Condition. Muscular Dystrophy

What is Muscular Dystrophy?

Muscular Dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases that lead to the progressive weakening of the muscles and wasting away muscle tissue. In this disorder, abnormal genes interfere with the formation of muscle tissue by interrupting the production of a specific essential protein. Muscular Dystrophy includes more than 30 different kinds of diseases.

The most frequently occurring types of the disease occur in boys, and the symptoms appear in childhood. The symptoms of other types of Muscular Dystrophy disease do not appear until a person is an adult. Muscular Dystrophy can affect a person’s ability to walk, breathe or swallow. Therapy and medications can help slow the progression of the disease and manage the symptoms, but there is no cure exists for Muscular Dystrophy disease.

There are various types of Muscular Dystrophy disease, these include:

• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
• Myotonic Dystrophy
• Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
• Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy
• Oculopharyngeal Dystrophy
• Distal Muscular Dystrophy
• Mitochondrial Myopathies
• Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophies
• Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy

Causes of Muscular Dystrophy

Specific genes in our body are responsible for producing proteins that protect our muscles’ fibers. When one of these specific genes is abnormal, it can cause Muscular Dystrophy. Each certain type of Muscular Dystrophy is caused by a mutation that is specific to that form of the disease. Many of these gene mutations are inherited from a person’s parents. Some can happen spontaneously and for no apparent reason in a mother’s egg or the forming embryo. That form of Muscular Dystrophy is then passed on to the following generations. Every Muscular Dystrophy disease is acquired through inheritance.

Each type of Muscular Dystrophy is related to a particular hereditary mutation. The nature of this hereditary mutation and which chromosome it is situated on decide the attributes of the Muscular Dystrophy and the way the sickness is passed, starting with one generation onto the next.

Muscular Dystrophy risk factors

A person of any age, race, or gender can develop Muscular Dystrophy. The most common type of the disease is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This occurs the most often in male children. Individuals who have a family member with Muscular Dystrophy are at increased risk of developing the condition and passing it on to their children. A family history of Muscular Dystrophy is a risk factor, yet the condition may go down without a known family history. A man can be a silent bearer of the condition. This implies a relative can convey a duplicate of the condition, yet it does not cause Muscular Dystrophy in that individual.

Now and then, the condition can go down for eras before influencing a child. Males are at increased risk of Muscular Dystrophy than females. Males and females born to a mother who has the condition each have a shot of acquiring Muscular Dystrophy. However, young women who acquire the gene will be asymptomatic bearers, and young men will show manifestations.

Complications

The complications of muscle diseases that are progressive, such as some forms of Muscular Dystrophy, include:

• Inability to walk: Sometimes, muscle weakness of Muscular Dystrophy leads to the inability to use the legs to walk.
• Shortening of tendons and muscles: When these tissues shorten, contractures can occur, further limiting mobility.
• Difficulty breathing: As muscle weakness progresses, the muscles used for breathing can be affected.
• Scoliosis: This is also known as the curvature of the spine. The spine may curve abnormally due to weakened muscles.
• Heart problems: The heart muscle is sometimes weakened by Muscular Dystrophy.
• Problems swallowing: The muscles used in swallowing may be weakened by Muscular Dystrophy, causing aspiration, Pneumonia, or other nutritional issues.

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