Dwarfism can also be a topic you have to write key points about the disease and I can give a few notes from my powerpoints to add. Diagnosis: history, physical examination, serum hormone levels, brain

Dwarfism

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Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a condition experienced as a result of shortness in height. The condition emerges from medical conditions or genetic mutation and inheritance. An adult who does not exceed four feet and ten inches in height can be considered a dwarf. Dwarfism can either happen as disproportionate or proportionate depending on other body parts (Jain & Saber, 2021). Disproportionate dwarfism is when an individual`s body has some parts smaller in size while others are beyond average or fully grown in the right way. Proportionate dwarfism occurs when all the body parts remain small with the growth. All the body parts in this type of dwarfism grow similarly. Disproportionate dwarfism mainly emerges from disorder and mutation that prevent bone in the body (Roland, 2017). The other part may grow while the bones remain constant, causing a disproportionate body look. Proportionate dwarfism mainly emerges from medical conditions that an individual may experience in his or her childhood, limiting the growth and development of any body part.

Dwarfism has several signs and symptoms that make it easy to diagnose and examine. First, individual suffering from this condition mainly has a short stature. The size of individuals who are considered dwarf is mainly 4 feet, especially during a period where he or she is expected to develop into full adulthood. Secondly, dwarfism causes an average-size trunk and short limbs. These symptoms mainly happen to individuals with disproportionate dwarfism. The person may also grow progressive development of bowed legs, short legs and arms, disproportionally big head, and progressive development of a swayed back (Roland, 2017). A patient who undergoes proportionate dwarfism conditions is observed to have a lower height growth where the standard growth charts indicate that he or she had more than a quarter in height growth during a specific period. Delayed growth rate and sexual development are also symptoms of proportionate dwarfism experienced by individuals. Other possible signs include a short trunk, a short neck, shortened or average hands and limbs, rounded, broad chest, neck bone instability, and development of hip deformities. Other signs include a problem with hearing and vision, challenges in joint movement, and the development of arthritis (Jain & Saber, 2021). During its manifestation, several signs are observed. These manifestations include fatigue, headache, cessation of menstruation, infertility (in women), decreased libido, low tolerance for stress, muscle weakness, nausea, constipation, weight loss or gain, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, cold sensitivity, visual disturbances, loss of body or facial hair, joint stiffness, hoarseness, facial puffiness, thirst, excess urination, hypotension, short stature, and delayed growth and development. Although specific manifestation does not mean that there is the development of dwarfism, the combined experience of these signs indicates higher chances of development of the condition.

Dwarfism is caused by several conditions experienced by a patient in history or during development. First, dwarfism may result from genetic mutation or the development of a genetic disorder in a patient during the childhood years. Gene mutation may happen due to a condition called achondroplasia, where some genes from the parents mutate to cause dwarfism. Turner syndrome is also associated with the development of dwarfism (Roland, 2017). These conditions mainly happen in females once the genes are not properly modified during conception. Hormone deficiency has also been attributed to the development of dwarfism, where proper mutations fail to happen during conception. Another cause of dwarfism is diastrophic dysplasia, where individuals are born with shortened forearms and calves.

Diagnosing dwarfism is a process that follow-up of the stated procedure. Several methods are used in the diagnosis of dwarfism. These methods include the evaluation of health history, the performance of a physical examination, the examination of serum hormone levels, the performance of brain computed tomography, the use of pituitary magnetic resonance imaging, applying vision testing and X-rays (Jain & Saber, 2021). Professional healthcare physicians diagnose dwarfism through different processes where they evaluate appearance, chart comparison, imaging, testing the DNA, checking the history of the family, and testing hormones. These tests evaluate and examine different causes and dwarfism to understand which type an individual is suffering from.

Dwarfism can be corrected and treated to some extent, especially if realized early. Some possible treatments for dwarfism include lifelong hormone replacement, resolution of underlying causes, treatment using other hormone-specific strategies, endocrinologist consultation, and wearing a medical alert bracelet (Jain & Saber, 2021). Hormone-specific strategies include infertility treatments and counseling which might help in reducing the possibility of giving birth to a dwarf.

Dwarfism is a condition that contributes to the development of other conditions, especially mental related as a result of social segregation and seclusion. Dwarfs might be treated as lesser people, which affects their minds, causing conditions such as depression and other negative behavioral-related issues (Elfina & Ramadhani, 2019). Therefore, such individuals should always be treated with respect to maintaining good mental and physical health.

References

Elfina, M. L., & Ramadhani, D. M. (2019, March). Life Satisfaction on Dwarfism. In 4th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2018) (pp. 113-117). Atlantis Press.

Jain, M., & Saber, A. Y. (2021). Dwarfism. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.

Roland, J. (2017). Dwarfism: Types, causes, and more. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/dwarfism