Hirschsprung’s disease
Human systems: human pathophysiology
Title: i choose: Hirschsprung’s disease
Number of sources: 2
Paper instructions:
Review: Review the conditions and diseases in Chapters 19-20 of Human Disease textbook. You can also review the Case Studies at the end of Chapters 19-20 of Workbook to Accompany Human Disease.
Formulate: Pick a condition, disease or a case study that you would like to further discuss and research and formulate an informative response for your classmates. Response must be written in your own words. You can include common symptoms, etiology, treatment options, and any other informative information that you would like to share about your choice
Hirschsprung’s disease is a body disorder that affects the large intestines where the part of muscle walls lacks nerve cells. Absence of nerve cells means that the ganglia are also absence which acts as intermediary connections in the neurological structures (Meinds, van der Steeg, Sloots, Witvliet, de Blaauw, van Gemert, & Broens, 2019). In the colon ganglia play important role by allowing the bowel to relax flexibly. If the bowel fails to relax and remains narrow, this means that stool cannot pass through and ends up accumulating in the bowel and passing stool becomes hard. Hirschsprung’s disease is most common among new born babies where the colon bowel fails to relax for a period of almost 48 hours.
One of the symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease is that a child starts to experience stomach bloating, which is also known as abdominal distention. Another symptom of Hirschsprung’s disorder is vomiting which gradually develops and becomes severe (Nakamura, Lim, & Puri, 2018). In other cases, a child may not experience the symptoms at an early age but the symptoms show up later in life. These delayed symptoms are loss of appetite, stunted growth passing watery stool and abdominal distention.
The medical practitioners have not yet determined the main cause of Hirschsprung’s disease among newborn babies. However, health practitioners believe that genetic factors can contribute to Hirschsprung’s disorder among newborn children (Nakamura, Lim, & Puri, 2018). Genetic factors may be a cause to Hirschsprung’s disease in cases where a family member to the child having the disorder may also have experienced the disorder. Such a family members may be the parent to the child and if it is the mother who had the Hirschsprung’s disease, chances are higher the child will have the Hirschsprung’s disease. Gender is also a determinant factor since baby boys are five times more likely to experience the Hirschsprung’s disease compared to baby girls.
One of the medical treatments for Hirschsprung’s disease is a surgical operation followed by a continuous medical follow-up. A gastroenterologist is the medical practitioner responsible with the follow up, addressing chronic constipation and other implications the child may be having (Nakamura, Lim, & Puri, 2018). The informative information that I would like to share concerning Hirschsprung’s disorder is that a child can live a normal life after the surgery. Living a normal life is only possible if the gastroenterologist carrys out the right follow up.
References
Meinds, R. J., van der Steeg, A. F., Sloots, C. E., Witvliet, M. J., de Blaauw, I., van Gemert, W. G., … & Broens, P. M. (2019). Long‐term functional outcomes and quality of life in patients with Hirschsprung’s disease. The British journal of surgery, 106(4), 499.
Nakamura, H., Lim, T., & Puri, P. (2018). Inflammatory bowel disease in patients with Hirschsprung’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatric surgery international, 34(2), 149-154.
