It is not possible to change hereditary conditions because they are caused by genetic information that is already built into a person’s DNA at the moment of conception. This DNA is present in nearly every cell of the body and acts as the instruction manual for how the body grows, develops, and functions. Once these genetic instructions are set, current medical science cannot safely rewrite them across all cells of an existing human being.

In simple terms: hereditary conditions are not acquired later in life, and they are not controlled by habits, environment, or willpower. They are encoded at the biological level, long before a person is born.

This question is being asked worldwide for several reasons:

  • Increased public awareness of genetics through consumer DNA tests
  • Rapid advances in gene-editing technologies like CRISPR
  • Social media claims suggesting genes can be “fixed” or “reprogrammed”
  • Growing conversations around inherited diseases, disability, and prevention

As science headlines become more accessible, many people assume that if genes can be studied, they can also be easily changed. That assumption is driving confusion.

What’s Confirmed vs What’s Unclear

Confirmed facts:

  • Hereditary conditions originate from DNA passed from parents to child.
  • DNA exists in trillions of cells throughout the body.
  • There is no existing medical method to safely change inherited DNA in all cells of a living person.

What remains limited or unclear:

  • Whether future technologies could safely alter genes across the entire body
  • How to correct genetic conditions without unintended side effects
  • Long-term impacts of germline gene editing (changes passed to future generations)

At present, these remain research questions, not clinical realities.

What People Are Getting Wrong

Several misconceptions are common:

  • “Lifestyle changes can fix genetic conditions.”
    Lifestyle can influence symptoms or outcomes, but it cannot rewrite DNA.
  • “Gene editing can cure inherited diseases today.”
    Gene editing is experimental and, in most cases, limited to specific cells or laboratory settings.
  • “If science can identify a gene, it can remove it.”
    Identifying a gene is far easier than safely altering it across an entire organism.

These misunderstandings often come from oversimplified media explanations.

Real-World Impact (Everyday Scenarios)

Scenario 1: A family with an inherited condition
A parent with a hereditary disorder may ask whether their child’s genes can be changed after birth. The answer is no. What medicine can do instead is monitor, manage symptoms, and reduce complications.

Scenario 2: An adult diagnosed through genetic testing
Someone may discover they carry genes linked to a hereditary disease. This knowledge helps with prevention and planning, but it does not mean the gene itself can be removed.

In both cases, the value lies in management, not alteration.

Benefits, Risks & Limitations

What medicine can do:

  • Treat symptoms
  • Reduce disease progression
  • Improve quality of life
  • Offer genetic counseling for future family planning

What medicine cannot do:

  • Replace inherited DNA across the body
  • Eliminate a genetic condition entirely
  • Guarantee prevention for future generations

Risks of attempting change:

  • Unintended mutations
  • Damage to healthy genes
  • Ethical and safety concerns, especially with inherited edits

What to Watch Next

The most realistic advances to watch are:

  • Better treatments targeting affected cells only
  • Early detection and intervention
  • Safer, highly limited gene therapies for specific conditions

None of these involve fully changing hereditary makeup in living humans.

What You Can Ignore Safely

  • Claims that genes can be “reprogrammed” through mindset, diet, or supplements
  • Viral posts promising permanent genetic cures
  • Overconfident timelines predicting near-term gene rewriting for everyone

These are not supported by current science.

Can hereditary conditions be prevented before birth?
In some cases, genetic screening and assisted reproduction can reduce risk, but this does not change existing genes in a person.

Can gene therapy cure genetic diseases?
Gene therapy may treat or reduce symptoms in specific cells, but it does not change all inherited DNA.

Will this change in the future?
Possibly, but any such change would require breakthroughs far beyond today’s capabilities and would involve serious ethical review.