Muscular Dystrophy Day 16th September
Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time. All of the muscles may be affected. Or, only specific groups of muscles may be affected, such as those around the pelvis, shoulder, or face. Muscular dystrophy can affect adults, but the more severe forms tend to occur in early childhood.
The severity of disability depends on the type of muscular dystrophy. All types of muscular dystrophy slowly get worse, but how fast this happens varies widely.
Some types of muscular dystrophy, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, are deadly. Other types cause little disability and people with them have a normal lifespan. Following complications may also arise along with physical disability:
- Cardiomyopathy with heart failure
- Cataracts
- Decreased ability to care for self
- Decreased movement
- Depression
- Lung failure
- Tightening of muscles around the joints (contractures)
- Mental impairment (varies)
- Scoliosis
There are no known cures for the various muscular dystrophies. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms. So if there no cure what we can do is to enhance our coping up skills to improve the quality of life.
Just SWAT and SWOT Muscular Dystrophy
SWAT
The acronym SWAT means SWAT Special Weapons and Tactics. Normally SWAT teams are formed to perform high risk operations in to tackle terrorism and criminals. Here the symptoms and condition of Muscular Dystrophy are nothing less than some dreaded criminals and terrorists. Here we need to prepare ourselves as the SWAT team. Let us see how:
- S
- Support groups should be formed and joined
- W
- Wider network
- A
- Awareness, Acceptance and Adjustment
- T
- Therapies whether physical, medical or alternative
Apart from SWAT we also need to SWOT Muscular Dystrophy by proper management and strategic planning. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths Weakness Opportunities and Threats
Here let us us how we can go about it:
- Strengths can be
- Self esteem
- Self help
- Stress management
- Weaknesses have to be overcome by
- Working hard through physical exercises
- Working towards pain management
- Opportunity to live to the fullest has to be grabbed by
- Opening the doors of mind and spirit
- Overcoming fears and developing the power of endurance
- Threats' of depression and negativity can be controlled by
- Talking your heart out and developing your methods of troubleshooting
Abha Khetarpal
