Muscular dystrophy is a rare muscle condition mostly observed among boys where their muscles continually weaken until they die from respiratory problems or lack of blood being pumped to essential organs of the body. It is has been linked to abnormal genes that make it difficult for muscles to be formed and reinforced. Muscular dystrophy primarily affects the voluntary muscles of the body making it difficult for one to move. With time, the condition affects vital organs such as the diaphragm, the lungs or the heart and this is what causes the death of the individual.
Research shows that kids with duchenne muscular dystrophy rarely live to see their 21st birthday. Though there is no known cure of the condition, scientists have been tried to change the genetic composition of people with muscular dystrophy. The patients are also put on corticosteroids that strengthen their muscles for a given time.
There is a wide range of conditions that form the muscular dystrophy umbrella according to WebMd. These include:
-Duchenne
-Limg girdle
-Becker
-Facioscapulohumeral
-Congenital
-Oculopharyngeal
-Distal
-Emery-Dreifuss
Signs of muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy starts showing its ugly head at the age of 2-3 years. The child starts having trouble walking or picking things. A baby who had started crawling and walking might just stop since their muscles have weakened.
Care for muscular dystrophy patients
Because of their bones weakening, muscular dystrophy patients end up being completely dependent on their care-givers. You have to lift them, assist them in eating, bathe them and even take them to the toilet. At night, they will not be able to turn. They will need electrical adjustable medical beds such as the invacare hospital bed for their comfort. And even with these electrical beds, you will still have to wake up to press the pendant control since the patient is too weak to stretch out their arms and do so.
Invacare Beds for Muscular Dystrophy patients
Having dealt with families living with a muscular dystrophy kid, I know how hard and expensive it can get. The teenager can do nothing on their own. This ties up the parents who have to be at the beck and call of the child. They also have to dig deep into their savings to buy wheelchairs, special utensils, set up ramps so that it is easy to move the child and so much more.
Buying a good hospital bed would be expensive and they now rely on funds from donors to buy the medical beds. Using a traditional flat bed is no option since it would cause the following complications:
-Bed sores/ pressure ulcers
-Difficulty while swallowing or breathing
-Advanced muscle wasting as they try to adjust their feet and head positions.
The invacare full electric bed is however an indispensable furniture when you are dealing with such kind of ailments. With a medical bed, the patient is able to have their feet and head adjusted for comfort. The bed rails make the bed safe so that they do not have to worry of rolling over in their sleep.
Benefits of electric bed for muscular dystrophy
–Better sleep quality in an anatomically good posture.
–Permits the patient to stay at home as opposed to in a hospital environment
–Reduces pressure ulcers
–Improves breathing
–Requires less assistance from caregivers.
