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Muscular dystrophy

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
 
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Chronic disease of hereditary genesis, expressed by degeneration of the muscles supporting the skeletal bone skeleton, is muscular dystrophy.

Medicine classifies nine varieties of this pathology, differing in the location of the disorder, its characteristics, the aggressiveness of progression, the age indices of the patient (how many years the patient was when the first symptoms of pathology began to manifest).

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

Causes of muscular dystrophy

To date, medicine can not name all the mechanisms that trigger the process leading to muscular dystrophy. One can only say that all the causes of muscular dystrophy are based on mutations of the autosomal dominant genome, which is responsible in our body for the synthesis and regeneration of the protein, which is involved in the formation of muscle tissue.

Depending on which of the chromosomes in the human code has undergone a mutation and depends, the pathology of which localization we will get to the test:

  • Mutation of the sex X chromosome leads to the most common type of pathology Duchenne muscular dystrophy. If a woman is the bearer of a given chromosome - she, often passes it on to her descendants. In this case, such violations can not suffer.
  • Motonic muscular dystrophy is manifested if the genome belonging to the nineteenth chromosome becomes defective.
  • It does not depend on the pathology of the sex chromosome and such a localization of muscular underdevelopment: the lower back is limbs, and also the shoulder is the scapula-face.

trusted-source[8], [9], [10], [11]

Symptoms of muscular dystrophy

Symptoms of muscular dystrophy have a complex of basic, basic, manifestations, but also depending on the localization and characteristics of the pathology, there are also own distinctive features. •

  • In connection with the lack of muscle mass of the legs, there are violations in the gait of a person.
  • Decreased muscle tone.
  • Atrophy of skeletal muscles.
  • The motor abilities that were acquired by the patient before the onset of the disease progression are lost: the patient ceases to hold his head, to walk, to sit, and loses other skills.
  • Dull muscles are dulled, but sensitivity does not disappear.
  • Decrease in the general vitality, the patient begins very quickly to get tired.
  • Muscle fibers begin to be replaced by connective tissue, which leads to an increase in the volume of the muscles themselves. This is especially noticeable in the gastrocnemius.
  • There are difficulties in learning.
  • The falls are frequent enough.
  • There are difficulties in running and jumping.
  • It becomes difficult for a patient to get up, either from a lying position or from a sitting position.
  • The gait of such a patient becomes overwhelming.
  • There is a decrease in intelligence.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Currently muscular dystrophy dyushena is most often a manifestation of this disease. A defect, due to which the weakness of the muscle tissue of this species develops, is found and is a modified genome of the sex X chromosome. Often, a woman, not being sick herself, passes this defect to her children. The first symptoms of the pathology in boys (it, for some reason, mostly they suffer), who received such a gene, are detected already at the age of two to five years.

The first signs of the disease begin to manifest itself in the weakening of the tone of the lower extremities, as well as the pelvic area. With further progression of the disease, they are connected to the atrophy of the upper body muscle group. Gradually, due to the regeneration of muscle fibers into the connective, the calf regions of the patient's lower limbs increase in volume, the size and fatty tissue increase. The rate of development of this genetic disorder is quite high and by the age of 12 the child loses the ability to move at all. Often until the age of twenty such patients do not live to see it.

Weakening the tone of the muscles of the lower extremities with the growth of the calf volume and leads to the fact that the child begins to first experience discomfort when walking and running, and subsequently loses this ability completely. Gradually climbing up and grabbing an increasing number of muscle groups, at the terminal stage of muscular dystrophy, the pathology begins to amaze the complex of the respiratory muscles, pharynx and face.

Pseudohypertrophy can progress not only in the gastrocnemius, it is able to capture and zones of buttocks, abdomen and tongue. With such a pathology, often enough, there is a lesion of the heart muscles (the changes follow the type of cardiomyopathy). The heart rhythm is broken, the tone becomes deaf, the heart itself increases in size. Cardiac muscular dystrophy, often, is the cause of the patient's death.

Characteristic symptomatology is that the patient suffers from mental retardation. This is due to the lesions that capture the larger hemispheres of the brain. With the progression of muscular dystrophy, other comorbid diseases begin to appear. Such, for example, as: diffuse osteoporosis, diseases associated with endocrine insufficiency, there is deformation of the chest, spine ...

