Knowing your history and where you come from can be very important in determining someone's sense of self-worth. A lot of people derive many of their customs from their ancestors going back generations upon generations, but what you might not realise is that it is not just cultural traditions that you inherit from your parents, grandparents and their relatives before them. Genetic conditions very commonly run very deep in the DNA of families going back hundreds of years, and science is only now at a point where many of these conditions can be investigated and preventative work can begin even before you show any symptoms.

Hereditary Diseases

Your DNA is a mix of your mothers and fathers which, in turn, was a mix of their parents before them and so on. Your DNA can contain markers that suggest you will be more likely to develop certain genetic conditions. However, most people will have no reason to think that this is a major issue for them because they just don't think about it. That is why knowing about your family history can be so important; if you can see a health trend in your family where a lot of people develop one kind of condition then there is a very high chance you could have it too.

What Type Of Conditions Are Hereditary?

Many diseases are considered hereditary that can be revealed through testing. These include everything from psoriasis, a skin condition, to heart diseases and cystic fibrosis. Hereditary conditions were perhaps made famous by haemophilia, which is where your blood doesn't clot so when you are cut you continue to bleed for much longer. Many royal families in Europe struggled with this and it is present in many to this day. Luckily, testing and treatment for hereditary conditions have gotten much better.

Genetic Screening

Genetic screening is the best way to test for hereditary conditions and all it requires is a small swab of saliva or sometimes blood. The genetic screening results will tell you exactly what conditions and diseases you are most susceptible too and in some cases, you may begin preventative treatment right away. However, it is important to note that this is not a confirmed diagnosis of said disease, just that you are more likely to develop it than most. So, remember the next time you hear a family member talking about how a lot of your relatives seem to lose their eyesight at a younger age or struggle with diabetes, genetic screening could help provide the answers to why this is the case.