Mitochondrial disease has no cure because it is a genetic alteration in which cells from affected sites cannot survive because mitochondria, which are responsible for energy support and cell survival, do not function properly, causing dysfunction of affected organs, such as the brain, eyes. or muscles, which can cause blindness or mental retardation, for example.
Depending on each case, the geneticist may prescribe vitamin supplements or specific medications for each symptom of mitochondrial dysfunction.
- There are some simple precautions that complement medical treatment and relieve symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Such as:.
However, this treatment does not replace that prescribed by your doctor, and it is necessary to take the medicines prescribed by your doctor correctly, which may be antiepileptic remedies, such as Diazepam or Carbamazepine, to avoid seizures, for example.
Symptoms of mitochondrial disease depend on affected body sites, the most common being:
Symptoms of mitochondrial disease in the brain
Symptoms of mitochondrial disease in the muscles
Symptoms of mitochondrial eye disease.
In addition, other symptoms such as difficulty gaining weight, vomiting, short stature and serious problems can also occur in certain organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas, for example.
Symptoms of mitochondrial disease can occur in adults or shortly after birth, as they are usually a genetic disease that is transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, being a maternal legacy, so when a woman has a mitochondrial disease and wants to become pregnant, she must do genetic counseling.
To diagnose mitochondrial disease, the geneticist must perform specific blood tests such as liver enzymes, lactate, pyruvate, or the amount of amino acids in plasma, for example, in addition to performing a muscle biopsy and CT scan to eliminate other possible health problems. can cause symptoms to appear.