The main distinguishing feature of Duchenne type pathology from other species is the high level of hyperfermentemia, which manifests itself already at the initial phase of pathology development.

trusted-source[12], [13], [14], [15]

Progressing muscular dystrophy

Most often, in the field of musculo-neurological diseases, primary progressive muscular dystrophy occurs, which is represented by a fairly extensive classification. The difference between one form and another goes depending on the place of the gene mutation, the rate of progression, the age characteristics of the patient (at what age did the pathology begin to appear), is there pseudohypertrophy and other symptoms present in the symptomatology. Most of these myodystrophies (their symptomatology), for almost a century of history, have been fairly well studied, but until now pathogenesis is not known, and, on this basis, problems arise with a high reliability of diagnosis. Not knowing the reasons for the appearance of pathological changes, it is very difficult and to conduct a fairly rational classification of progressive muscular dystrophy.

In most cases, the division is carried out either by inheritance or by clinical characteristics.

Primary form - damage to the muscle tissue, in which peripheral nerves remain active. Secondary form - when the lesion begins from the nerve endings, initially not affecting the muscle layers of matter.

  • Heavy type of pseudohypertrophy Duchesne.
  • Less common, less aggressive type of Becker.
  • Type of the Landusi - Dejerine. Affects the shoulder-shoulder area-face.
  • Type Erba - Rota. Teenage form of the disease.

These are the main types of muscular dystrophy, which are diagnosed most often. The remaining species are less common and are atypical. For example, such as:

  • The dystrophy of the Landuzi Dejerine.
  • Dystrophy of Emery Dreyfus.
  • Limbs - waist muscular dystrophy.
  • Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.
  • And also, some others.

Becker muscular dystrophy

This pathology is relatively rare and, unlike Duchenne's severe malignant form, is benign and progresses slowly enough. One of the characteristic features can be the fact that this form, as a rule, people with small growth are ill. For quite a long time the disease does not make itself felt and the person lives an ordinary life. The impetus for the development of the disease may be either a banal household injury, or a concomitant disease.

Becker muscular dystrophy refers to the lighter forms of the disease and the severity of clinical symptoms, and the completeness of molecular manifestations. Symptoms in the case of diagnosis of muscular dystrophy in the form of Becker are identified poorly. A patient with such a pathology is able to live well enough for more than a dozen years. With such a mild symptomatology, a lowly qualified doctor may well be confused with Becker's dystrophy with limb-lumbar dystrophy. The first signs of this pathology usually begin to manifest at the age of twelve. The teenager begins to feel pain in the lower extremities (in the region of the shin), especially during exercise. The analysis of urine shows a high content of myoglobin, which is an indicator that the body is decomposing muscle protein. There is an increase in creatine kinase in the body of the patient (an enzyme produced from ATP and creatine). It is actively used by the body with increasing physical exertion on it.

The symptomatology of Becker muscular dystrophy closely resembles the signs that characterize Duchene pathology. However, the manifestations of this form of the disease begin significantly in a later period (by 10 to 15 years), while the progression of the disease is not so aggressive. By the age of thirty, such a patient may not yet lose work capacity and walk normally enough. Frequent cases when this pathology "goes according to the genus" are frequent: a grandfather suffering from this disease transmits through his daughter mutated genome to his grandson.

This form of muscular dystrophy was described by physicians and scientists Becker and Keener as early as 1955, and therefore bears their name (it is known as the Becker or Becker-Keener muscular dystrophy).

The symptomatology of the pathology, as in the case of Duchenne's disease, begins with abnormalities in the pelvic region, and also the lower limbs. This is manifested in a change in gait, there are problems with climbing the stairs, it is very difficult for such a patient to get up from a sitting position on low surfaces. Gradually increase the size of gastrocnemius muscles. At the same time, changes in the area of the Achilles tendons, which are noticeable in Duchenne's pathology, in this case are not significantly visualized. There is no decrease in the intellectual abilities of man, which is inevitable in malignant muscular dystrophy (Duchene). Not so significant and changes in the muscle tissue of the heart, so in the disease in question there is practically no cardiomyopathy, or it occurs in mild form.

As with other forms of muscular dystrophy, a clinical blood test shows an increase in the level of certain serum enzymes, although they are not as significant as in the case of Duchenne changes. There are failures in the metabolic processes

trusted-source[16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23]

Muscular dystrophy of Erba Rota

This pathology is also called adolescence. Symptoms of this disease begin to appear in the period from ten to twenty years. A significant difference in the symptomatology of this form of the disease is that the primary place of localization of changes is the humeral girdle, and then the muscle atrophy begins to capture all new areas of the patient's body: upper limbs, then the belt, pelvis and legs.

