Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) can cause further health complications, and this condition may affect your lifestyle in general.
You can find more information and practical advice about living with CMT on the CMT UK website.
Breathing difficulties
In rare cases, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) affects nerves that control your diaphragm (a muscle used to help you breath). This can lead to breathing difficulties. For example, you may always feel out of breath.
Always report any breathing-related symptoms to your GP as soon as possible because any problem with your ability to breathe needs prompt treatment.
If you have breathing difficulties, you may be prescribed bronchodilator medicines, which can assist your breathing by widening your airways. In more severe cases, you may need to use a mechanical breathing aid, such as a ventilator.
If you are overweight, try to lose weight. Reaching your healthy weight will reduce the stress on your diaphragm and make breathing easier. You can use the healthy weight calculator to find out your ideal weight for your height.
Depression
Living with a long-term (chronic) condition that you know will get worse can be stressful and can lead to depression.
If you have been feeling down during the past month and take no pleasure from things you used to enjoy, you may have depression. If this is the case, contact your GP.
Talking to other people who are living with CMT may reduce feelings of isolation and stress. See the CMT UK website for details of the UK’s largest CMT support group.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Some studies have shown that a type of therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help people cope better with a chronic condition, such as CMT.
CBT is based on the principle that the way you feel partly depends on the way you think about things.
Training yourself to react differently to your condition, using relaxation techniques and keeping a positive attitude has been shown to reduce pain and stress levels. You are also more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet, which will also help you to cope better with your CMT.
Studies have shown that people with CMT who are employed tend to cope better with their condition than people who do not work. If finding paid work is difficult, you could consider doing voluntary activities.
Employment
In some cases, people with CMT may find that problems with their hands or feet affect their job. You are legally protected against discrimination at work by the Equality Act 2010, which replaced most of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
Under the Equality Act, a disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal activities.
The Equality Act ensures employers cannot discriminate against people who are disabled, including job applicants, contract workers and existing employees.
Your employer cannot treat you badly or differently from other employees. For more information and advice, see the Directgov website.
