5 Diseases That are Worse Than We Expect
4 min readIn the past few years, we have seen a surge in diseases worse than we previously thought. The extent of these diseases is horrifying, and they now cannot be cured with traditional medicines. If you believe you’re in good health, we hope these facts will make you think again. You may not be as healthy as you thought. We should be more aware of our health and eating habits to prevent such infectious diseases. But unfortunately, unless someone suffers from chronic diseases or has a compromised immune system, they cannot avoid these diseases that are causing so much suffering and death. Here are some health problems that are worse than they sound!
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a disease caused by an intracellular parasite called Babesia. The parasites are transmitted to humans via tick bites and can cause severe headaches, fever and fatigue. In extreme cases, the patients could develop anemia. The life cycle of Babesia is similar to that of malaria, as they both require the host’s red blood cells to complete their parasitic stage. Recently, babesiosis has been spreading more rapidly due to climate change. Studies show that babesiosis is common among people living in urban areas, especially near forests.
Dengue Fever
Dengue is a severe flu-like disease that occurs when the Aedes mosquito bites an infected person. Although dengue has no vaccines or antibiotics, it can be treated with drugs such as ribavirin, icatibant, and albendazole. Dengue is believed to have originated in Central and South America and moved northward across the continents over time. Although it is not fatal, it can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, muscle pain, and a high fever. Dengue fever is usually not fatal but can sometimes lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), a severe infection that can be life-threatening. When people are sick with DHF, they may have nosebleeds, bruising, and bleeding from their gums and eyes. They may also have organ failure or experience problems with blood clotting.
Ebola
Ebola was first identified in 1976, but most people only knew about it after 2014. Ebola has been making headlines worldwide in the past two years as it has reached epidemic levels. The mortality rate is exceptionally high, and there is still no known vaccine that can cure it. In some countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, 59% of the people who have contracted Ebola have died.
Ebola is a highly contagious and deadly disease that harms humans and animals. In the past, the Ebola virus was spread mainly through infected blood or body fluids from infected animals or people. Today, it is primarily spread by handling dead animals infected with it, such as chimpanzees and gorillas. To remain in the environment for long periods, Ebola must be kept at +4 °C or lower to stay viable.
Tuberculosis
People with tuberculosis (TB) may have a cough that lasts for more than two weeks, which is the disease’s main symptom. If a person has TB in the lungs, it can cause breathing to become more challenging and more complex, making it hard for them to breathe. They may also feel tired and weak or experience fatigue. In some cases, someone with TB can develop lung abscesses (tuberculosis tumors), worsening coughing. TB spreads through droplets from infected people’s coughs, sneezes, and sputum. TB can be treated with antibiotics. However, some strains of TB are resistant to certain antibiotics that humans use to treat it. Due to this resistance, some people may not respond well to treatment for TB. Also, the bacteria that cause TB can survive for a long time in dried sputum and other shared environments such as bathrooms or kitchens where there is a risk of getting in contact with someone with the disease.
Diabetes
For centuries, diabetes was only known to cause high blood sugar. But it turns out that diabetes is a complicated disease involving several other body organs and systems. There are many different types of diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, type 1, formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes, is caused by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas that destroys it. This leaves the body unable to produce insulin, a hormone that allows cells to absorb and use glucose for energy. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. It occurs when the body cannot make enough insulin or when cells become resistant to insulin, so your body cannot use glucose properly.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for between 90 and 95% of all cases of diabetes. Endocrinologists in US have recently introduced the term “diabetes” to describe type 2 diabetes, which has become popular in other parts of the world. Most children and adolescents with diabetes have type 1, but about 5% have type 2. Many children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes are also overweight, although this is not true for all. People who are obese or have a higher percentage of body fat are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes or have more trouble controlling it.
There are already many ways to prevent these diseases. However, we can do more to stop the spread of these diseases and prevent them from spreading. For example, the World Health Organization has designed a public health action plan in response to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014. This action plan included several strategies, procedures, and recommendations for improving infection control and clinical care that could help reduce the Ebola virus transmission.