{"id":5384,"date":"2019-04-08T04:44:11","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T04:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5384"},"modified":"2021-03-30T14:44:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T14:44:25","slug":"14-early-signs-of-wilsons-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-early-signs-of-wilsons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Early Signs of Wilson\u2019s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wilson\u2019s disease is a rare disorder that is inherited. It causes copper to accumulate in your brain, liver, and other organs. When too much is accumulated it can be life-threatening. Copper is needed for healthy skin, bones, and nerves. It is absorbed in the foods we eat and the rest is excreted through a substance that our liver produces called bile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson\u2019s disease occurs at the age of five to 35 years old, but it can occur in older adults as well. When Wilson\u2019s disease is diagnosed early, it can be treated, so that a person can live a normal life. In order to find out if you have Wilson\u2019s disease, there are eight signs to look out for. Once you know the signs, you can go to the doctor and seek treatment right away. The earlier you get treated, the better it will be for you. If you wait too long, it may be difficult to treat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Lack of appetite <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is an early sign of Wilson\u2019s disease<\/a>. When food is in your presence, you won\u2019t be able to eat it. It may seem like you\u2019re just not hungry, but when it happens often, you need to go to the doctor because there is more to it than not being hungry. When you have a loss of appetite, you will start to lose weight. That\u2019s not good for your overall health because food and water are needed on a daily basis to survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can try chicken or beef broth until you get your appetite back. You can\u2019t live off of broth alone because after a while that may make you sicker. If you really are worried about your loss of appetite, speak with your doctor who will diagnose you with Wilson\u2019s disease and start you on your journey of recovery. Your doctor can give you medicine to treat the disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Uncontrolled movements <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

occur when you have Wilson\u2019s disease. You may jerk and twitch <\/a>involuntary, but it\u2019s not constant. When this happens, you may not pay too much attention to it since it may not happen often. The only way you may notice it is if you\u2019re in the middle of doing something and you have to stop because it\u2019s affecting your work performance. You will also notice it if you keep track of how often you have these uncontrolled movements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncontrolled movements can be dangerous when driving or standing on top of something high. You could hurt yourself or someone else. You should always be aware of when these involuntary movements occur because it can save your life. As soon as you start to notice these reoccurring movements, you need to go into the doctor to have some blood work done. The doctor will diagnose you with having Wilson\u2019s disease and tell you if you need to take dietary supplements in addition to prescription medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Fluid buildup in the legs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is an early sign of Wilson\u2019s disease. When you have a fluid buildup, it\u2019s harder to walk and stay on your feet for too long. If you have a job that requires you to be on your feet for a long time, you will have to quit or ask to sit to complete your tasks. It will even be difficult to do house chores and go to the grocery store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can have someone do things for you, but the fluid won\u2019t go away on its own. Your primary care physician <\/a>needs to be aware of your problem because there is likely an underlying problem, such as Wilson\u2019s disease. The fluid should start to go away once you get the right medicine inside of your body. You will be able to do things on your own and not have to depend on anyone to do things for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Jaundice <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

develops because of Wilson\u2019s disease is present. With jaundice<\/a>, the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. This should cause alarm to you and immediately seek medical attention. The doctor will give you blood tests and complete X-rays to see what is going on. Jaundice will more than likely go away once the disorder of Wilson\u2019s disease is treated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t treat jaundice on its own because there is no cure, but once you heal from Wilson\u2019s disease, your skin should go back to its normal tint. While you are treating the disorder, you need to eat a healthy diet. You may want to lay off of the junk food until the disorder goes away. Your skin and the whites of your eyes will heal quicker if the right foods are being put into your body. The medicine that you will be taking will work better as well when the right foods are eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Speech problems <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

are early signs to look out for when you have Wilson\u2019s disease. Some speech problems you may have include stuttering or finding the right words to come up with. You may know what you want to say, but it\u2019s just hard to communicate it. While you are being treated for Wilson\u2019s disease, your doctor may get you into contact with a speech therapist <\/a>who can help you with your speech problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to be able to communicate properly because it can help you when you have a problem that needs to be solved immediately. When people can\u2019t understand you, it\u2019ll take longer to receive help. Once you start taking the medicine for Wilson\u2019s disease for a while, your speech problem should start to improve with the help of a speech therapist. It can be embarrassing to not be able to communicate properly, especially at work or in any social situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Kayser-Fleischer rings <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

are early signs that you may have Wilson\u2019s disease. Kayser-Fleischer<\/a> rings are a golden-brown discoloration around the iris. You may not notice it unless you look in the mirror at your eyes. Some eye doctors can check for certain diseases when you get an eye exam. He or she may notice that you have Wilson\u2019s disease and tell you the steps you need to take in order to get treated for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the doctor\u2019s office, he or she will take some imaging and blood tests. You may or may not get the results the same day. Once your results come back to let you know you actually have Wilson\u2019s disease, your doctor will sit down with you and explain the disorder with you. Once Wilson\u2019s disease is cleared from your body, you can go back to the eye doctor to see if the golden-brown discoloration is still gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Abdominal pain <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is another early sign to indicate that you may have Wilson\u2019s disease. Abdominal pain is uncomfortable and can put you down for a while. At work when you have the pain, you will have to go home and rest. You can take over-the-counter medicine to help relieve some of the pain<\/a>, but you don\u2019t want to take it for too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the abdominal pain is constant, it would be wise to just go and make an appointment to see a doctor. If the pain is too bad, visiting the ER might be your best option. At the ER, they can let you know right away what is the issue. They will do a series of blood and imaging tests to find out why you\u2019re having abdominal pain. At the ER, you will be given a prescription for medicine to help get rid of the disorder as well as a dietary plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Swallowing <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

