What is Behcet's Disease?

A vast number of my posts will likely discuss what it's like living with a chronic illness. Two illnesses, actually. However, the main focus will be on Behcet's Disease as it accounts for the majority of my health problems. It is unlikely that you have heard of Behcet's Disease, or BD, because it is a very rare autoimmune disease. Most of the doctors I have encountered are not even aware of BD.

Behcet's is pronounced "Beh SHETS." This disease is a multisystemic disorder that results in inflammation of the various blood vessles throughout the body. This inflammation is also known as vasculitis. Being an autoimmune disease, BD is characterized by a cluster of symptoms that arise as a result of an individual's immune system essentially attacking itself. There is a genetic component to BD, however, many patients do not have a member of the family with BD. Rather, there tends to be a genetic predisposition for autoimmune diseases in general within the family. For instance, individuals in my family suffer from different autoimmune diseases, although I am the only one with BD.

Behcet's is NOT contagious. Although the statistics differ, generally speaking, there are approximately 14,000 cases of BD in the United States. The disease is typically prevalent in individuals from the "silk route," which includes people from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Far East. However, BD is found in people regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. In the silk route, BD mainly affects men. In the US, females are more likely to have the disease.

As I mentioned earlier, there is typically a genetic predisposition to BD. However, an environmental trigger is necessary to bring about symptoms. In my case, stress and a bad case of strep throat, in addition to my genetic predisposition, resulted in Behcet's symptoms. There is little known about the cause, prognosis, and treatment of Behcet's Disease. Like many other illnesses, each case differs depending on the individual. My case is severe. I have been told by numerous doctors that my case is one of the worst cases they have ever seen, mainly because it is very resistent to medications. I have tried approximately 23 different treatment regimines, ranging from oral pills to daily subcutaneous injections. Nothing has been effective in putting my Behcet's Disease into a long term remission.

Typically, autoimmune diseases, BD included, can be seen in stages. There are times when an individual is relatively symptom free. This is called a remission. Those periods when an individual is suffering from symptoms is called a "flare up." Although I have displayed symptoms for approximately 8 years, I have been sick every single day for the past 5 years.

I will not go into detail about every aspect of BD. If you would like to know more, you can research Behcet's Disease and find out additional information. You can find out about symptoms and treatment. I will discuss specific symptomsas well as other aspects of the disease and how it affects my life in future posts.