof of the fact that even though you struggle with a height disorder, it doesn’t prevent anyone from positively influencing the world.
As I have mentioned above, some people became famous, successful, and rich without blaming how they were born. So keep in mind that you can be both tall and awesome, and short and awesome.
References:
HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health/human-body-maps/pituitary-gland#anatomy-and-function
MedLine: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001174.htm
HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health/dwarfism#risk-factors
