The Genes of Fibromyalgia; How it Can be Inherited.
Most of the time Fibromyalgia comes out of nowhere, with no warning or reason. Sometimes, there are things leading up to it, one of the main things they have found a connection with is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) Studies have shown that over 50% of people suffering from Fibromyalgia went through a trauma that caused them to develop PTSD before they developed Fibromyalgia. But, are there other things? What if our Parents had it? Are we more susceptible to it, then? And if we have it is there a greater chance our children could develop it? Doctors and researchers say yes, there is sometimes a hereditary factor in developing Fibromyalgia.
Though Fibromyalgia is not passed from generation to generation like some diseases are, it does raise the risk of getting it if immediate family members have it. Researchers believe that the reason for this is in the DNA. People with Fibromyalgia have abnormalities in their DNA that is directly related to the nervous system and how it functions. Abnormalities in that can mean abnormalities in the nerves themselves and how they transmit pain signals to the body; that is the case in Fibromyalgia. As most of you know, the chronic pain you feel with Fibromyalgia is due to over-active nerve endings; causing us to feel constant pain and causing us to feel more severe pain than others.
Studies have shown that in families where Fibromyalgia is present, many of the other family members have the same DNA abnormalities. Though, this does not mean all the members of the family with this abnormality will develop Fibromyalgia, it simply means that the risk is higher. It's hit or miss with this disease, and that makes it scarier. You don't know if you will develop it if your parents had it and you don't know if your children will have it if you do; chances are the DNA abnormalities are there, but they can't tell you for sure if the disease will be passed on. The best thing we can do is be prepared; if someone in your immediate family has this disease then learn about it and understand that there is a possibility that you could develop it. The same goes for if you have it and have children or are planning on having them in the future; you never know so you need to be prepared.
Researchers hope that one day they'll be able to track the hereditary movement of this disease, but for now all we can do is be knowledgeable about the risks to ourselves and our family members. Like it is with most other things relating to Fibromyalgia: Knowledge is power.
Love, A.
