Duchenne muscular dystrophy is just one of the nine types of the degenerative muscular disease. A French doctor named Guillaume Duchenne was the first person to take notice of the disease symptoms, and thus, experts named it after him. It wasn’t until around 1987 that specialists discovered that the disease came from a deficiency in a crucial muscle protein. The condition is genetic, and it starts to affect suffers as young as age three. There is a milder form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy called Becker muscular dystrophy. The Becker type is a little less symptomatic, and the symptoms may not start in an affected person until his or her teenage years.
To pinpoint and diagnose a case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a medical specialist will run some tests. The first test that they run may be a blood test where they look at the creatine kinase levels. Creatine kinase leaks from the blood when something is destroying the person’s muscles. If that test yields positive results, the next test will be one in which they will examine the person’s DNA to look for mutations in the protein called dystrophin. They draw the conclusion from those two tests and then begin to treat the affected person.
The life expectancy of a person with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has improved over the years and is now into the 30s, 40s and even 50s. The numbers will improve as new medicines and processes become available for treatment. Parents of children who exhibit the signs of Duchenne muscular dystrophy should have their children checked by a medic as soon as possible to begin care. The following are seven of the most common symptoms that a person with the condition will have:
1. Difficulty Walking
Difficulty walking is one of the most common problems of people who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The disease affects all of the muscles, especially the ones in the legs and pelvic area. The human body has about 650 muscles, 13 of which are in the legs. The lack of protein causes the legs to be extremely weak, which makes it almost impossible for a person to be able to get around over time.
Many children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have to live their lives in wheelchairs because they lose their ability to walk only a short while after they gain it. The babies often seem normal, but then various symptoms occur between the ages of two and six. Those symptoms include the declining ability to walk. The affected person may first show other signs like back hunching, protruding stomach, walking on the toes or awkward positioning of the shoulders. A swayed back may be another symptom that develops. Loss of balance enters at some point, and then the child may experience frequent accidents and falls because of it. The wheelchair eventually becomes the safest mode of transportation for the person because it prevents him or her from sustaining additional injuries.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. Muscle Weakness
The term “muscle weakness” describes the biggest symptom of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The muscles exist to produce motion and force in the body parts so that people can achieve various functions. They take the energy that a person puts into the body and turn it into fuel that they use to propel the person to and fro. Weak muscles don’t have enough force behind them, and thus, they cannot do their job to propel the person forward in any system. Weak muscles cause issues in every body system, so a person with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has a severe daily struggle.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Tight Rigid Joints
Tight and rigid joints are another sign that an individual has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The tightness comes from the progressive loss of muscle. Medics refer to the tight, rigid joint condition as “contractures.” Contractures worsen over time and often become painful and uncomfortable and cause the affected person to lose a massive amount of movement. This condition can occur virtually anywhere in the body, but it is most common in the knees, fingers, elbows, wrists and hips. Treatment for the contractures may include using splints or other devices to support the affected areas. Physicians may also opt to inject medications into the affected sites to ease the tension.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Breathing Problems Due to Diaphragm
Breathing problems may occur in someone who has this condition because of the way that it affects the diaphragm. The abdomen may push its contest up against the diaphragm, which will cause a lot of breathing restrictions. If the origin of the breathing problems is from abdominal pressure, the issues will usually occur more at night and cause the individual to have the most issues while he is trying to sleep. Breathing problems can also occur because of the progressive declination of the respiratory muscles. The person may need assistance such as postural drainage or chest percussion to clear the mucus and obstructions.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Learning and Memory Loss
The loss of muscle also occurs in the brain and can cause a number of cognitive issues in the affected person. It can cause the person to have headaches and other issues, as well. Memory loss is a common problem as the brain function declines. They may start to misplace things more frequently or lose their train of thought in the middle of a process. Poor concentration is another company that many DMD suffers have. Such persons usually require the assistance of a trusted loved one to help take care of them as they lose the ability to remember things.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Heart Muscles Have Been Affected
The heart is a muscle. Therefore, someone with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will suffer a variety of symptoms that involve the heart. Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms that occur in the heart of someone who has the disorder. A condition called cardiomyopathy can occur, as well. The term refers to the series of diseases that can affect the heart muscles. Cardiomyopathy can cause a broad range of symptoms such as extreme fatigue, tightness of the chest, shortness of breath and swelling in various areas in the body. All those symptoms point to an affeected heart. The medical professionals will confirm it with their tests, however.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]7. Progressive Enlargement of the Heart
Duchenne muscular dystrophy causes progressive enlargement of the heart. There are several symptoms that heart enlargement can cause. Some of the most common are shortness of breath, heaviness, breathing problems, dizziness, cough and edema. Edema is a condition in which the body’s tissues retain water. This water rentention causes swellings in different areas of the body. Edema can occur anywhere but is most common in the legs, feet, face, fingers and so forth. Edema can also occur in the chest and cause pain and discomfort in the chest. Some remedies for edema include increased water consumption and ingestion of foods that act as diuretics.
Anyone who has a young child who is experiencing some of the above symptoms should take that child to see a specialist immediately and not hesitate to get tests run. Early detection of the disease can contribute to extending that child’s life expectancy numbers.
