Mitochondrial Disease, A Few Facts

Share This Post

Mitochondrial Disease, A Few Facts

Mitochondrial Disease is rare, and therefore not as well known, as many other diseases. Mitochondria are the tiny inner parts of almost every cell in your body, they are kind of the cell muscle, which turns sugar and oxygen into energy for proper functioning. With mitochondrial disease, or disorder, the cells, for some reason, do not function correctly.

mitochondrion

This disorder can affect different parts of the body, one, two, or several. The most common areas to be affected are the brain, heart, kidneys, muscles, eyes, ears, and others. The disorder can be mild or severe, some people have no symptoms, while others have many. This disease most commonly occurs in younger children, and symptoms start to show during toddler years.

Symptoms include muscle weakness or exercise intolerance, seizures, dementia, movement disorders, vomiting, limited eye mobility, stroke-like episodes, deafness, blindness, and droopy eyelids. Nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath are also common. Prognosis varies in severity from progressive weakness to death.

Treatment options are as varied as the symptoms, as there is no specific treatment for the disorder itself. Physical therapy helps to maintain movement and improve dexterity. Some success has been shown with Coenzyme Q, riboflavin, and carnitine. Things to avoid include fasting and environmental toxins, including MSG, cigarette smoke, and alcohol. Avoiding stress is also crucial.

inside mito

Dietary factors vary according to symptoms, an individual needs to see what works for them. Because this is a metabolic disorder many people do well with several small meals throughout the day including a bedtime snack.

Research continues to be done for this disease, there is no link between vaccines and mitochondrial disease, and a person can regress, physically, after onset of symptoms. Onset has typically been in children, but adult onset is becoming more common. If you see any of these symptoms in your child, or yourself, please see your healthcare professional.

Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/mitochondrial-faq.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/mitochondrial_disease/article.htm
http://www.umdf.org/site/c.8qKOJ0MvF7LUG/b.7934635/k.6546/Treatments__Therapies.htm

More To Explore

health

Harmful Chemicals in Beauty Products

Last Updated 10/19/12 Everyday we apply different products such as shampoos, lotions, deodorant, makeup,  and lipstick to improve or change our looks,  most of them

all positive experiences

Strength

I absolutely love this great share, I hope you do too!

Skin Care

Natural Remedies for Puffy Eyes

Dark circles under the eyes, puffy eyes, and tired eyes are all different names for the same thing. They can be caused by something as

eye

7 Reasons Your Eyes are Blurry

7 Reasons Your Eyes are Blurry Blurry vision is a very common problem, but it can be caused by many different things. The only way

health

Poor Decisions

Poor Decisions We all make them, when it comes to love, money, food, and exercise, every single one of us has made a decision or

Scroll to Top