ParentDement537

This can be a subject that, regrettably, is quite near to my heart. My grandmother, who practically raised me while my mom was out working, suffered from Gaucher Disease until the day she died. As a young person, I did not know what it had been. My grandmother was a proud woman and didn't speak about it. I only knew because my mother told me. After she passed on and I got older, I decided I had to know just what it had been that took my grandmother. This short article will give you the fundamental factual statements about what Gaucher Disease is and what treatments can be obtained.

The first thing that surprised me to find out was that Gaucher Disease is most frequent among people who are either Jewish or from Eastern or Central Europe. From a Jewish home, it explained a lot to me. Yet another thing that i learned that also surprised, and in addition scared me was that Gaucher Disease is also inherited, meaning it's passed on from your parents. The likelihood of inheriting the disease decrease with each generation that the disease itself doesn't arrive. In my family, it is now 3 generations since, so we're probably pretty safe now.

So what is Gaucher Disease? Well, it's a genetic mutation that effects organs just like the liver and spleen. The particular illness is caused by an enzyme deficiency that subsequently causes fatty substances to accumulate in these organs. In my own grandmother's case it was in both her liver and her spleen. The illness causes an enlargement of those organs. This explains why my grandmother, who weighed most of 80 pounds, looked like she had a basketball in her stomach.

There are, unfortunately, a lot more symptoms besides an enlarged liver or spleen. Other medical indications include problems with blood clotting, easy bruising, fractures for no apparent reason, and even bleeding when brushing the teeth.

Detecting if somebody has Gaucher Disease is a simple matter. A blood test is all that is needed. The enzyme deficiency will show in the liver and spleen. There are actually three kinds of Gaucher Disease, but type one is the most typical and the type that my grandmother suffered from.

Luckily, we have come a long way since the 60s, when my grandmother endured this disease until she passed away in 1974. Today, there are enzyme replacement therapies which are actually quite effective in treating Gaucher Disease. Also, an excellent diet, low in fats and meats, high in fruits and vegetable, will also aid in battle this disease.

Those people who are experiencing this disease can actually live quite a while with it. My grandmother developed this disease very young in life but still lived to be 66 yrs. old.

In the event that you or perhaps a loved one is struggling with Gaucher Disease, there is hope. Please visit your physician and ask him what treatments are available in your area.