Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome Overview Alpers disease is a rare mitochondrial disease that affects your brain, liver and muscles. Alpers disease leads to: Dementia. Liver failure. Seizures. You can show symptoms of Alpers disease anytime between ages 1 month and 36 years. But symptoms usually start in early childhood, most commonly between ages 2 and 4. Others may develop the disease later, usually between ages 17 and 24. This condition is most often fatal. Defects in a gene cause Alpers disease, an inherited disorder passed down through families. You have Alpers disease from birth, but people usually don’t notice symptoms for weeks or years. Other names for Alpers disease include: Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome. Alpers syndrome. Diffuse cerebral degeneration in infancy. Progressive cerebral poliodystrophy. Progressive infantile poliodystrophy. Symptoms Seizures (refractory epilepsy) are usually the first symptom to appear. The other main symptoms are: Liver disease. Slowing down of think...
Allergic Asthma Overview What is allergic asthma? Allergic or allergy-induced asthma is a condition where your airways tighten when you breathe in an allergen. Most often, these allergens are in the air — like dust mites, pollen, animal dander or mold spores. When you have allergies, your body creates a response to something it thinks is a threat — the allergen. Your immune system fires up all of its defenses to try and fight off this danger. Your immune system releases various chemicals that cause inflammation, or swelling, and squeezing of your airways upon exposure to an allergen Symptoms What are the symptoms of allergic asthma? If you have allergic asthma, you may have many of the same symptoms you’d experience with other types of asthma. These symptoms can include: Feeling short of breath. Coughing frequently, especially at night. Wheezing (a whistling noise during breathing). Experiencing chest tightness (feeling like something is pressing on your chest). Allergen exposure can a...