Types of Muscular dystrophy

The classification of muscular dystrophy is done as per the location of those muscles that are involved, one’s age at the time of the appearance of the symptoms, the rate of progress of the symptoms as well as the way in which a defective gene has been passed on to the next generation. For instance, the genes for Becker’s and Duchenne’s MD are both recessives of the X-linked type. This means that the conditions develop only in young boys, although carried as well as passed on solely by women.

Muscular dystrophy is of the following types:

-    Duchenne's muscular dystrophy: This is the most severe as well as the most common type of Muscular dystrophy, a condition in which a genetic defect that goes on to produce dystrophin, a muscle protein, something quite abnormal in itself.
-    Becker’s MD: BMD or Becker’s muscular dystrophy, a milder version of Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy results from the formation in some measure of a truncated but somewhat functional type of dystrophin.
-    Limb-girdle MD: LGMD or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy displays a similar pattern of muscle weakness that affects upper arms as well as the legs.
-    Facioscapulohumeral MD: FSHD or Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy begins by affecting the facial muscles, upper arms and shoulders with progressive debility. Symptoms of FSHD become apparent during the teenage period. Some of the persons affected get severely disabled.
-    Myotonic muscular dystrophy: This is the most widely prevalent adult form of muscular dystrophy. It is characterized by wasting of the muscles as well as weakness. This condition varies in manifestations as well as severity and can affect several body systems including skeletal muscles, endocrine glands, eyes, gastrointestinal tract as also the heart.
-    Congenital muscular dystrophy: In congenital MD degeneration of muscles might be severe or mild. The effects are confined to the skeletal muscle or the brain as also other organs
-    Distal muscular dystrophy: Distal MD can occur anytime between 20 – 60 years of age. The symptoms are debility, the wasting away of muscles of the arm as well as lower legs. The progress is rather slow and not critical
-    Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy: The onset of oculopharyngeal MD is usually between 40 – 70 years. It affects the muscles of face, throat and eyelids and goes on to cause shoulder and pelvic muscle weakness.
-    Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy: Emery-Dreifuss MD occurs in childhood and early teenage with contractures. Symptoms are muscle wasting and weakness beginning with distal limbs and then progressing to limb-girdle muscles.