What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a genetic defect in collagen and connective-tissue synthesis and structure. Connective tissue normally provides support for many body parts such as skin and muscles. Collagen is a protein in the body that normally provides strength and elasticity. This connective tissue disorder is characterized by joint hyper-mobility, skin extensibility and tissue fragility. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome consists of a group of more than 10 different inherited disorders, each classified by these specific characteristics

What EDS can Effect?

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome can affect the skin, joints, and blood vessels. It is clinically heterogeneous, which means that the underlying collagen abnormality is different for each type. Clinical recognition of the types of EDS is important.

Symptoms

There are at least 9 different types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that have been identified. The most common forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are types 1, 2 and 2, which contain similar and more severe symptoms. The remaining Ehlers-Danlos types are rare and symptomatically uncommon

Type I and II are characterized by the following symptoms:
? Severe skin problems
? soft velvet-like skin
? extremely fragile skin that bruises and/or tears easily
? poor and slow wound healing (usually taking weeks to months to heal)
? joint problems
? loose unstable joints causing frequent dislocations usually occurring in the shoulders, knees, hips, collar bone or jaw
? double jointed (hyper extensible joints), extreme in some cases
? stretchy rubber band-like skin
? joint pain from frequent dislocation
? eye problems