{"id":1708,"date":"2018-05-16T08:36:40","date_gmt":"2018-05-16T08:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=1708"},"modified":"2021-10-05T08:05:17","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T08:05:17","slug":"8-bizarre-facts-about-marfan-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/8-bizarre-facts-about-marfan-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Bizarre Facts About Marfan Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Have you ever heard about a condition called Marfan Sydrome? It is a connective tissue disorder that affects an estimated 1 in 5000 people, though possibly more \u2013 and you will have likely met someone who has Marfan Syndrome at least once in your lifetime already. But it\u2019s a condition that\u2019s very often misdiagnosed by doctors \u2013 or completely missed entirely and misattributed to a range of other things. You can lead a completely normal life if you have Marfan Syndrome, but you should know about it and be following the right health precautions \u2013 or you could have several things wrong with your health that are gong untreated, and you might even be more at risk if you ever needed surgery. Here are eight bizarre facts about Marfan Syndrome that we\u2019re sure you don\u2019t know about yet \u2013 and why you should visit your doctor if you think you might have it yourself.<\/p>\n

1. Marfan Syndrome Affects Connective Tissue<\/h3>\n

Marfan Syndrome<\/a> is a mostly inherited disorder (more about that later) that largely affects the body\u2019s connective tissue; the easiest way we can describe what connective tissue is and does is the glue of the body: That is what holds your tissues together, and when you have Marfan Syndrome, your connective tissue is more likely to degrade \u2013 and more likely to degrade quicker \u2013 than others.<\/p>\n

How much connective tissue does the body contain? Almost everything in the body contains connective tissue, and thusly the symptoms of Marfan Syndrome can affect various parts of the body at once \u2013 including the eyes, lungs, heart and spine. If you are aware of the issue, then your doctor can recommend some small changes in your life, like going on beta-blockers and avoiding exercise where you are likely to strain your muscles and your heart so you can stay healthy for a long time to come.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

2. Marfan Syndrome Now<\/h3>\n

Now is a much better time to have Marfan Syndrome than ten or more years ago. This is because there have been a lot of advances in Marfan Syndrome and how it\u2019s understood by surgeons<\/a> and doctors; there have also been many medical advances in the way Marfan Syndrome is diagnosed, which means that it is being spotted much easier in people when they have it, which means in turn that there is a much lower mortality rate due to the symptoms of Marfan Syndrome.<\/p>\n

There have also been more advances in how the symptoms of Marfan Syndrome itself are treated \u2013 there is no cure, but with treatment people who have Marfan Syndrome can be expected to live a completely normal life. The same was not true fifty years ago, where the disease was often diagnosed wrong (or not at all) and treatment did far more harm than it did good.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

3. Marfan Syndrome Is Inherited… Sometimes<\/h3>\n

Most of the time, Marfan Syndrome is an inherited disorder where either or both of the parents carry the gene \u2013 though they might not show symptoms themselves, if they have a history of Marfan Syndrome on their side of the family, we can say that they are carrying the gene. If both or one of the parents are carrying the gene for carrying on Marfan Syndrome, then the likelihood of the child carrying Marfan can be increased to 50% or more.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of research being done on how people who have Marfan Syndrome can still have children without passing out the gene<\/a>, which is a great thing for couples who end up together and would still like to have a child who is not affected by it themselves. There are also some cases of Marfan Syndrome that arise with no seeming family history \u2013 so visit your doctor even if you don\u2019t have any sign of illness in your family.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

4. Diagnosed By<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve told you a lot about Marfan Syndrome so far and that\u2019s probably a lot to take in at once. You might be wondering now what some of the more defined symptoms of Marfan Syndrome is so that you can spot it if it happens to you or someone you know. One of the first signs they use when checking for Marfan Syndrome is a raised palate; they also look for elongated fingers and hands, and an arm-span from side to side that\u2019s more than a patient\u2019s height.<\/p>\n

There is also the wrist sign, which is known as being able to wrap the fingers around the wrist \u2013 though you might have to look that up on your search engine to have a better visual picture of what we mean. Some of the other symptoms that might come with Marfan Syndrome are near- or farsightedness, scoliosis<\/a> (or more commonly known as curvature of the spine) and other issues with the body\u2019s connective tissue, like arthritis.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

5. It Causes Spider Hands<\/h3>\n

Did you know that Marfan Syndrome causes something called spider hands? If you have never heard of it before then you should type it into your search engine and look at some photo\u2019s of this symptom of the condition: To be more specific, people who have Marfan Syndrome often have hands and fingers that are longer than you would expect \u2013 much longer and thinner, leading to them being referred to as spider hands instead.<\/p>\n

Marfan Syndrome can affect the hands in many ways other than causing them to have this long appearance, it also tends to cause arthritis<\/a> as a symptom, so people with Marfan Syndrome should keep a very close eye on their health \u2013 and take care of especially their health and skeletal system. Spider hands is only one of the ways Marfan Syndrome can manifest in, but it\u2019s a surefire sign and means you should see your doctor if you haven\u2019t been diagnosed already.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

6. It Can Affect the Heart<\/h3>\n

We can say that Marfan Syndrome by itself is not a dangerous condition, but it is a degenerative condition \u2013 and the symptoms can be very dangerous if they are left untreated. There are many people who have died of seemingly unknown causes when it turned out to be heart problems due to undiagnosed Marfan Syndrome. There are several ways in which Marfan Syndrome can affect the heart: Some of these ways are heart palpitations, which can usually be controlled by taking beta-blockers on a regular basis to get your heart rate under control.<\/p>\n

Some of the more severe ways that it can affect your heart includes aortic dissection<\/a>, which can be fatal \u2013 though can be corrected and controlled if a doctor happens to catch it early enough: More than enough reason to visit a doctor on a regular basis if you have already been diagnosed or if you suspect that you might have Marfan Syndrome.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

7. Javier Botet Has Marfan Syndrome<\/h3>\n

It can be discouraging to be diagnosed with a disease or to think that someone you know and love might have it \u2013 but these days you can live a completely normal and healthy life if you spot the syndrome early enough and take care of yourself. And, of course, you are not alone: There are many people who suffer from Marfan Syndrome<\/a> and still have successful careers. Did you know that Javier Botet has Marfan Syndrome?<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t heard of him just yet, he\u2019s the actor portraying Slenderman in the upcoming film \u2013 and he\u2019s also had other successful roles in movies like the remake of Stephen King\u2019s IT. He has only recently started speaking out about his experience with the syndrome \u2013 and that has given many people the encouragement they need to get diagnosed or start taking care of their health more carefully. And, if you\u2019ll keep reading, you\u2019ll notice that he\u2019s not the only person you know who has Marfan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

8. More People<\/h3>\n

So, we\u2019ve just mentioned that you have no reason to feel alone if you\u2019ve just been diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome yourself, if you suspect that you might have it or if someone that you know might have it. There are many people who you know already who have been diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome \u2013 and many of them are lucky enough to be living completely normal and healthy lives.<\/p>\n

There are also many people who have historically been rumoured to have Marfan Syndrome, including King Tut<\/a>, the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh \u2013 and possibly even the great American president Abraham Lincoln. It almost makes you wonder how many people you might have met on your way to town today that might have had Marfan Syndrome \u2013 did they know it? There are many more people who are rumoured to have had it \u2013 such as the blues guitarist Robert Johnson. Don\u2019t be discouraged if you think that you might suffer from Marfan.<\/p>\n\r\n

<\/div>