News  Donate!

How Myotonic Dystrophy Affects Your Body

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can affect all age groups, and people living with DM often have different symptoms at different ranges of severity. DM can also affect a range of systems, so symptom management requires a more expansive approach. You’ll likely need to coordinate with a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care. Here’s an article that shows the range of specialists you might work with, and what they’re focus will be.

Click on the arrows by each body system below to expand descriptions. For Medical Professionals: Each "Deep Dive" section includes specific clinical care recommendations.

Cardiovascular System

  • Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias)
  • Enlarged heart muscle
  • Low blood pressure
  • Sudden death
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Brain

  • Difficulty with thinking and problem solving
  • Emotional and behavior problems
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Nerve damage in feet and hands
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Articles
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Reproductive System

  • Small testes, low sperm count, low testosterone
  • Higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth; early menopause
  • Problems with pregnancy and delivery
  • Newborn complications
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Articles
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Vision

  • Cataracts
  • Damage to the retina
  • Drooping eyelids (ptosis)
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Bone

Anomalies

Learn More:
Videos
Research
Blog posts
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Immune System

  • Lower levels of antibodies in bloodstream (hypogammaglobulinemia)
Learn More:
Research
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Skin

  • Higher risk of benign skin tumor (pilomatrixoma)
  • Alopecia
  • Dysplastic nevi
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
Learn More:
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Respiratory System

  • Breathing problems in newborns
  • Frequent lung infections
  • Aspiration of food or fluids into airways
  • Inability to breathe in enough oxygen
  • Sleep apnea
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Articles
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Gastrointestinal System

  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Pain and bloating after meals
  • Constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal reflux
  • Gallstones
  • Enlarged colon
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Endocrine

  • Insulin resistance
  • Premature frontal balding in men
Learn More:
Research
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Muscle

  • Muscle weakness (myopathy)
  • Muscle stiffness and trouble relaxing a muscle (myotonia)
  • Muscle wasting that gets worse over time (atrophy)
  • Severe muscle weakness and delayed development in newborns and infants
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Articles
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

Genetics

  • Inherited disease, autosomal-dominant mutation
  • 50% chance of passing mutated gene to each child
  • More severe with each generation ("anticipation")
Learn More:
Videos
Research
Articles
Related Content
Other Web Content
Medical Deep Dive: 
Read

© Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation. All rights reserved.