Medical Health Care Advices

Amyloid proteins can accumulate for a long time before causing symptoms, so the disease is not diagnosed until it is well established. Chances are, first, your doctor may perform several tests to rule out other diseases, because the symptoms associated with amyloidosis are common to different diseases.

Perform a general examination for signs of disease that could be caused by amyloidosis. The exam may include:

* Check the joints for signs of arthritis or tendinitis
* A blood test or fecal occult endoscopic procedure through which introduces a flexible, lighted tube with a tiny camera to check the colon or stomach to detect gastrointestinal bleeding
* Examination of the heart for signs of heart failure or enlarged heart
* Evaluation of the muscles for signs of weakness
* Check the hands, feet, arms and legs for signs of fluid retention or poor sensitivity
* Mental state control to assess possible dementia

Urine will be collected to determine if there is excess protein, which is often a first sign of systemic amyloidosis. It will draw a blood sample and evaluate it for signs of abnormal blood counts, kidney or liver disease or abnormal proteins.

The only definitive test for amyloidosis is a biopsy, in which it is surgically removed and examined a small sample of tissue. Often, biopsies of the rectum or abdominal fat reveal systemic amyloidosis, which affected the whole body. If amyloidosis has accumulated in a single organ, such as the brain, it is necessary to biopsy the liver. For this reason, many types of amyloidosis are difficult to diagnose. For example, in the case of Alzheimer’s disease, is rarely performed a biopsy of brain tissue. The biopsy may damage the brain, although the results could provide a diagnosis, it is not likely to change treatment. In the case of amyloidosis diagnosed, there will be other blood tests and urine tests to detect diseases that may cause the accumulation of proteins.

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