Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue.
Connective tissues provide support in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones.
EDS can affect people in different ways. For some, the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling.
The different types of EDS are caused by faults in certain genes that make connective tissue weaker.
Depending on the type of EDS, the faulty gene may have been inherited from 1 parent or both parents.
Sometimes the faulty gene is not inherited, but occurs in the person for the first time.