Cases of the disease occur in a proportion of 15 patients per million population. The defective genome is hereditary, along an autosomal recessive pathway. Suffer from this disease, with equal probability, both women and men.

The muscular dystrophy of the company's erga significantly deforms the patient's chest (as if by dropping it backward), the stomach begins to protrude forward, the gait becomes uncertain, overtaxing. The first signs of the disease appear around 14-16 years, but the range itself is much wider: there are cases of later development - after the third ten, or vice versa - about ten years (with early symptoms the disease proceeds with more severe manifestations). The intensity and development of the course of the disease is different from case to case. But the average duration of the cycle from the time of the onset of the first symptoms to complete disability is 15 to 20 years.

Most often, muscular dystrophy of the erbas begins to manifest itself with changes in the pelvic-lumbar region, as well as with edema and weakness in the legs. Further spreading pathology gradually captures the rest of the muscle groups of the patient's body. Primarily the lesion does not affect the facial muscles, the heart muscle remains untouched, the level of intelligence, usually, keeps at the same level. The quantitative index of enzymes in serum is slightly increased, but not to such a level as in previous cases.

Muscular dystrophy of this form is one of the most amorphous pathologies.

Primary muscular dystrophy

The disease under consideration is hereditary and sex-linked (a defect in the X chromosome genome). The transmission path is recessive.

Clinic manifestation is quite early - up to three years of age baby. Even in the infants, you can see a lag in the development of motor skills in the baby, later than healthy children, they begin to sit and walk. Already by the age of three, the baby has a weakness in the muscles, it quickly becomes tired, it does not tolerate even small loads. Gradually, atrophy captures the pelvic girdle and proximal muscles of the lower extremities.

Classics of symptomatology is pseudohypertrophy (muscle tissue is replaced by fat, increasing the size of this area). The gastrocnemius is more often affected by this defeat, but there are cases of defectiveness and deltoid muscles. The so-called "caviar of gnome". Over time, it becomes difficult for a toddler to run and jump, climb up the stairs. After a while, atrophy also tightens the shoulder girdle.

Neuromuscular dystrophy

Medicine has a number of hereditary (genetic) diseases, affecting the muscular and nerve tissues. One of them is neuropsychiatric dystrophy, which is characterized by a violation of motor and static manifestations against a background of muscular atrophy. The neurons responsible for the motor functions (the cells of the anterior horn) are affected, which leads to changes in the group of spinal cord tissues. Damage to the neurons of the nucleus of cranial nerve cells affects facial expressions, bulbar and eye musculature. Just for the motor processes correspond to the same type of cells, the defeat of which affects the nerve endings of the periphery and, neuromuscular junction.

The basic signs of this pathology are:

  • Atrophy of the muscular-connective tissues.
  • Muscle pain.
  • Rapid fatigue of the patient.
  • Decreased receptor sensitivity.
  • Or, conversely, increased sensitivity, up to pain syndromes.
  • The appearance of sudden seizures.
  • Dizziness.
  • The pathology of the heart.
  • Deterioration of vision.
  • Failure in the sweating system.

Muscular dystrophy of the Landusi Dejerine

Most often, the pathology of this form begins to manifest itself in adolescents in 10 to 15 years, although in fact there are cases when the muscular dystrophy of the Leludzi dezlerin began to develop in six-year-olds, or in a fifty-year-old man. The primary area of pathology, most often, is the muscle group of the facial zone. Gradually, the aureole of the lesion expands, the groups of the shoulder girdle, torso and further downwards begin to atrophy. When the facial expression is affected in the early period of the disease, eyelids are loosely closed. The lips are also slightly opened, which leads to a speech defect. The course of the disease is slow - during this period a person is absolutely able to work, only in 15-20 years old the muscles of the belt and pelvis gradually begin to atrophy - this leads to motor passivity. And only to 40 - 60 years, the defeat completely captures the lower limbs.

That is, the muscular dystrophy of the deauzine can be called a favorably current manifestation of muscle damage.

Emery Dreyfus muscular dystrophy

Like all the previous ones, the muscular dystrophy of Emery Dreyfus is a hereditary disease. The main affected area is atrophy of the shoulder and ankle muscles. This disease is characterized by a long period of development. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the heart is exposed to a lesion: bradyarrhythmia, a decrease in blood flow, blockade and others. Failures in the work of the heart can cause fainting, and sometimes even death.

