Understanding The Symptoms Of Turner Syndrome

Turner syndrome is a condition involving one compromised X chromosome. It will be either partially or wholly missing! Thus, this condition affects females. It is often diagnosed at birth. If not, patients will be diagnosed by their early childhood! This condition causes many developmental issues. Many of these medical problems are physical.

Patients need prompt Turner syndrome treatment so it is as effective as possible. Most patients start with growth hormone therapy for Turner syndrome. This treatment improves many symptoms! Patients need treatment to start puberty. This is where estrogen therapy for Turner syndrome is beneficial! Every patient needs a team of specialists for this condition. They make sure all aspects are treated appropriately! Orthopedists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, and developmental therapists for Turner syndrome are quite common! They help various symptoms and needs, which evolve over time.

Low-Set Ears

Turner syndrome patients have low-set ears! These are present from birth. This is part of the reason that patients receive a diagnosis during their infancy! The ears are also going to be more prominent on Turner syndrome patients. They rotate outward and do not stay flat against the patient's head! Low-set ears, along with the other ear abnormalities that they cause, patients often experience hearing loss with this condition.

Hearing loss, however, does not appear immediately. Individuals with Turner syndrome hear normally when they are born. Hearing loss occurs over time! This is often due to progressive nerve function loss. Low-set ears also mean more middle ear infections. These also lead to hearing loss! This is due to the infection damaging bones in the ears, which means they cannot vibrate. Thus, they do not transmit sound correctly.

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Jaw And Palate Abnormalities

Most Turner syndrome patients experience jaw and palate abnormalities! Their palate will be high and narrow. Their lower jaw is typically receding or unusually small! These trigger the improper development of an individual's teeth! Thus, Turner syndrome patients often have a misaligned bite. They will experience tooth decay more often than other individuals too!

Other dental issues that the jaw and palate abnormalities cause include thin enamel, smaller teeth, too little dentin, and roots that are too short. Patients often experience crowding with their adult teeth, since their receding jaw causes early tooth eruption! Periodontal disease is a significant risk. Turner syndrome patients need their teeth removed more often than healthy individuals.

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Slowed Growth

Individuals with Turner syndrome will deal with slowed growth. Simply put, this means that they do not grow at a normal rate! Slowed growth will be noticeable during the patient's infancy. It continues throughout their childhood! There is a major decline in the speed of growth when patients are between two and four years old. Turner syndrome patients are shorter than others because of this. This stems from the short-stature homeobox gene. Research shows that issues with this gene are one of the major causes of Turner syndrome! The gene is what impacts skeletal growth. A missing X chromosome from this gene causes it to not work correctly!

The slow growth in Turner syndrome is also connected to growth hormone. Specifically, the patient's body does not use this hormone efficiently! Thus, patients will see skeletal growth improvement when they take artificial hormones. The good news is that the earlier treatment starts, the greater the patient's chances are of achieving a height that is close to normal!

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Wide Neck

At least thirty percent of Turner syndrome patients will have a wide neck. Many doctors call this a webbed neck! This means that patients have extra skin folds that make it look webbed. This webbing starts at the sides of their neck and will reach their shoulders. Patients also have a hairline that reaches quite low on the back of their neck! A webbed neck does not directly cause a patient issues. However, the symptoms that appear with it do! Bone abnormalities cause skeletal structure problems. The appearance of the webbed neck also causes more psychological and self-esteem issues for affected patients.

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Short Toes And Fingers

Short toes and fingers are incredibly common in Turner syndrome. A patient's fingernails and toenails will also be narrower than those of individuals without this condition! An upward turn occurs too. Patients will also deal with swollen hands and feet, especially after birth. This continues throughout their infancy too! This symptom is closely linked to growth issues and skeletal abnormalities.

Early treatment with synthetic growth hormone helps this symptom. Patients will see lengthening in their fingers and toes! However, the treatment is time-sensitive. Patients need it before their feet and hands have finished growing! After that point, the treatment will not make a difference. X-rays help identify when this treatment is effective. Once a patient's growth plates have closed, it is no longer a viable treatment option for this symptom!