Ectodermal Dysplasia are rare health diseases that affect ectodermally derived structures.(skin, sweat glands, hair, nail, teeth)
Breaking down the name of the disease, there are two major words “Ectoderm and Dysplasia”.
Ectoderm is a layer of cells that covers the outside of the body. Basically, the hair, nails,teeth and sweat gland. In some cases, problems may also occur with the organs that develop Fri the ectoderm such as eye and ear.
Dysplasia means “abnormal tissue growth” . A part of the body may be abnormal or even more than one part. If a disorder is consistently involved in more than one part of the body, if is called a syndrome.
The affected people have different combination of detects, in some cases it may be the nails and hair while in others it may be the nails and teeth.
Ectodermal dysplasia if present may not be detected until childhood.
A baby born with an Ectodermal dysplasia may experience peeling skin at birth, the baby is lethargic and irritable when hot but do not realise that it is because the sweet glands do not work and may not realise the issue until the baby’s teeth do no develop correctly.
Facts about ectodermal dysplasia
- There are more than 180 different types of ectodermal dysplasia cited in the medical Literature.
- The conditions affect both men and women and all races.
- There are about 150 types of Ectodermal dysplasia.
- It can be hereditary.
- A child can still have it without the parents having it.
- Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
- An estimated 1 in 10,000 births results in ectodermal dysplasia.
Symptoms of ectodermal dysplasia includes:
- Missing fingers
- Large forehead
- Poor hearing
- Weak immune system
- Missing teeth
- Dey eyes
- Lowly pigmented akin
- Not being able to sweat due to lack of sweat gland
Management of Ectodermal dysplasia
- Early diagnosis
- Special treatment for hairs, nails and skin
- Surgical procedures such as repairing a cleft palate may improve speech.
- Wearing a wig to improve appearance
- Lifestyle adaptation to maximize comfort and health.
- Dental treatment.
- Taking a cool bath or using water spray to keep a normal body temperature.
Most people with Ectodermal dysplasia can leave a full and productive live once the understand how to manage their condition.
