Progeria came from the Greek word pro meaning before and geras meaning old age. It is one of the world’s rarest disease and occurs in 1 per 8 million live births. Children with this kind of condition appear to be normal during infancy and start showing signs and symptoms at the age of 1 and life expectancy is about 13 years. The very first case recorded by Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson was in the year 1886 and the second was in the year 1904 by Dr. Hastings Gilford. This condition is not restricted to one sex, it affects both sexes in all races. There are only 100 cases reported since the first diagnosis. It is not hereditary.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
– Premature aging
– Elongated nose
– Dwarfism
– Hair loss
– Small face and jaw
– Wrinkled skin
– Hip dislocations
– Noticeable scalp veins
– Loss of eyebrows and eyelashes
– Loss of eyesight
– Kidney failure
– Stiff joints
– Teeth malformation
– Fatigue
– High blood pressure
– Heart disorders
– Stroke
– Rheumatism
– Protruding eyes
TREATMENT:
No cure is available for this condition but there are measures to reduce it’s complications.
