Having to deal with the diagnosis and consequences of amyloidosis can be painful and frustrating. There are different types of amyloidosis, and those different types of the condition can affect different organs or systems in different people. This can make diagnosis and treatment difficult. In addition, the maladies that can occur as a result can further complicate the problem.
There are 3 major classifications that doctors have given amyloidosis. They are primary, secondary, and hereditary forms of the disease. Though the exact cause of each is not known, there is some information about how it occurs, or at least where it originates in the body.
The cause of amyloidosis is not definitively known, but it is known that it originates in the body’s bone marrow. When the antibodies in the bone marrow no longer perform their function, the body is supposed to break them down. If the bone marrow makes antibodies that are not capable of being broken down, the antibodies will accumulate in the bloodstream, then eventually buildup in the body’s tissues as amyloidal proteins. These proteins impede the normal operation of the body’s organs and systems.
Secondary amyloidosis usually occurs in conjunction with other conditions, such as tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or bone infections. This type of the disease generally has an effect on the kidneys, spleen, liver, or lymph nodes. Sometimes, by treating the primary disease or condition, amyloidosis can be interrupted.
Hereditary amyloidosis is genetic in nature, meaning that it can be passed on to subsequent generations. It usually causes problems in the body’s nervous system, heart, and kidneys.
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