What is marfans syndrome?!
Question: my brother is 15 he is 6foot2 he has an athleic body but toda he had chest pains playing footbaal the doctors said he could have this syndrome because he is so tall tallness runs in our famil my dad is 6"5 my sister 6"2 my grandad was 6"8 and the average height is at least 6" except me im 5" i need answers am very stressed
Answers: my brother is 15 he is 6foot2 he has an athleic body but toda he had chest pains playing footbaal the doctors said he could have this syndrome because he is so tall tallness runs in our famil my dad is 6"5 my sister 6"2 my grandad was 6"8 and the average height is at least 6" except me im 5" i need answers am very stressed
Hi mim, I understand your concern and stress about your brother. Marfan's syndrome is a disease that runs in families, can be passed on genetically and, like you say, people with Marfan's tend to be tall and your family are all pretty tall. However, most people with Marfan's definitely have a history of the syndrome in the family and I'm sure you would have heard about that from your dad or grandad. It is a condition that affects development of connnective tissue, which is the tissue that hold things together in our bodies, like bony tissue, ligaments, joints, the walls of blood vessels and so on, so the symptoms and signs of Marfan's tend to affect parts of the body where this tissue exists. People with Marfan's tend to have problems in three main areas-
Firstly in their skeleton, they tend to be very tall and thin, with long arms and fingers and very flexible joints. They can have a hollow or dip in their breastbone, their spine can be more curved than normal and they can be prone to back and joint problems.
Secondly, in the eye, the tissue holding the lens or the retina in place can be weak and the lens can slip out of position, or the retina can detach causing visual problems, which need treatment.
Thirdly, the walls of major blood vessels like the aorta and valves of the heart can be weak, causing problems with the cardiovascular system and blood flow.
There is, at the moment, no cure for Marfan's, so, as you can imagine Marfan's patients need to be closely monitored by doctors, so that if any of the symptoms above start to develop and cause problems they can be treated. So if your brother does have the syndrome, I'm afraid he's going to have to get used to visiting the doctor for regular check-ups and, because his body is more prone to damage, he may have to lay off the sports he likes. He may have to take medication to keep him well and in the future, especially if his major blood vessels or heart valves are weakened, he may have to have surgery to strengthen them. Treatment for the effects of Marfan's are very effective and people with this syndrome, with a bit of care, can live a pretty normal life.
I hope that answers some of your questions. Good luck and try not to stress too much.
Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder of the connective tissue characterized by disproportionately long limbs, long thin fingers, a typically tall stature, and a predisposition to cardiovascular abnormalities, specifically those affecting the heart valves and aorta. The disorder may also affect numerous other structures and organs