Metabolic Disorders : General overview

This online article published in Better Medicine from Healthgrades, presents a very basic, general overview of metabolic systems, a very basic introduction to metabolic disorders, symptoms, causes, and treatments. Even though the only reference to body odor mentioned is "body fluids that have a maple smell," and doesn't really mention other types of metabolic odors that result from the various types of metabolic disorders, it does present a very general overview of some of the more common metabolic disorders. These are some of the symptoms addressed in the article:

What are metabolic disorders

Metabolism is the breaking down of food to its simpler components: proteins, carbohydrates (or sugars), and fats. Metabolic disorders occur when these normal processes become disrupted. Disorders in metabolism can be inherited, in which case they are also known as inborn errors of metabolism, or they may be acquired during your lifetime...

Symptoms of inherited metabolic disorders

Symptoms of metabolic disorders that run in families include:

• Body fluids that have a maple smell
• Bone abnormalities such as osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones)
• Difficulty with memory, thinking, talking, comprehension, writing or reading
• Enlarged liver, heart, kidney or spleen
• Failure to thrive in infants and children
• Frequent infections
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Loss of vision or changes in vision
• Muscle twitching, spasms or seizures
• Muscle weakness
• Paralysis

Symptoms of acquired metabolic disorders

Symptoms of metabolic disorders that you can acquire during your lifetime include:

• Chronic or persistent diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Irritability and mood changes
• Muscle cramping
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Rapid breathing (tachypnea) or shortness of breath

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, metabolic disorders can be life threatening. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including:

• Bluish coloration of the lips or fingernails
• Change in mental status or sudden behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations and delusions
• Respiratory or breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing, wheezing, not breathing, choking
• Seizure

Metabolic Disorders Spotlight
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https://medlineplus.gov/metabolicdisorders.html

María

María de la Torre
Founder and Executive Director

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