Life expectancy for people with myotonic dystrophy can vary considerably.

In some people, the condition can also cause cataracts to develop at a younger age than usual. This is because there's a risk of the electrical impulses that control the heartbeat travelling too slowly through the heart. Some people with myotonic dystrophy may never have a significant disability, although their heart rate will need to be monitored for abnormalities.

However, it can become more severe as it's passed down through the generations. Myotonic dystrophy is highly variable and often gets worse very slowly, with little change over long periods of time.

a slow and irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia).

behavioural and learning problems in children.

clouding of the lens in the eye (cataracts).

It affects the same number of men and women.Īs well as muscle weakness and wasting, symptoms can include: Myotonic dystrophy can appear at any time between birth and old age. However, it's often the smaller muscles that are affected first, such as those in the face, jaw and neck. Myotonic dystrophyĪs with other types of muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy involves progressive muscle weakness and muscle wasting. With medical care, most people with Duchenne MD die from heart or respiratory failure before or during their 30s. Once the heart and respiratory muscles are damaged, Duchenne MD becomes life-threatening. The condition can also affect the intercostal muscles (muscle tissue between the ribs) and the diaphragm (the large, thin sheet of muscle between the chest and abdomen). This condition affects the heart muscles, causing the heart's chambers to enlarge and the walls to get thinner.īy their late-teens or early 20s, people with Duchenne MD may start to have breathing problems. This can lead to one shoulder or hip being higher than the other.īy their mid-teens, some people with Duchenne MD will develop dilated cardiomyopathy. They can also develop scoliosis, where the spine begins to curve sideways.

have behavioural or learning difficultiesĬhildren with Duchenne MD may need a wheelchair by the time they're 12 years old, as their muscles weaken and they lose the ability to walk.

be unable to climb the stairs without support.

have difficulty walking, running or jumping.The muscles around their pelvis and thighs tend to be affected first and often appear bulkier than normal. Girls can occasionally be affected, although the condition tends to be milder.Ĭhildren with Duchenne MD usually start to have noticeable symptoms between 1 and 3 years of age. Duchenne muscular dystrophyĪs a result of the way it's inherited (see causes of MD), Duchenne MD mostly affects boys. Muscular Dystrophy UK has a list of muscle-weakening conditions. All types cause muscle weakness, but the areas affected and the severity of the symptoms are different. There are many different types of muscular dystrophy (MD).

Muscular male base mmd