Marfan Syndrome

Marfan Syndrome And Your Heart

Marfan Syndrome is a condition that affects all of your connective tissues. This problem can, in some cases, lead to serious health concerns but it is not often fatal. Marfan can also occur in any age group, so children are as likely to have it as adults. Doctors are of the opinion that this is a genetically inherited disorder that can be passed down to both girls and boys and the main problem is its lack of conclusive diagnoses.

Do You Have Marfan Syndrome?

It is difficult to say for sure when a person has Marfan syndrome, as there are only some common traits among sufferers. There is no blood test that can be done or other conclusive tests however your doctor or specialist will most likely send you for an echocardiogram as well as evaluate your skeletal frame. What happens when you are living with Marfan syndrome is that the walls of your arteries and valves can be weakened. Where they are stiff and tough in other people, in your body they are more like a wet noodle. Weakened aortic valves, for example, are very dangerous things to have.

What can happen is that the weakened walls can actually tear under stress and pressure. For example if you were to get very excited this could happen, leaving you prone to internal bleeding of the heart. This can then lead to aortic dissection. And that is not the only heart related problem that can happen due to this bleeding, you could also find yourself prone to an aneurysm. Marfan syndrome can affect all four valves of the heart. With these weak valves the blood may even stop flowing in the right direction at times, and this can cause serious overload to most hearts.

What Not To Do About Marfan Syndrome?

Marfan syndrome is a scary thing to have but there are some things that your doctor may suggest you do, or rather not do, to help stay as healthy as possible. For example women who are suspected of having Marfan syndrome should not become pregnant. The stress of delivery is much to great for the heart to handle if they have a dilated aorta. And of course there is also the worry about passing on Marfan syndrome to the next generation since it is a genetic disorder. Physical activities differ among those with Marfan syndrome, it is essential that you talk to your cardiologist to see what is right for your situation. You may need to keep from being too overactive as this can be much too hard on your heart.

Bookmarks
Bookmark This |