The immune system is the protector of the body. When it’s not working correctly, people become vulnerable to the many different infections and diseases that can infect a body. Immune diseases don’t hurt the person directly, but they make every condition more dangerous.
People who suffer from chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) are unable to fight off the many bacterial and fungal infections that can attack the body. People who suffer from chronic granulomatous disease are at risk of excess infections. This condition is an inherited disorder. It’s passed down through the genetic code. The symptoms can be severe. Take this opportunity to read on and learn more about chronic granulomatous disease.
Causes of Chronic Granulomatous Disease
As mentioned, chronic granulomatous disease is a genetic disease. This means that it’s passed down and caused by mutations in a person’s genetic code. Specifically, there are five different genes that are known to cause CGD. The five genes are CYBB, CYBA, NCF1, NCF2 and NFC4.
The reason these five genes are relevant is because they combine together to create an important enzyme within the immune system. It’s this enzyme which helps to break down the toxic bacteria and fungi that enter the system. Damaged genes will either reduce the amount of enzyme, or potentially cause none to be created! The immune system’s ability drops correspondingly.
Symptoms of Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Symptoms are most likely to start to occur during infancy or while a young child. This is for the more serious cases. Mild or lighter cases might start showing symptoms throughout the teen years and adult life. Signs and symptoms that people can expect to see in clude:
- Swollen Lymph Nodes - This can occur in various lymph nodes throughout the body.
- Repeated Bacterial and Fungal Infections - These can vary and occur as one of many different infections.
- Abscesses - These can occur in the liver, spleen, bones, skin and lungs of the body.
- Inflamed Tissue - Specifically, the gastrointestinal tract can suffer from areas of inflamed tissues.
- Diarrhea - It’s very possible to suffer from persistent diarrhea if you have CGD.
- Runny Nose - Chronic runny nose can be common.
It’s important to note that the number of symptoms will vary person to person. In addition, it’s entirely possible for the additional bacterial and fungal infections to cause a variety of symptoms in addition to those of CGD. The severity of symptoms can fluctuate widely.
Treating Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Medications are an incredibly important aspect of treating CGD. Prevention of a fungal or bacterial infection is crucial. In addition, if one does occur, it needs to receive immediate treatment. There are also medications that can be used specifically for reducing the inflamed tissues. There are also some substances which can reduce the frequency of how often infection strikes.
In other options, a bone marrow transplant has been used in some cases for people who are suffering from severe and chronic versions of CGD. A bone marrow transplant is no joke however. It’s a very serious procedure and can have fatal consequences in mistaken attempts. More options for treatment are being worked on. It’s possible that in the future, work on a person's genetics may provide a full cure. However, research and work is still needed to develop that kind of treatment.
The articles on this website should not be used to start the use of dietary supplements or vitamins, natural or herbal products, homeopathic medicine or other mentioned products prior to a proper consultation with a doctor or certified health provider.
