Dystrophy - Causes And Symptoms Of Dystrophy

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Causes and symptoms of dystrophy

What is dystrophy?

Dystrophy is a pathological process that leads to the loss or accumulation of substances by tissues that are not characteristic of it in a normal state (for example, the accumulation of coal in the lungs). With dystrophy, cells and intercellular substance are damaged, as a result of which the functioning of the diseased organ is also disrupted. A complex of mechanisms - trophism - is responsible for the metabolism and preservation of the cell structure. It is she who suffers with dystrophy: self-regulation of cells and transport of metabolic products are disrupted.

Dystrophy most often affects children under three years old, which leads to a delay in physical, intellectual and psychomotor development, disorders of the immune system and metabolism.

Types of dystrophy

There are several classifications of dystrophy. Depending on the type of metabolic disorders, it is divided into protein, fat, carbohydrate and mineral dystrophies. By localization, dystrophy is cellular, extracellular and mixed. Acquired and congenital dystrophy can be by etiology (origin). Congenital dystrophy is always genetically determined: metabolic disorders of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are hereditary. One or another enzyme participating in the metabolism may be absent, which leads to incomplete breakdown and accumulation of metabolic products in the tissues. Different tissues are affected, but the central nervous system always suffers, which leads to a deficiency of certain enzymes. These are very dangerous diseases, as a deficiency of certain enzymes can cause death.

Also, dystrophy is divided into three types: hypotrophy, hypostaturia and paratrophy.

Hypotrophy is the most common form of the disease today. It is expressed in insufficient body weight of a person in relation to his height and can be prenatal (congenital), postnatal (acquired) and mixed.

Paratrophy is a violation of nutrition and metabolism, expressed by excess body weight.

Hypostaturation - the same lack of weight and height in accordance with age norms.

When dystrophy develops as a result of protein-energy deficiency, it is called primary if it accompanies another disease - secondary.

Causes of dystrophy

Dystrophy can be due to many different reasons. In addition to congenital genetic metabolic disorders, the appearance of the disease can cause infectious diseases, stress, and poor nutrition. Also, the causes of dystrophy can be an improper lifestyle, external adverse factors, weak immunity, chromosomal diseases.

There is a misconception that only children who were born prematurely are susceptible to dystrophy. But the disease can occur due to prolonged fasting or overeating (especially carbohydrate-containing foods), problems of the gastrointestinal tract, somatic diseases, etc.

Congenital dystrophy often occurs due to too young or, on the contrary, old age of the mother of a sick child.

Dystrophy symptoms

The symptoms of dystrophy appear exclusively depending on its form and severity. General signs of the disease are considered to be agitation, loss of appetite and poor sleep, weakness, fatigue, growth retardation (in children), weight loss, etc.

With hypotrophy (I – II degrees), body weight decreases (by 10–30%), pallor is observed, a decrease in muscle tone and tissue elasticity, subcutaneous tissue becomes thinner or disappears, and vitamin deficiency appears. In patients, immunity is impaired, the liver may increase, the stool is disturbed (alternation of constipation and diarrhea).

With hypotrophy of the III degree, exhaustion occurs, the skin loses its elasticity, the eyeballs sink, breathing and heart rate are disturbed, blood pressure and body temperature decrease.

Paratrophy is expressed in excess fat deposition in the subcutaneous tissue. The patient is pale and prone to allergic reactions; bowel disruption, dysbiosis, anemia are observed; intertrigo often appears in the folds of the skin.

Hypostaturation often accompanies grade II – III hypotrophy. Its symptoms are pallor, decreased tissue elasticity, functional disorders of the nervous system, metabolic disorders, and decreased immunity. Hypostatura is a persistent form of dystrophy, so there are certain difficulties in its treatment. It is also noteworthy that the absence of other symptoms of dystrophy (weight loss, weakness, etc.) may consider hypostature a normal sign of constitutional short stature.

Dystrophy treatment

Treatment of dystrophy should always be comprehensive and depend on its type and severity. If dystrophy is of a secondary nature, the emphasis is placed on treating the disease that caused it. Otherwise, the main treatment is diet therapy and the prevention of secondary infections (with dystrophy, immunity is reduced and the patient is susceptible to various diseases).

With hypotrophy of I degree, children are treated at home, but with II and III degrees of the disease, a stationary regimen is required with the placement of a sick child in a box.

Diet is the basis for the rational treatment of dystrophy.

With hypotrophy, at the first stage, the tolerance of a certain food is found out, and then its volume and quality increases (until recovery).

Patients are shown breast milk, fermented milk mixtures, fractional meals (up to 10 times a day), keeping a food diary (indicating changes in stool and body weight). Also, patients are prescribed vitamins, enzymes, stimulants and biologically active additives.

Prevention of dystrophy has many nuances: in order to protect the child from this disease, the expectant mother must monitor her health, observe the daily regimen, and give up bad habits. After the birth of a child, it is necessary to follow all the rules of feeding and caring for him, timely treat infectious and other diseases, weigh and measure growth every month.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".