Definition
If the connective tissue can no longer fulfil its function as a supporting and holding apparatus for certain reasons or loses its elasticity, this is called weakness of the connective tissue. This is much more common than one would think and mainly affects the female sex. The weaker connective tissue can no longer support the gliding and the shifting of the organs against each other, but the weakness of the connective tissue is also visible from the outside: the skin loses elasticity, appears flabbier and stretch marks can become visible.
In the vernacular this is also called “cellulite” and can affect women at a very young age. When there is an internal loss of strength in the connective tissue (especially a loss of the content of tight, collagenous fibers), “sinking processes” of organs (for example, the uterus) can occur internally. The blood vessels affected by a weaker connective tissue form dilations, which in the extreme case can become visible on the outside as varicose veins.
Causes
But how does such a weakness of the connective tissue come about? In general, the predisposition to a weak or weakening connective tissue is genetically determined. This is the basis of the genetic material that codes for the formation of collagen fibers.
With increasing age, the strength of the connective tissue decreases in every person. The hormone status of the woman is also decisive in determining whether she has strong or weak connective tissue. Since the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone play an important role in strengthening connective tissue, women are also more frequently affected than men.
In phases in which the hormone balance changes particularly strongly, such as during the menopause, when there is a sharp drop in estrogen and progesterone levels, the connective tissue is much more susceptible and decreases in strength. Thus, stretch marks are increasingly formed during these phases, which can remain visible as scars until the end of life. However, the connective tissue is also more susceptible and weaker when there are strong fluctuations in hormone status, e.g. during pregnancy or puberty.
This is how the so-called stretch marks develop during pregnancy or stretch marks in fast-growing, pubescent girls. There are, however, several factors that influence the structure of the connective tissue independent of the hormone status. For example, lifestyles such as an extremely high-fat diet, severe overweight, lack of exercise and smoking have a beneficial effect on connective tissue weakness.
The connective tissue serves to exchange substances within organs and substances can be temporarily stored. If this intermediate storage is filled with many toxins due to an unhealthy diet, this can lead to an overacidification of the tissue and ultimately to a loss of function of the connective tissue. Since regular exercise and sport have a detoxifying effect on the body, sufficient and regular exercise can counteract the weakness of the connective tissue.
Drugs that cause such an overacidification of the tissue also eventually lead to a loss of function of the connective tissue. A genetic disorder that is not very common, but nevertheless worth mentioning, which leads to weak connective tissue is the congenital “Marfan syndrome“. Those affected have a very pronounced weakness of the connective tissue.
Thus, they have severe problems with frequently protruding, overstretchable joints and are conspicuous for their pronounced bone growth. They are usually very large and have long, thin fingers. In addition to the externally visible symptoms, they often have diseases of the cardiovascular system and the eye.
This disease is very rare, however, and is usually already noticeable in childhood due to the symptoms that occur in addition to the weakness of the connective tissue. Since the connective tissue in the human body has to fulfill so many different and important tasks, a weakness of the connective tissue is noticeable by different symptoms – depending on which part of the functions can no longer be fulfilled by the connective tissue. Due to the already mentioned causes, a weakness of the connective tissue can lead to the loss of the skin’s firmness and thus to the image of “cellulite“.
In addition, stretch marks and stretch marks can occur, which are often visible on the stomach or on the inner sides of the thighs. These outwardly visible symptoms are usually the first signs of a weakness of the connective tissue and can also remain the only symptoms. In the case of a pronounced weakness of the connective tissue, the connective tissue of the internal organs can also be affected, leading to further symptoms.
For example, the so-called “spider veins” on the legs of those affected become increasingly visible.These are small, superficial veins with many branches. In worse cases, the weakness of the connective tissue can also be seen in the larger venous vessels on the leg. There, the venous valves lose their function and the blood accumulates in the superficial veins because it can no longer flow properly back to the heart via the deeper venous system.
The lack of exercise also has a reinforcing or beneficial effect on this. A herniated disc (prolapse), which can lead to considerable pain and restrictions in movement, can also be the symptom of weak connective tissue. Then the intervertebral disc can “protrude” from its original shape and, in the worst case, press on the exiting nerves of the spinal cord, resulting in the above-mentioned symptoms.
Another symptom of connective tissue weakness can be the so-called “inguinal hernia” (also called “hernia”). In this case, the connective tissue of the abdominal wall loses its strength and intestinal loops can break through into the inguinal canal. The affected person often suffers from severe abdominal pain and when the internal abdominal pressure is increased (e.g. caused by coughing) the hernia becomes palpable.
Hernias in the diaphragm or at the level of the abdomen are also possible. If the weakness of the connective tissue is very pronounced and affects the supporting apparatus of the internal organs, it can lead to subsidence processes of some organs, up to a prolapse. For example, the uterus is often prolapsed.