CMT Awareness Month : HNF Declares September as awareness month
September is (Charcot-Marie-Tooth) CMT Awareness Month (Charcot-Marie-Tooth) celebrated by The Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation (HNF), CMT Awareness Month time educates people and supports the people affected by it. Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) is a hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy of the peripheral nervous system characterized by progressive loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of the body. It named after the three physicians who first described it – Jean Martin, Pierre Marie and Howard Henry Tooth. This condition is sometimes called hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, or personal muscular atrophy.
The disease develops slowly and has many consequences: progressive deformity of the feet and the hands (foot drop, claw toes, wasting muscles in the calves, forearms and hands) problems with balance, sensitivity issues, tiredness, pains, cramps, etc.
CMT is often spoken of as an “invisible handicap” because the difficulties are often not readily visible or is underestimated. The severity of the symptoms are also extremely varied from one patient to another. Understanding CMT is also made more difficult for family and friends as well as for health professionals involved in diagnosis.
It is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy, affects 1 in 2,500 people approximately 2.6 million people worldwide and can strike at any age. Despite this, most people, even many doctors and CMT sufferers themselves and have never heard of it.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited, genetic condition. It is a progressive condition, which means that symptoms get worse over time. People with CMT often lose the ability to walk and may become dependent upon assistive devices to remain mobile. Severe, chronic pain is common.
There are five main types of CMT
- CMT1
- CMT2
- CMT3
- CMT4
- CMTX
Treatment
There’s no cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. But the disease generally progresses slowly, and it doesn’t affect expected life span.
There are some treatments to help you manage Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
- Medications
- Therapy
- Physical therapy.
- Occupational therapy.
- Orthopedic devices.
- Surgery
