Amyloidosis is the presence of excess of amyloid protein in different organs of the body. It is a rare disease that develops due to amyloid deposits in the vital organs like heart, kidneys and liver. Presence of such protein can seriously affect the tissues and organs in which it is found. In severe cases it can cause organ failure. Treatment of amyloidosis depends on the organ it has affected and the intensity of deposits of amyloid.
Symptoms :
Signs of amyloidosis vary widely with the organ it has affected. An abnormal protein gets deposited in many organs and tissues affecting their normal function. This rare disease would not show any symptom until amyloid deposits has started affecting the organ. Some of the common symptoms of amyloidosis include fatigue, weakness, numbness in hands or feet, diarrhea or constipation (with bloody discharge), and shortness of breath and skin changes. In severe cases, the person can lose weight considerably and may have difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
- Cardiac Amyloidosis :
Amyloid protein can get deposited in your heart causing stiffness of the muscles. It can alter the rhythm of the heartbeat and in some cases reduce the blood flow to the heart. In such cases it can cause breathlessness, irregular heartbeat and swelling of ankles, extreme fatigue and heart failure.
- Kidney Amyloidosis :
If amyloid protein gets deposited in the kidneys it can seriously affect the basic function of kidney. It can lead to increased toxin build up in the body which can be evident by symptoms of swelling of ankles/feet, increased levels of protein in urine, and puffiness in the eyes. In case amyloidosis affects your liver or gastrointestinal tract it can alter the normal way of digestion. In such cases symptoms like diarrhea or constipation, loss of appetite, sharp pain in your stomach, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss are observed. In some people, it can affect the functioning of liver causing inflammation and reducing its function.
- Neuropathy Amyloidosis :
Amyloidosis can also affect your nervous system affecting the peripheral nerves. It can disrupt the normal communication of neuro signals from the brain to other parts of the body. It can also affect the functions of spinal cord. Symptoms of such amyloidosis include imbalance, loss of control in bowel movements, uncontrolled bladder function, tingling or numbness in extremities and light headedness.
Causes :
Amyloidosis is caused by excess of deposits of abnormal protein (amyloid) in various tissues and organs. Amyloid is secreted in the bone marrow. Exact cause of amyloidosis depends on the organ it affects. In some cases amyloid gets collected in specific organ of the body but in others it can affect various organs.