Yulia Verklova, editor of the Health section, is personally familiar with the diagnosis of connective tissue dysplasia. And I’m ready to share my experience.
When I first met a doctor with psychic powers, I thought I had found a genius. But the genius of my problems did not solve. Then a couple of times I came across doctors who from the threshold began to list: you have astigmatism, flat feet, an inflection of the gallbladder, mitral valve insufficiency, stretch marks on the skin of the thighs … Effective! Especially when you consider that I actually came to complain about a headache and had not even undressed yet.
And then I met a doctor who did not pretend that medicine is magic, but explained everything with his fingers – in accordance with the Law “On the Protection of Citizens’ Health.” And on the fingers – in the most literal sense of the word. I will also explain to you now. Can you bend your hand so that you press your thumb against the back of your forearm? You are at risk. What about the rest of your fingers? What about the outside of your wrist? If yes, then you are with me! In fact, there are many of us with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD), approximately one in five. Long-legged, long-armed, long-necked, with poor posture (often with scoliosis), but extremely flexible, with very mobile facial expressions, often with braces on their teeth (and if without braces, then just crooked teeth) … Doctors recognize us at a glance – and immediately assume still a large set of internal diseases, adjacent to such an amusing appearance.
And here is the connective tissue
Connective tissue makes up about 50% of body weight. Its main function is to support all other tissues. Ligaments and tendons, vessels are connective tissue. And if it is too stretchy, then the bones and joints bend in any direction you want, the venous and arterial valves sag, the sphincters do not close well, and much more happens. That is why connective tissue disorders underlie a variety of pathologies. In most cases, nothing serious. For example, I have astigmatism: the muscles and ligaments of the eye do not stretch it to a state of clear focus, but this does not prevent me from working at the computer. Although, as it turned out, it is precisely this constant defocusing that leads to frequent headaches – and apart from well-chosen lenses, nothing will save. And the bone at the thumb sticks out, but it does not hurt and does not affect the speed. Very many girls with UCTD develop varicose veins early: after all, veins and venous valves are connective tissue, and they quickly sag. What saved me, I think, was swimming and a love of hiking. They generally save many dysplastic ones.