Early diagnosis not only of the disease itself, but also the differentiation of its form, will help save lives not for one patient.

trusted-source[24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29]

Limb-lobe muscular dystrophy

Of course, waist muscular dystrophy refers to a hereditary pathology, the pathways of inheritance of which are both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant diseases. The base area of the lesion is the area of the belt, torso and upper limbs. In this case the muscles of the facial musculature do not suffer.

According to the research, it was possible to establish at least two loci of the genome of chromosomes, mutation of which creates a push to develop limbic waist muscular dystrophy. Progression of this lesion is slow enough, allowing the patient to fully enjoy life.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

Autosomal dominant disease, which manifests itself already in a mature age, is oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy. How strange it sounds, but this pathology affects people belonging to certain ethnic groups.

Most often, the symptomatology begins to manifest itself to 25 to 30 years. Classic signs of this muscular dystrophy is atrophy of the facial muscles: ptosis of the eyelids, problems with the swallowing function (dysphagia). The disease, gradually progressing, leads to the immobility of the eyeball, while the internal muscles of the eye are not affected. At this stage, changes may stop, but sometimes other facial muscles are affected. Rarely, but are involved in the destructive process and the muscle groups of the shoulder girdle, neck, palate and pharynx. In this case, in addition to ophthalmoplegia and dysphagia, dysphonia also progresses (the problem of the speech apparatus).

Muscular dystrophy in children

Childhood. Many people remember him with a smile. Hide and seek, swings, bicycles ... Yes, how many different games children come up with. But there are kids who can not afford such luxury. Muscular dystrophy in children does not give such an opportunity.

Practically all, with rare exceptions, forms can manifest themselves in children with their symptoms: a malignant form of Duchon pathology (developing only in boys), and benign muscular dystrophy according to Becker and others. Especially dangerous pathology, developing rapidly, aggressively (the form of Duchon). And for a baby, even the symptomatology itself (atrophy of almost all muscle groups) is dangerous, as secondary complications, which lead to twenty years of death. Most often, death occurs due to respiratory infection or heart failure. But this symptomatology becomes more obvious only when the baby starts to take the first steps.

  • Delay in development: these children later start to sit and walk.
  • Slow intellectual development.
  • The muscles of the spine are affected first.
  • It is difficult for these kids to run and climb the stairs.
  • Gait vpervochalku.
  • Deformation of the spine.
  • Walking on the fingers.
  • It's hard for a kid to keep his weight, and he is quickly tired.
  • Due to adipose tissue, the muscle size increases.
  • The defeat of the limbs is symmetrical.
  • Pathological enlargement of jaw and gaps between teeth.
  • Approximately from 13 years the kid ceases to walk at all.
  • Pathology of the heart muscle.

With other forms of lesion, the symptomatology is quite similar, only the severity of the lesion is much lower.

Diagnosis of muscular dystrophy

Diagnosis of muscular dystrophy is unambiguous:

  • Collecting a family anamnesis. The doctor needs to find out whether there were cases of this disease in the genus in the patient, what form of manifestation was observed, the nature of its course.
  • Electromyography. A method that allows to determine the electrical activity of muscle tissue.
  • Microscopic examination. Biopsy, which allows to differentiate the class of mutated changes.
  • Genetic testing. Carrying out molecular-biological and immunological studies of a pregnant woman. These methods allow us to predict the possibility of developing the pathology of muscular dystrophy in a future child.
  • Consultation of the therapist, obstetrician-gynecologist, orthopedist.
  • Blood test for enzyme level. Without the presence of trauma, the increased content of the creatine kinase enzyme indicates the presence of pathology.
  • Urinalysis shows an increased level of creatine, amino acids and a decrease in the level of creatinine.

The doctor can say only one thing, the later the symptoms of muscular dystrophy appear, the more sparingly they flow. Early manifestations have severe consequences: disability, and in some cases death.

trusted-source[30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35]

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Treatment of muscular dystrophy

Completely and irrevocably muscular dystrophy is not treated, but medicine tries as efficiently as possible to carry out activities that would facilitate the symptomatology of the disease as much as possible, while preventing the occurrence of complications.

