There are several organizations that help Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease patients better deal with their disorder. One, specifically, is the CMT International. Linda Crabtree, a 55-year-old CMT patient, runs it. Since 1984, Crabtree has been helping CMT patients around the world through great service and her monthly newsletters chocked full of details on how to deal with the different pains of CMT. CMT International is open to anyone with CMT and any healthcare professional who is interested in CMT.
Signs of CMT are a highly arched foot, (one the first signs) other foot deformities, ankle sprains, hammer toes, and problems walking, running, and maintaining balance. CMT patients raise their knees real high while walking to prevent themselves from tripping.
Hand function is also affected. Simple tasks like picking up a penny or writing are made difficult. Sensory loss (sense of touch) is another symptom. The differences between hot and cold become hard to tell apart.
These symptoms are not the same in all CMT patients. A healthy diet, a reasonable lifestyle, and stress-free activities can ease some difficulty says Linda Crabtree. Everyone has a different lifestyle. This is why doctors can’t predict what is to happen in the years to come. One who does should be ignored says Crabtree.
In her facility, patients with different severities have joined. Most of them are in great deals of pain. Some other symptoms experienced by her patients are headache and sleep problems and breathing problems. It affects breathing because the phrenic nerve is involved. It tells the muscles of the diaphragm to let air push in and out the lungs. Hearing and seeing problems, a weak neck, vocal cord paralysis and the loss of the ability to cough are among those symptoms listed above.
CMT is not life threatening. Only in the case of not being able to cough may some danger arise. According the CMT International, these could cause a great susceptibility to lung infections and diseases.
Though a cure has yet been found, there is some relief for the CMT patient. Surgery can help foot, ankle, hand, and hip deformities. Orthopedic shoes with firm support are a choice to ease walking difficulty. Physical therapy is recommended to maintain strength. Leg braces are available to prevent ankle sprains and splints and exercises can help hand dysfunctions.
