Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobility type: A characterization of the patients' lived experience.

Abstract:

Hypermobility type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS-HT) is an inherited connective tissue disorder clinically diagnosed by the presence of significant joint hypermobility and associated skin manifestations. This article presents a large-scale study that reports the lived experience of EDS-HT patients, the broad range of symptoms that individuals with EDS-HT experience, and the impact these symptoms have on daily functioning. A 237-item online survey, including validated questions regarding pain and depression, was developed. Four hundred sixty-six (466) adults (90% female, 52% college or higher degree) with a self-reported diagnosis of EDS-HT made in a clinic or hospital were included. The most frequently reported symptoms were joint pain (99%), hypermobility (99%), and limb pain (91%). They also reported a high frequency of other conditions including chronic fatigue (82%), anxiety (73%), depression (69%), and fibromyalgia (42%). Forty-six percent of respondents reported constant pain often described as aching and tiring/exhausting. Despite multiple interventions and therapies, many individuals (53%) indicated that their diagnosis negatively affected their ability to work or attend school. Our results show that individuals with EDS-HT can experience a wide array of symptoms and co-morbid conditions. The degree of constant pain and disability experienced by the majority of EDS-HT respondents is striking and illustrates the impact this disorder has on quality of life as well as the clinical challenges inherent in managing this complex connective tissue disorder.

PubMed info here.
Amity
1/8/2014 01:22:08 pm

You are putting up so much excellent info that I don't know where to start. I was recently diagnosed with hypermobility disorder and it has explained SO MANY weird quirks I've had for all of my 33 years that I've never been able to explain. I have a lot of other comorbidities including severe immunological problems, so doctors completely missed this for years. Plus my pain as a child and teen was masked by years of steroid medications. Thank you for all of these fabulous articles, I'm so grateful!

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