Treatment of muscular dystrophy is reduced to a complex approach to the problem. To stimulate muscle activity a little, the attending physician prescribes corticosteroids for the patient. For example, prednisone.

  • Prednisone

If the disease is acute, the patient starts taking this drug in three to four doses at a daily dosage of 0.02-0.08 g. With the removal of severe manifestations, the consumed dose is reduced to 0.005-0.010 g daily.

There are restrictions on the use of this drug. One time it is necessary to drink no more than 0,015 g, the daily dosage is 0.1 g.

The duration of the course treatment depends on the characteristics of the developing disease and the effectiveness of the clinical effect of the drug. During the period of taking this medicine, it is desirable for the patient to adhere to a diet rich in potassium salts and proteins. This diet will avoid or at least mitigate the side effects of prednisone consumption. For example, such as swelling, increased blood pressure, insomnia, seizures, increased fatigue, and others.

This drug is categorically contraindicated in patients suffering from such diseases as thrombophlebitis and thromboembolism, ulcerous manifestations of the stomach and duodenum, osteoporosis, hypertension, pregnancy and some others.

If the drug intake is prolonged for a long time, while the patient's dosages are impressive, it is recommended to take anabolic hormones in parallel (for example, methylandrostenediol).

  • Methylandrostenediol

A tablet of medicine is placed under the tongue and held there until it is completely resorbed.

For adults (prevention of violations of protein metabolism), the dosage is prescribed in the range of 0.025-0.050 g daily. To children the dose is calculated from proportions of 1.0-1.5 mg per 1 kg of the child's body weight, but the daily dosage should fall within the limits of 0.010-0.025 g.

The duration of one course is three to four weeks, then a break of two to three weeks and you can start receiving the next cycle.

The maximum allowable daily dosage is 0.10 g (adult) and 0.050 g (children). Single dose - 0.025 g.

It is not recommended to appoint methylandrostenediol to patients with functional liver failure, individual intolerance to the components of the drug, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus and some other diseases.

Patients with muscular dystrophy are also prescribed drugs that relieve spasms of muscle tissue: diphenin, carbamazepine.

  • Diphenine

The drug is available in both tablets and capsules. The drug is taken three to four times a day, during or after a meal. The daily dosage is 0,02-0,08 g (with acute course of the disease), subsequently the amount of the drug taken is reduced to the figures of 0.005-0.010 g per day. If, on the contrary, the reception efficiency is low, the dose can be raised to 0.4 g.

Children's dosage is somewhat different:

Babies up to five years are credited with two single admission to 0.025 g.

Children of five to eight years of age increase the number to three to four per day at doses of 0.025 g.

To adolescents older than eight years, the procedure is carried out in two parts, 0.1 g.

The proposed drug is contraindicated for people suffering from hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, ulcerative diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, thrombosis, mental disorders, acute heart and endocrine diseases, and some other diseases.

  • Carbamazepine

The drug is used throughout the day, not tied to meals. The pill drinks with a small amount of liquid. The starting dose of the drug is 100-200 mg and is taken once or twice a day. Gradually, the dosage is increased to achieve the desired effect, up to 400 mg. At the same time, the number of receptions is also increased, bringing them up to two or three a day. The maximum allowable daily dosage should not exceed 2000 mg.

The starting dose for children of five years is 20-60 mg per diem. Then, every two days, the dosage is increased by the same 20-60 mg daily.

The starting daily dosage for children older than five years of age begins with 100 mg. Next, every next week the dose is increased by 100 mg.

The total supportive amount of the drug for babies is calculated on the basis of proportions: ten to twenty mg per kilogram of the child's weight per day and divided into two to three doses.

The drug intake should be limited to patients suffering from epileptic seizures, acute forms of diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus, hypersensitivity to tricyclic antidepressants, renal and hepatic insufficiency and other diseases.

After consulting with your doctor, it is possible to use so-called dietary supplements (biologically active additives).

  • Creatine

It is a natural preparation that promotes the build-up of muscle volumes, activates them to an adequate reaction to the load. Dosage is prescribed by the doctor, individually for each individual case.

This dietary supplement is not recommended for admission to patients suffering from asthma, diabetes. It is also not desirable to take creatine during pregnancy.

  • Coenzyme Q10

Increases overall muscular endurance. The recommended daily dosage is three capsules, but, if necessary, is adjusted by the doctor. The deadline is one month, then you need to take a break and the cycle can be resumed.

