Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when the abnormal protein amyloid builds up in one’s organs. Amyloid is produced in bone marrow. Severe amyloidosis can cause organ failure leading to death. Unfortunately, symptoms of amyloidosis often do not develop until the disease is in an advanced stage. Symptoms include an enlarged tongue, difficulty swallowing, purple colored patches around the eyes, and significant weight loss. There is no cure, but treatments are available to manage the symptoms.

Amyloidosis is diagnosed through a tissue biopsy and most people with the disease are over the age of 60. Most often treatment includes chemotherapy and dexamethasone to help with inflammation. Bone marrow stem cell transplants are also used, along with kidney transplants.

There are three main types of amyloidosis, including:

1. Light chain AL amyloidosis

This is the most common type of amyloidosis primarily affecting one’s heart, kidney, skin, nerves and liver. The abnormal antibodies that are produced attach to one’s tissues causing the organs to stop functioning as they should. When the nervous system is affected, one most often has pain, or tingling of the fingers, a burning sensation or lack of feeling in the toes and/or soles of the feet, and one may have bowel issues causing periods of both constipation and diarrhea. If the nerves that control blood pressure are affected, one will have dizziness and episodes of near fainting. Males are most likely to have this type.

2. Autoimmune AA amyloidosis

This type mainly affects the kidneys, but can also affect the liver, heart, and digestive system. AA amyloidosis occurs in conjunction with either inflammatory diseases or chronic infectious diseases. This includes rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. When the heart is affected, the heart loses its ability to fill up with blood between heart beats, thus the symptoms of shortness of breath and an irregular heart beat.

3. Hereditary amyloidosis

This is also known as familial amyloidosis and is inherited. This type most often attacks the kidneys, nerves, liver, and heart. People who have gene abnormalities at birth have an increased risk of developing this type of amyloidosis. There are many different types of gene abnormalities that can lead to this increased risk. The specific type of amyloid gene abnormality and the location contribute to possible complications, the age of which the symptoms begin, and the way in which the disease progresses. In terms of the kidneys, amyloids damage the filtering system, so that the kidneys’ ability to remove waste products is compromised and causes protein to leak from the blood into your urine. This eventually causes the kidneys to fail.