Symptoms
The symptoms of EDS can vary depending on the form and severity of the condition. Patients may experience some of the following general symptoms:
- Overly flexible joints
- Overly stretchy skin
- Fragile skin
- Fatty lumps around the knees or elbows
Patients with vascular EDS often have physical characteristics that are distinctive to the condition. These may include:
- Thin nose
- Thin upper lip
- Small earlobes
- Prominent eyes
- Transparent skin
Vascular EDS can cause the blood vessels of the body to weaken — increasing the risk of rupturing the aorta, the blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body.
Causes and Risk Factors
EDS is caused by a genetic mutation that can occur in one of eight different genes, based on the type of EDS the patient has. People with EDS have a 50 percent chance of passing the condition on to their children.