This drug is contraindicated for pregnant women and women during lactation, children under 12 years of age, with individual intolerance of any components of the drug, with peptic ulcer diseases, with hypertension and others.

Practice with muscular dystrophy simple but effective exercises for stretching the muscles of the lower and upper extremities to prevent contracture (continuing for a long time, often irreversible tightening of the fibers of muscle tissues).

Physiotherapeutic treatment of muscular dystrophy involves therapeutic massages that increase muscle tone. Practice simple but effective breathing exercises.

If the contracture or scoliosis is already strongly pronounced, then after consultation with specialists of other narrower areas (for example, with orthopedist, obstetrician-gynecologist, neurologist), the attending physician can make a decision about surgical intervention.

During pregnancy, a woman undergoes a hormonal rearrangement, which can be a trigger in activating the process of muscular dystrophy. In this case, in order to save the woman's life, it is recommended that she stop the pregnancy.

Treatment of muscular dystrophy

Great breakthroughs in the field of medicine were already the fact that scientists were able to concretize the genome responsible for the onset of disease progression, which is known to physicians as muscular dystrophy. But, nevertheless, for the time being it has not yet been possible to obtain a medicinal product and to determine the protocol of measures that would make it possible to make the treatment of muscular dystrophy effective. That is, today this disease can not be cured.

There is only an opportunity to reduce the aggressiveness of the symptoms, at least slightly raise the quality and increase the life expectancy of the patient. These circumstances gave a powerful impetus to stimulating experimental research in this field.

Patients receive the necessary complex treatment. But in addition to standard methods, he is often offered experimental, only developed, methods. With the efforts of the doctors, the prognosis for improving the life scores and life expectancies of such patients has been slightly changed, but still it is not possible to completely defeat the muscular dystrophy of Dyushen.

Prevention of muscular dystrophy

At this stage of the development of medicine, it is impossible to completely prevent muscular dystrophy. But to take some measures to recognize it in the early stages and to start treatment or maintenance therapy faster (depending on the form of the disease), it is possible.

Prophylaxis of muscular dystrophy:

  • The pathological form of Duchesne, modern medicine can diagnose even at the stage of intrauterine development. Therefore, pregnant women undergo laboratory tests to identify mutated genes, especially in cases where the genus of a future person has already had cases of muscular dystrophy.
  • Also, the expectant mother should regularly visit an obstetrician-gynecologist: in the first trimester once a month (at least), in the second trimester - once every two to three weeks, in the last trimester - every seven to ten days. She is obliged to register with a gynecologist no later than the 12th week of pregnancy.
  • Active way of life, including exercises for stretching the muscles of the lower and upper extremities. These simple exercises will help in the future to maintain the mobility and flexibility of the joints.
  • The use of special braces that contribute to the maintenance of atrophied muscle groups, allow to slow the development of contracture, and to maintain the flexibility of joints longer.
  • Additional facilities (wheelchairs, walkers and walking sticks) give the patient individual mobility.
  • Defeat, often, are exposed to the respiratory muscles. The use of special breathing apparatus will allow the patient in normal dosages to receive oxygen at night. Some patients are shown around the clock.
  • Infectious viruses can become a serious problem for a person with muscular dystrophy. Therefore, the patient should be protected as much as possible from the possibility of infection: a healthy epidemiological environment, regular flu shots and other activities.
  • Important support for such a patient and members of his family: both emotional, physical, and financial.

Prognosis of muscular dystrophy

The most unfavorable prognosis of muscular dystrophy refers to the Duchenne form (the most severe malignant form of the disease). The outlook here is disappointing. Patients with this pathology rarely survive to the age of twenty. Modern treatment can only prolong the life of such patients for a short time, but it can significantly improve the quality side of their existence.

In other cases, the prognosis of muscular dystrophy largely depends on the form of pathology and the factor that determines how early the disease was diagnosed. If the pathology is recognized at an early stage of origin, as well as the disease can be attributed to mild forms of manifestation, then there is a real opportunity to almost completely defeat the disease.

Modern medicine is not all-powerful. But do not despair. The main thing, be more attentive to your health and health of close people. If the diagnosis of muscular dystrophy is set, then it is necessary to do everything to pull the native person out of this abyss. If the form of the pathology is such that complete recovery is impossible - you will have to do everything you can to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, surround it with care and attention, try to fill the life of the patient with positive emotions. The main thing is not to give up, under any circumstances.

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