What is Muscular Dystrophy?

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a disorder in genetic that causes the muscles helping the body move weaker and weaker gradually. This is caused by a abnormal gene, however, different forms of mutation in genetic will lead to different type of MD. In particular, a genetic inadequacy in muscle protein (dystrophin) is the cause of numerous common kinds of MD.

Oddly, boys are more susceptible to muscular dystrophy than girls.
MD doesn't make the muscle weak all at once; the process is rather gradual over time. This leads to the gradual loss of necessary abilities for grownups, teens and even children. As a matter of fact, some types of MD can be observed in childhood, while many others may only appear when a person reaches his/her middle age.

Kinds of Muscular Dystrophy:

Overall, we can recognize 9 kinds of MD according to the date that the symptoms start appearing, the muscles location, as well as how fast the symptoms progress. Several of the major types of MD are: - Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): This is one of the more common form of MD, and it is caused by a misfunction in the process of producing dystrophin (a kind of protein). If the process is done correctly, this protein will build the muscles solid and stay in shape. Therefore, without this protein, an individual will become very vulnerable as the muscles crumble. Unfortunately, people suffering from DMD often die before they fully grow up.

Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FMD): the main difference between FMD and DMD is that FMD symptoms often come out when a person is in his/her adolescent years. Bit By Bit it makes the legs, arms, chest and face muscles weaker and weaker; nevertheless the symptoms can also vary from person to person. - Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (MMD): a person with MMD often finds its symptoms when they have turned adult. This form of MD causes difficulty for the muscles to loosen up, hence sometimes make the muscles shrink over time. It can also result in heart problems if the patient doesn't have medical care soon enough.

Diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy:

As MDs are passed along from generation to generation, oftentimes it is essential to check the patient's family history of muscle malfunctions very carefully to have an accurate diagnosis. Also, a thorough physical test and some other exams will help determine the type of MD that the person has, as well as the right treatment for the disease.

Can we cure MD?

As much as we hate to admit, there has been no specific therapeutic to any form of MD. There are, nonetheless, treatments to slow the progress of MD. These treatments will help subdue the spine deformities, control the muscle activities, delay damage to the muscle, etc. Besides, medications like quinine, phenytoin or mexiletine can usually be used to treat myotonio, but they are not good for long term purpose.

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