What is Muscular Dystrophy?

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According to the MediLexicon Medical Dictionary, muscular dystrophy is defined as a general term for a number of hereditary, progressive degenerative disorders affecting skeletal muscles, and often other organ systems (Staff). Basically what that means is that muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that is passed down that affects the skeletal muscles and other organs by slowly breaking them down. Since it is genetic, it is not contagious and you cannot catch it from someone who has it. MD weakens muscles over time, so children, teens, and adults who have the disease can gradually lose the ability to do the things most people take for granted, like walking or sitting up. Someone with MD might start having muscle problems as a baby or their symptoms might start later. Some people even develop MD as adults (Clark, 2010). There are several types of MD, most of them affecting mostly teens including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, becker muscular dystrophy, emery-dreifuss muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, myotonic muscular dystrophy, and congenital muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common type. This is caused by a problem with the gene that makes a protein called dystrophin. This protein helps muscle cells keep their shape and strength (Clark, 2010). If this protein does not form properly the person gradually becomes weaker due to their muscles breaking down. This is a disease that only affects boys and symptoms are usually noticeable between the ages of two and six years old. It is a very rapid progressing disease. Children with this disease are often bound to a wheelchair around the age of twelve. Children may also need to see a lung and heart sp... ... middle of paper ... ...all the time. Even public transportation can be difficult and maneuvering around public places that may not designed to best accommodate handicapped people. I think people can live independently for the most part with MD but they are going to need more help than normal from friends and family to accomplish some of the smaller tasks and some of the larger tasks. Works Cited Staff, M. C. (n.d.). Muscular dystrophy. Retrieved from http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=27542 Clark, A. (2010, July). Muscular dystrophy. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/bones/muscular_dystrophy.html Benaroch, R. (2013, 03 30). Understanding muscular dystrophy-- the basics. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/children/understanding-muscular-dystrophy-basics Occupational therapy guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.myotonic.org/node/193

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