Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease and is caused due to the mutation in genes. Various genes are involved, primary being the DMD genes.1 The disease is inherited in X-linked recessive pattern in congenital cases or they may be acquired through spontaneous mutation. Due to the involvement of genetic framework, the condition cannot go away on its own.
Can Muscular Dystrophy Go Away On Its Own?
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease and occurs due to the gene mutation. The cause of the disease may be congenital or acquired. In both the condition, the gene is mutated spontaneously. As the gene is mutated, some form of muscular dystrophy is characterized by the complete absence of dystrophin, a protein which is present in the muscles and provides them with stretching ability. Further, the other forms of muscular dystrophy are less severe, as they are characterized by the synthesis of smaller form of dystrophin. Once the gene mutation takes place and causes muscular dystrophy, it will not go away on its own.
The disease is progressive; the severity of the symptoms increases with time and the condition of the patient deteriorates. Further, if the muscular dystrophy involves the muscles of vital process such as cardiac process or respiratory process, it may lead to life-threatening complications. In the present scenario, the condition can neither be cure nor will it go away on its own. The therapy for curing the disease, i.e. gene therapy is under clinical trials and the initial results has shown some promise, but this therapy has a long way to go till it reaches the market. The best approach to manage the disease is the integrated approach wherein an overall care to the patient is given.
This includes slowing the progression of disease with methods such as drugs or exercises and improving the quality of life by applying the use of medical devices such as mobility aids like walkers and wheel chairs and use of braces such as leg braces and spinal braces. In some patients, corrective surgery such as foot surgery or correction of curvature is recommended. Muscular dystrophy does not go away on its own and the patient requires adequate care and treatment from life threatening complications.
Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms
Muscles are an important system in the body through which body moves and the organs performs their function. Some functions are vital such as cardiac function and any abnormality in those functions lead to life-threatening complications. Muscular dystrophy is the abnormality in muscles characterize by the weakening of muscles. Following are the symptoms experienced by the patients suffering from muscular dystrophy:
Pain: Pain is a common symptom in all forms of muscular dystrophy.2 Muscles in the muscular dystrophy lost their power of stretching and thus become stiff, leading to pain. This is due to absence of dystrophin.
Respiratory Depression: As the respiratory process involves the function of muscles as diaphragms and the involvement of respiratory muscles in muscular dystrophy leads to respiratory depression.
Seizures And Cognitive Impairment: Brain is also affected by the muscular dystrophy. Symptoms of the brain suffering from muscular dystrophy include seizures, cognitive impairment and loss of neurons.
Cardiac Complications: Cardiac muscles are also affected by the muscular dystrophy. Any abnormality in the functioning of these muscles results in the cardiac arrest and may cause sudden death.
Difficulty Walking: Due to the muscular dystrophy, the muscles are so weak that the patient has difficulty walking. Severe form of the disease is characterized by inability in walking.
Muscle Spasm: Due to the absence of dystrophin, the stretching capacity of the muscles is significantly reduced. This results in frequent muscle spasm.
Scoliosis: Scoliosis is the condition in which the muscles are so stiff that the patient experiences spinal curvature.
Conclusion
Muscular dystrophy cannot go away on its own due to the involvement of gene mutation. There is also no cure for the disease, but the disease can be managed through various measures.
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