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Muscular dystrophy is one of the most commonly diagnosed inherited diseases. The symptoms of the disease depend on where the pathological changes are located. The rate at which the disease progresses also varies. What exactly is muscular dystrophy? What are the symptoms? What is the treatment and rehabilitation like?
Primarily, muscular dystrophy is marked by severe muscle weakness. What exactly is dystrophy? First of all, this disease causes muscle degeneration, in some cases even the affected muscles atrophy.
Muscular dystrophy – types
There are several types of dystrophy, according to the age of onset, the affected area and the severity of the disease. For example, Becker’s dystrophy, which appears between the ages of 5 and 25, causes muscle degradation slower than other dystrophies. In the initial phase, there is a weakening of the pelvic muscles, and then of the chest muscles. Another dystrophy is Duchenne dystrophy or DMD for short. The disease is characterized by the fact that it affects mostly boys and appears at a very early age, between the ages of 2 and 6. What are the symptoms of DMD? The first problems that arise include running problems and even walking problems. In this disease, the torso slopes significantly towards the support leg, the so-called Duchenn symptom. Duckling gait appears. In the final stage, the shoulder muscles are degraded.
Facial-scapulo-brachial muscular dystrophy. This type of disease starts before the age of 20, and symptoms appear in both sexes. Muscle weakness occurs around the face and shoulder girdle. According to statistics, the disease progresses slowly. Other symptoms of this type of dystrophy include: hypertrophied lips, drooping shoulders, significant weakening of facial expression muscles, muscle pain.
Steiner Miotonia is a dystrophy that appears in old age, most often between the ages of 25 and 30. What symptoms can be distinguished with this disease? Drooping eyelids and even cataracts, weakness in the muscles of the hands and feet. A specific symptom of Steiner myotonia is a significant delay in muscle relaxation after contraction. In medicine, distal dystrophy is also distinguished. It is the most rarely diagnosed type of dystrophy. Characteristic for this disease is weakness and even damage to the muscles of the feet, legs, hands and arms. The disease can develop from childhood to adulthood.
Muscular dystrophy – treatment
Unfortunately, muscular dystrophy is a disease that cannot be cured completely. In the case of dystrophy, there is no causal treatment, the therapy consists of introducing symptomatic treatment. First of all, medications are administered to relieve the patient and facilitate their daily functioning. The drugs that are administered are steroids to slow down the disease. Unfortunately, as with any treatment with drugs, there may be side effects, for example, blood production disorders, in some cases osteoporosis may be activated. Of course, pharmacological treatment should be combined with properly selected rehabilitation.
Any form of dystrophy must be treated with a properly balanced diet. The meals of the sick person must be dominated mainly by meals with large amounts of plant and animal protein. It is necessary to eliminate sugar-containing foods, you should not eat flour products.
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