Accelerated Aging

Don’t you know that there is a certain disease that could speed-up aging? I’m not talking about normal “rapid aging” here, but prematurely aging beginning in childhood. This disease is called Progeria. Also known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, Progeria is a rare condition by which its symptoms greatly resemble the normal aging of humans, but attack young children. It is an illness that causes the sufferer to age twice the normal rate. This disease appears within the first year of life. Children suffering from this condition may show prevalent abnormalities like baldness, dwarfism, narrow face, dry and scaly skin, a pinched nose, limited range of motion, large head size or face and delayed teeth growth or absent formation. As the disease progresses, they may develop other complications like stiff joints, atherosclerosis that may cause strokes and heart problems, hip dislocations and other conditions that normal elders also experience.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease and all the doctors can do is supplement children suffering from this illness with the necessary vitamins, prescribe proper intake diet and relieve their discomforts. An average patient may live past their early teens but some can live up to 30 years.