Check These 5 Common Hereditary Conditions To Avoid Health Complications

Hereditary diseases are run in the family, hence it comes as a part of your genetics. Because of this reason, it becomes difficult to treat them or separate them from your body. People are often unaware of most of the hereditary disease until the symptoms get serious. However, it could be quite easy to determine the problems and take precautions, if you get diagnose with diseases running in your family to be sure. Hereditary disease passes down from one generation to the next and the gene mutation takes place. There are some major diseases which are caused because of genetics, we will try to look at some of them and know conditions behind it.

How Do Hereditary Diseases Occur?

According to Dr. Ishan Srivastava, General Physician, Ivory Hospital, Greater Noida, hereditary diseases occur because of similar mutation in genes that transfer with your DNA. Hereditary diseases are different from genetic diseases because they may not necessarily pass down to children because of certain mutations. Hereditary diseases often have similarities between them because mutations either occur randomly or due to environmental factors. Most of the diseases that are transferred from parents to children are related to blood, because that is the major source of connection between two individuals.

5 Common Types of Hereditary Diseases

1. Sickle cell disease

Also Read: Managing Sickle Cell Disease: Here’s What You Should Know About SCD

This hereditary disease is often caused by mutation and has similar haemoglobin protein in them. As a result of this, if any of your parent has sickle cell disease then it likely that you may have it as well. Sickle cells disease leads to abnormal levels of haemoglobin in the body which causes anaemia. This disease also causes significant damage to other organs such as kidney, lungs and heart. In most of the cases, this disorder is inherited from their parents and thus could have defected genes. There are almost 50% chances that you may inherit this disease if your parents have it in their gene mutations.

2. Cystic Fibrosis

This is also a disease which is caused by mutation of several genes together. Cystic fibrosis is a condition in which cells that are responsible for production of sweat, digestive juices and mucus get affected. Having cystic fibrosis means damage to respiratory system as well as digestive and reproductive system. It is a severe disorder which makes mucus become particularly sticky. This disease mostly occur in children, hence it could be very problematic since defected genes cannot be detected at such a small age. Cystic fibrosis starts affecting the child early on in their life; however chances of this disease are comparatively lower. Reason being, it needs one gene from each parent in case of cystic fibrosis to get into child, and chances of both mutation occurring in children is comparatively very less.

3. Haemophilia

One of the most common blood diseases among males, this condition also occurs because of genetic reasons. The person transfers defective genes to their children which lead them to abnormal bleeding. A person suffering from this blood disorder particularly is at higher risk of damaging his organs, because small cuts or injuries could cause severe complications.

Also Read: Haemophilia Blood Disorder: Know 7 Myths And Surprising Facts Behind This Disorder

Haemophilia is deficiency of blood clotting and abnormal bleeding. It occurs in children when X chromosome is carried forward from their mothers. Hence even though chances of getting infected by this disease are less by hereditary purposes, several people have this blood disorder. However, it is possible to have haemophilia blood disorder after birth as well. 

4. Huntington’s disease

This is an inherited disease which can only happen because of gene mutations. Even though this is not such a common disease, many people still get affected by it without knowing for the longest time. This disease actually starts showing its symptoms in the middle age, when it affects your nerve function in the brain. Huntington’s disease leads to loss of brain and muscle function, making a person emotionally dead. Cases for this disease are still less but chances of falling for this disease are quite high. It is because of the fact that it could affect you just by a single gene, unlikely as compared to haemophilia. This makes 50% chances of having this disease if any of your parents is affected by this condition.

5. Muscular Dystrophy

Another inherited blood disorder is caused because of interference of genes from mutation for parents. Muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle weakness, which later comes at a level, that person needs medical assistance and aids for movement. Symptoms of muscular dystrophy are also very common such as having muscle pain and weakness. It occurs mostly to boys and can be inherited as a hereditary disease. People having muscular dystrophy mostly get inherited from their parents or because of having family history.

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