Living with Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis can have many different causes. They range from chronic inflammations to diseases of the bone marrow or lymph nodes to altered genes.

Ensure that underlying conditions such as familial Mediterranean fever, plasma cell myeloma, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis are consistently and adequately treated. This can help prevent amyloidosis to some extent. However, you have no influence on genes, and protection against amyloidosis is not possible in this case. For some forms of amyloidosis, there are medications to prevent the formation of further protein deposits.

Special measures for early detection of amyloidosis in medical practice are also not known. Due to the non-specific symptoms, many patients receive the diagnosis late, years after the onset of the first complaints. Therefore: Always consult your doctor if you experience symptoms that you cannot classify.

Course and Prognosis in Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a very serious disease. However, the course and prognosis of amyloidosis cannot be predicted in general. They are individually different and also depend on the type of amyloidosis. Some forms of the disease affect multiple organs – heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, or the nervous system. Usually, amyloidosis gradually worsens within a few years because the organs increasingly lose their function.

Amyloidosis is not curable. Therefore, treatment aims to alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. The goal is to extend life expectancy and maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible.