What is Turner's Syndrome?

 Most people have never heard of Turner’s Syndrome. If I did not have it, I would never even knew it existed. TS is a rare genetic disorder affecting 1 out of 2,500 females. There are many health issues that can be related to TS but not all women with TS have every health complication or all the issues related with TS. Primarily, hormone production (or lack thereof) is a major concern that most of/if not all women with TS deal with it. This results in two of the main issues for women with TS, short stature and primary ovarian failure. Some of the other health issues consist of thyroid issues, lymphedema, congenital heart disease, respiratory issues, kidney malformation, anxiety, learning disabilities (especially with reading and math).

Diagnosis for TS can be tricky and can come at any age. Most women are diagnosed either at birth or during their early adolescent years. Being diagnosed at birth Is one of the rarer ways to be diagnosed. Most women with TS do not show the signs until early adolescent age or early childhood when they are not growing properly. A woman with TS can be diagnosed a birth when during routine follow ups during pregnancy and ultra sounds abnormalities are found. These can include congenital heart disease and fluid build up to just name a few. Further testing can be done to confirm the diagnosis of TS at that time. When one is diagnosed later on in life, it is usually due to not developing properly (i.e. not starting puberty).

As you can see, TS is very complex. However, we women with TS are able to live very full and normal lives! Every women diagnosed with TS is unique and each case is different. I have cited the Turner Syndrome Society website where I did my research and also as a good resource for further information if you are interested. I am also attaching a graphic that shares some statistics and lists the signs/characteristics of TS.

TS Society Website: https://www.turnersyndrome.org/