becomes an issue when you Wilson\u2019s disease. You won\u2019t be able to eat regular food. Chicken and beef broth<\/a> will be the only liquids you\u2019ll be able to eat. Your body needs more than broth to survive. You will begin to lose weight because you\u2019re not getting the proper nutrition into your body. A primary care physician will give you a physical examination to see what is causing your swallowing problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once it\u2019s diagnosed to be Wilson\u2019s disease you can start to get some relief and start eating regular foods again. It may take some time to start eating hard and soft foods, but once your body starts responding to the medicine for the disorder, you should notice a difference. A person can live a normal life with Wilson\u2019s disease. The disorder doesn\u2019t have to stop you from living your life to its fullest. You just don\u2019t want to go overboard on the food just because you can swallow again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9.    Fatigue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are dealing with Wilson’s disease may notice that they start to feel diminishing levels of energy <\/a>throughout the day. The body has a hard time dealing with the excess copper accumulated in the tissues and bloodstream. As a result, it starts to work overtime to excrete the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the body requires extra energy to complete this detoxification process, leaving the patient feeling drained. Excess copper in the bloodstream also interferes with normal metabolic function, making the patient feel tired throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient may find that they still feel tired, even after countless cups of coffee in the morning. Unfortunately, there is no remedy for this symptom, and the patient has to learn to cope with lower levels of energy and a persistent feeling of tiredness that does not lift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients may find some benefit in changing their diet and increasing exercise levels, but others may not notice any difference with the changes.
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10.    Scarring of the Liver <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are living with Wilson’s disease experience complications with liver health due to the presence of too much copper in the bloodstream<\/a>. As a result, the liver starts to work harder to clear the mineral, with little success. Liver damage is one of the more severe symptoms of Wilson’s disease, and it may lead to severe liver distress.
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As a result, the patient may develop jaundice as mentioned previously. In the latter stages of the condition, the patient may also experience scarring of the liver tissue and the development of cirrhosis \u2013 severe liver disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the liver is one of the few regenerating organs in the body, people with cirrhosis typically have scarring to the extent where the liver can no longer heal itself, resulting in the development of a fatty liver and further complications with liver disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with Wilson’s disease that end up experiencing liver problems require medical care to treat and manage their symptoms.
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11.    Neurological Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are living with Wilson’s disease may experience a buildup of copper in brain tissues, affecting neurological behavior. The brain <\/a>produces trillions of biological signals throughout the day, controlling physiological responses such as spontaneous breathing, blinking, and heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When copper accumulation occurs in the brain, it starts to interrupt the normal neurological functions, resulting in a wide range of neurological disorders such as involuntary twitching of muscles, tremors, poor walking posture, and gait, as well as issues with speech and swallowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most neurological issues related to Wilson’s disease clear after the patient receives treatment to reduce the amount of copper in the bloodstream. However, in some cases, the patient may experience persistent neurological symptoms for years afterward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age plays a significant role in the development of neurological symptoms, with seniors being most at risk of developing long-term neurological disorders from copper accumulation attributed to the development of Wilson’s disease.
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12.    Kidney Problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are dealing with the effects of Wilson’s disease may start to develop issues with the renal system. When too much copper accumulates in the bloodstream, the kidneys <\/a>begin to work overtime to clear the excess copper from the blood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the extra copper, the patient may start to develop issues with the normal function of the kidneys. Patients may notice that they begin to see blood appear in their urine, or it turns a dark color. The organs start to produce an abnormal quantity of amino acids to help clear the copper. However, these amino acids have a counter-productive effect, resulting in the development of urinary tract infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If left untreated and unmanaged, Wilson’s disease can cause scarring of the kidneys leading to kidney disease and possible renal failure. Doctors recommend that patients receive dialysis treatment to remove the excess copper from the bloodstream and return the patient to health.
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13.    Psychological Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The effect of excessive copper in the tissues of the brain can have a tremendous impact on mental health<\/a>. The abundance of copper starts to interfere with neurological processes in the brain, making subtle changes in the patient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who are dealing with Wilson’s disease may experience complications with the illness that start to alter their personality. Patients may start to become irrational or aggressive, and they may begin to develop feelings of depression and malaise, where they may experience suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some patients with Wilson’s disease may experience severe complications to their mental health which results in the development of bipolar disorder. Bipolar is a condition where the patient experiences periods of depression, followed by bouts of euphoria, known as mania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If left unmanaged and untreated, these symptoms can have a devastating effect on mental health and may result in the patient developing a case of psychosis and persistent paranoia that change their personality.
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14.    Blood Problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are dealing with Wilson’s disease experience elevated levels of copper in their bloodstream. Copper is known to increase circulation in people that wear a copper bracelet around their wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, people with Wilson’s disease experience too much copper in the bloodstream<\/a>, which leads to a host of health complications, and some of them may even become life-threatening. One of the more severe complications of Wilsons is known as, \u201chemolysis,\u201d where the immune system calls for the destruction of red blood cells, leading to the development of symptoms of anemia and jaundice in affected individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should the patient develop these symptoms, the doctors will rush them to the hospital for immediate blood cleansing through dialysis. Dialysis runs the patients\u2019 blood through a machine that removes the excess copper, returning them to normal health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with Wilson’s disease may have to undergo dialysis treatment as frequently as once every two weeks to ensure the copper accumulation does not reach critical levels.
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