What's the difference between a syndrome, a disorder, and a disease?

Anyone with ehlers danlos syndrome, please help...?

• Hey peeps! So, after many months of people calling me a hypochondriac and being crazy, I finally got a diagnosis. Turns out, my family doctor is also a geneticist. So, she read my 3 page list of symptoms, didn't disregard me as crazy, and started asking me all these questions. Like, do I have trouble starting my stream of urine? (sometimes), can I bend my thumb back to my wrist? Can I shake hands with myself behind my back? Do I have any stretch marks? Feel dizzy upon standing? (yes, yes, yes, and yes). My blood pressure kept getting lower, celiac levels and WBC count were slightly high, rotten egg burps/vomiting episodes/dizzy spells all my life. Anyway, she said that it could all be related to EDS. My one symptom has me stumped though. My clothes keep getting looser. But the scale says I haven't lost any weight. It's not dramatically looser, but loose enough where you can kind of see the difference. So, I was reading about adipose tissue which is body fat right? * 17 minutes ago * - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 16 minutes ago Well, if you have a connective tissue disorder like EDS, can't it damage your adipose tissue causing your body fat or whatever to become lesser? I know, it sounds crazy, and I don't even know if I'm making sense right now, but I thought about that. Also, for anyone living with EDS, what has your life been like living with it? Is it really horrible? My doctor said I have the classical type. I didn't have a skin biopsy done to see if I have the vascular type, but she's a geneticist and she works with people all the time who have tissue disorders. I'm guessing she would be able to tell which one I had for sure since she probably see's people with the vascular type. She also wants me to have an x-ray done of my cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine because she suspects degenerative disc disease. She also wants me to have a gastric emptying scan done to see if I have gastroparesis (the rotten egg burps and vomiting episodes. I've gotten these my whole life). And she also thinks I should go b 16 minutes ago back to see my gastroenterologist to get an endoscopy done to rule out celiac since my levels were a little high. I was supposed to have one done before, But I'm very paranoid about the tools not being sterilized and catching a disease from it. I just turned 20, and this is a lot to take in all at once. I feel so confused and stressed right now. I guess cause I know I finally have a diagnosis and I know that I just have to have a few more tests done, and maybe I can finally get on with my life, ya know? Sorry this was so long. Thanks for listening =)

• Answer:

  I have a related connective tissue disorder - and I have a really hard time with weight as well, but as far as the clothes... The scale says that you weigh the same and your clothes are getting looser I'm guessing because they are getting stretched out (blue jeans seem to do this the worst) - it took me a lonnnng time to figure that out. Adipose tissue IS fat - and fat is NOT connective tissue. I'm sticking with my "as clothes wear out they stretch out" hypothesis ;)