Types of Chronic Degenerative Diseases

Our medical team treats several types of chronic degenerative diseases with cutting-edge, science-based, customized treatments. Seraph Medical experts also work closely with the scientific team at Seraph Research Institute to enable patients to participate in pioneering research studies that can potentially heal, or slow down the progression of an aggressive chronic degenerative disease.

Chron’s Disease

There are over 100 different types of autoimmune diseases that occur as a result of the body’s immune system mistaking healthy cells for invaders, causing the body’s natural defense system to go on the attack. 

One of the main autoimmune diseases the Seraph Medical team treats is Crohn’s disease, which causes chronic inflammation – referred to as flare-ups – in the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s often causes abdominal pain, fatigue, diarrhea, fever, reduced appetite, and other symptoms.

Flare-ups can be caused by a number of factors, including stress, certain medications (such as aspirin or ibuprofen), smoking, poor diet, seasonal changes, infections, and more. The disease is traditionally treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, immune suppressors, and a host of other medications that can cause serious side effects, and do not get to the root cause of the inflammatory response.

Retinopathy

Retinopathy is another chronic degenerative condition the Seraph Medical team treats with specialized and personalized treatment plans. There are many types of this chronic disease, which develop and progress at different rates, caused by various factors. The resulting damage to the retina of the eye causes vision impairment or blindness.

There are several forms of retinopathy, including:

Hypertensive Retinopathy: Hypertension is another word for high blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, it can cause blockage to the retinal blood vessels – which causes them to bleed. Hypertension can also cause the optic nerve to swell. This form of retinopathy is often discovered during an eye exam that is scheduled as a result of someone experiencing blurred vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy: There are two kinds of diabetic retinopathy that can develop over time in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Nonproliferative Retinopathy: This type of diabetic retinopathy is a result of the blood vessels in the retina becoming blocked and then deteriorating. The deterioration triggers a reaction that produces a collection of fluid in the retina, which ultimately creates swelling that leads to vision impairment.

Proliferative Retinopathy: This form of diabetic retinopathy, caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels on the surface of the retina. The abnormal growth leads to a small amount of frequent bleeding, which results in the retinal scarring that ultimately leads to impaired vision.

Proliferative retinopathy can also cause sudden impaired vision, as a result of bleeding in the gel located between the retina and the lens, known as the vitreous. The most serious form of proliferative retinopathy causes the retina to detach. If you suddenly experience blurred vision, difficulty reading, see tiny floating particles or flashes of light and/or shadows around your field of vision, you could be experiencing retinal detachment and should seek medical care immediately.

Central Serous Retinopathy

Scientists have not determined what causes central serous retinopathy, but they do know that it results in the accumulation of fluid in the membrane behind the retina. The fluid then flows into the various layers between the retina, resulting in separation. Symptoms include poor night vision, blind spots, vision distortion, and blurred vision.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a group of chronic degenerative retinal eye diseases that cause progressive loss of central vision. This form of vision helps estimate distance, focus on the space directly ahead, see details clearly and read.

Early and intermediate stages of macular degeneration typically have very little impact on central vision, but later stages of the disease can cause significant impaired vision.

The later stages are divided into two types: dry (atrophic) macular degeneration or wet (neovascular) macular degeneration.

Dry (atrophic) is caused by the gradual atrophy (degeneration) of retinal cells, which can lead to a gradual loss of central vision.

Wet (neovascular) is caused by the formation of fragile blood vessels that cause fluid and blood to leak within and under the retina. This often leads to a rapid loss of central vision.

On occasion, loss of vision in one eye may go unnoticed if vision in the other eye remains unaffected.

Our Approach to Chronic Degenerative Conditions

Patients from all over the world travel to Seraph Medical, where we use science as our tool to explore a wider scope of treatment modalities. Our medical team works in collaboration with the Seraph Research Institute to decipher the patient’s unique condition, beyond the diagnosis, to create personalized treatment plans. Our plans involve science and deduction, rather than rote memorization of medical protocols.

Our entire team recognizes that every patient is different, because no two  patients with the exact same disease, receiving the exact same treatment, respond in the exact same manner to the treatment. The Seraph Medical team understands the need for treatment customization, and works in collaboration with Seraph Research Institute – which has achieved breakthroughs in the field of regenerative medicine for patients with chronic degenerative diseases.

If you have been diagnosed with a chronic degenerative disease and are considering treatment options, or have exhausted all traditional treatment methods, please contact us to schedule a consultation.