| |
What is Waardenburg Syndrome? Waardenburg syndrome is an genetic disorder characterized by varying degrees of hearing loss and changes in skin and hair pigmentation. Waardenburg syndrome is named after a Dutch eye doctor named Petrus Johannes Waardenburg who first noticed that people with differently colored eyes often had a hearing impairment. Characteristics of Waardenburg Syndrome One of the most common characteristics of Waardenburg syndrome is two differently colored eyes. One eye is usually brown and the other blue. In some cases, one eye has two different colors. Some individuals with Waardenburg syndrome may have unusually brilliant blue eyes. Another common characteristic of Waardenburg syndrome is distinctive hair coloring. A person with Waardenburg syndrome may have a patch of white hair or premature gray hair as early as age 12. Other physical characteristics are: a wide space between the inner corners of eyes, hearing loss low frontal hairline, and connecting eyebrows. Types of Waardenburg Syndrome There are at least four different types of Waardenburg syndrome. The physical characteristics determines the type of of Waardenburg syndrome.
What Causes Waardenburg Syndrome? Waardenburg Syndrome is caused by a faulty gene. Only one parent has to pass on the gene for a child to be affected. The symptoms in the parent can be very different from those in the child. Can Waardenburg Syndrome be Treated? No specific treatment is available for Waardenburg syndrome. However, hearing aids may help improve hearing. Type 4 patients with constipation require special attention to their diet and medications to keep their bowels moving.
|
| |||||
 |
Hot Topics: Domestic Violence: A pre-existing condition? Serena: The wanna be vegetarian Personal Story: How I recovered from my Eating Disorder Mama wants to help: Food Bank programs and shelter assistance Lucy Goes Green: Talk dirty to me What no one will tell you about tummy tuck surgery Mama's favorite item of the week: Trees for the Future
Win a Gift Bag filled with Goodies from Stonyfield
| ||||||
|
Information obtained from MamasHealth.com™ should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner, nor should it be inferred as such. Always check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about a specific condition.
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms
of Use. ©2000 - 2009 MamasHealth, Inc.™. All rights reserved | ||||||
|
| ||||||
