Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when amyloid substances accumulate in organs. Amyloid itself is an abnormal protein produced in the bone marrow and can accumulate in any tissue or organ of the body. Amyloid which accumulates will affect the work of organs and shape.
Amyloidosis can affect many organs. Amyloidosis, for example, affects the heart, spleen, liver, digestive tract, kidneys, and nervous system.

Several factors can increase your risk of suffering from amyloidosis:

• Men, because the majority of people with amyloidosis are men.
• Elderly. Patients with primary amyloidosis are usually elderly.
• Suffer from other diseases that cause chronic infection or inflammation.
• Heredity There are several types of amyloidosis caused by hereditary factors.
• Dialysis During dialysis, abnormal proteins can accumulate in the blood and then in body tissues.
• African race. People belonging to the African race are at greater risk of developing amyloidosis.

Symptoms of amyloidosis

Usually, the patient does not experience any symptoms until the amyloidosis condition increases. The following symptoms may be experienced by people with amyloidosis:

• Trouble swallowing.
• His stomach is full.
• Numbness in hands or feet.
• Feeling very tired and weak.
• Pain in the joints.
• Changes to the skin. Thickened or easily bruised skin.
• Diarrhea
• Swelling of the tongue.
• Tingling or pain in the hands or feet.
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Weakening of the handle.
• Weight loss for no apparent reason.
• Hard to breathe.
• Swelling of the wrist and foot.
• Low number of red blood cells (anemia).

Causes of amyloidosis

In general, the cause of amyloidosis is the accumulation of amyloid substances produced by bone marrow in body tissues. There are several types of amyloidosis, namely:

• Primary amyloidosis, also known as AL amyloidosis (amyloidosis immunoglobulin chains). Primary amyloidosis is the most common type found. This type of amyloidosis occurs when bone marrow produces abnormal antibodies that cannot be broken down. Primary amyloidosis can affect the heart, kidneys, skin, nerves, and liver.
• Secondary amyloidosis, also known as AA amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is associated with infectious or chronic inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, tuberculosis, or Crohn's disease.
• Amylodiosis of specific organs, which can cause amyloid accumulation in certain organs, including the skin.
• Amylodiosis associated with dialysis, occurs when proteins in the blood accumulate in the joints and tendons. This will cause stiffness, pain and a buildup of fluid in the joint. This type of amyloidosis is usually seen in long-term dialysis patients.
• Systemic senile amylodiosis, which usually attacks older men. This type of amyloidosis can cause amyloid buildup in the heart and other tissues.
• Amyloidosis, a congenital disease that often affects the liver, nerves, heart, and kidneys. Several types of genetic disorders can increase the risk of amyloidosis.

Diagnosis of amyloidosis

To diagnose patients suspected of having amyloidosis, doctors will usually undergo tests such as:

Laboratory test. The patient will be asked to take blood and urine samples for further investigation in the laboratory. Patients may also be asked to undergo thyroid tests and liver function tests.
Biopsy. The doctor will take a tissue sample to check for signs of amyloidosis. Biopsy can be done on body tissues from abdominal fat, bone marrow or organs. Tissue analysis can determine the type of amyloid that has accumulated.
Imaging test. Analysis conducted on organs with amyloidosis can help doctors identify the severity of amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis treatment

Amyloidosis treatment aims to inhibit the development of the disease and alleviate the symptoms experienced by the patient. The action given depends on the type of amyloidosis experienced by the patient, for example:

• Primary amyloidosis. Many chemotherapy drugs for multiple myeloma are used to treat primary amyloidosis. The function of these drugs is to stop the growth of abnormal cells that produce amyloid.
• Secondary amyloidosis. This treatment aims to treat diseases that cause amyloidosis.
• Amyloidosis-derived. Patients can consider the liver transplantation step because this type of protein that causes amyloidosis is produced by the liver.
• Amylodiosis associated with dialysis. The doctor will suggest changing the type of blood washing or kidney transplant.

In addition, to help relieve the symptoms of amyloidosis, doctors can also advise patients to adopt a low-salt diet and administer medications, including:

• Diuretic medicine.
• Anticoagulant drugs.
• Medication to control heart rate.
• Analgesic.

Complications of amyloidosis

If you do not receive adequate care, patients with amyloidosis can experience organ damage, such as:

• Amyloid heart substances can reduce the ability of the heart to fill blood between beats, so the patient suffers from shortness of breath.
• Kidney. Amyloid substances can damage the kidney's filtering system. This can cause kidney failure.
• Nervous System Patients will experience pain, numbness or tingling in the fingers, decreased sensation, or a burning sensation in the toe or sole of the foot. Patients can also experience constipation and diarrhea.

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