10 diseases you can live with for years and not know anything about it

Proven content

Tatiana Okupnik recently found out that she suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The artist found out about it at the age of 42, although the first symptoms appeared in childhood. There are many more diseases that are so difficult to diagnose.

1. Tatiana Okupnik told Dorota Wellman about her illness. For years she was called a simulator and a hypochondriac. She had waited many years for the diagnosis
2. Many Poles live with unconscious diseases. This is because some of them are asymptomatic or nonspecific for a long time
3. You can live for years, among others with venereal diseases, parasites, but also with cancer
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Celiac disease

It is an autoimmune genetic disease associated with gluten intolerance. She can have many faces and is often unrecognized! The classic form is relatively rare in adults, more often it is atypical, mute or latent. Atypical celiac disease is diagnosed on the basis of positive serological tests, as well as changes in the intestinal wall. On the other hand, clinical symptoms are atypical – there may be anemia, short stature, infertility, osteoporosis, recurrent aphthae or even depression!

The mute form of celiac disease is usually diagnosed accidentally – despite the presence of antibodies in the blood and the disappearance of intestinal villi, the patient may not feel any discomfort. However, the most insidious form is the latent form – latent celiac disease recognized only by the presence of antibodies in the patient’s blood.

1. Afraid of gluten? This is only recommended in some cases

Type 2 diabetes

The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus is taken by most patients with disbelief. The disease usually does not cause severe symptoms and is detected by chance. Therefore, in individuals at increased risk of developing diabetes, fasting glucose or glucose tolerance testing should be performed periodically, especially in the presence of obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and a family history of diabetes mellitus. As insulin resistance worsens and the ability of pancreatic β-cells to produce insulin is depleted, clinical symptoms of diabetes develop: excessive thirst, large amounts of urine, general weakness and infections of the genitourinary system.

1. Editors recommend: Okupnik suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare and complicated disease. “The bones began to break with power”

Osteoporosis

It is called the “silent bone killer” for a reason. It works secretly and deceitfully. According to statistics in Poland, 2,5 million women and nearly half a million men suffer from osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis is the most common consequence of aging of the skeletal system. Its development is accelerated by a bad diet, smoking, alcohol, low physical activity, and insufficient exposure to sunlight. Secondary osteoporosis is less common and affects people of all ages. Its causes include, among others hormonal disorders, diseases of the digestive system with malabsorption, chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Drugs that promote the development of secondary osteoporosis include i.a. glucocorticoids, anti-epileptics and heparin.

Chlamydioza

It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It is caused by a bacterium – Chlamydia trachomatis. It is estimated that over 90 million people worldwide become infected with chlamydiosis annually. Infection is most common in adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 who have sex with multiple partners and do not use condoms. Most people with chlamydia are unaware of their disease and do not seek medical attention. Unfortunately, even if the symptoms of the disease are mild or asymptomatic, the consequences of the infection are serious complications causing irreversible damage to the reproductive organs in both women and men. In some cases, untreated chlamydiosis leads to infertility.

1. The seven most common venereal diseases

Gonorrhea

It is a disease caused by the gram-negative bacteria gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoea). Infection with gonorrhea occurs through sexual contact (anal, oral or genital) with partners infected with the disease. Also, using the same daily hygiene items as sponges and towels can cause infection. The symptoms of the disease are often confusing and ambiguous. In over 50 percent. In women, gonorrhea develops asymptomatically, while in men, the primary site of infection is the urethra. There is pain and burning of the urethra, swelling of the epididymis, itching and infection of the anal area, inflammation of the glans.

Sleep apnea

It is a common disease – according to some estimates, sleep apnea may affect more than 25 percent. men over 40! The cause of apnea is the closure of the lumen of the airways at the throat level, which stops the flow of air, causing temporary hypoxia. The disease is favored by obesity, nasal septum curvature, tonsil hypertrophy and craniofacial anatomical abnormalities. Drinking alcohol, especially at night, smoking, tranquilizers and sleeping pills is also very harmful. Due to non-specific symptoms: snoring, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, problems with concentration, sleep apnea diagnosis requires a sleep test.

Fatty liver

It is a chronic disease in which drops of fat accumulate in the liver cells – the hepatocytes. There are two main forms: alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The first occurs in 90 percent. ethanol abusers. The second is more often diagnosed in overweight and obese people, lipid metabolism disorders, and also in diabetics, especially type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver is also associated with hormonal disorders. Both alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver are virtually asymptomatic. Due to the lack of nerve connections, the liver does not cause pain. However, adiposity may be accompanied by: hepatomegaly, fatigue, pain in the right hypochondrium, which results from the stretching of the serous membrane, abdominal discomfort, sleep disturbance.

Colon cancer

It is the third most common malignant neoplasm afflicted by men and the second most common among women. Unfortunately, the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in both sexes has been increasing for several years. One of the reasons is late diagnosis. Colorectal cancer is extremely dangerous, it can take years to develop, giving subtle cues that are easy to ignore. In the early stages of the disease, symptoms are usually non-specific. Most often they are in the form of abdominal pain, flatulence, changes in the consistency of bowel movements, which may suggest less serious problems from the gallbladder or peptic ulcer disease. If we notice these symptoms, it is worth consulting a doctor. In the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, digital rectal examination, colonoscopy and rectoscopy are used.

1. Colorectal cancer develops slowly. At first, the symptoms are not very specific

Hepatitis C

The infectious disease caused by HCV – Hepatitis C Virus, is called “silent killer” or “secretly ticking bomb”. According to the data of the National Institute of Hygiene and the Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, collected at the request of WHO, it is estimated that 1/4 of Poles are infected, most of which do not know about it. Hepatitis C infection occurs as a result of contact with the blood of an infected person. The source of the hepatitis C virus can be: medical gloves, if not changed for each patient, acupuncture needles or someone else’s clippers. The disease can develop for several or even several dozen years without any symptoms. In 1/3 of those infected the following may be observed: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, joint and muscle pain, itching of the skin. Some people with liver damage develop cirrhosis and / or cancer after many years, while others develop no trace of the disease. Early diagnosis enables complete recovery.

Tasiemczyca

It is a parasitic disease caused by tapeworms, mainly by unarmed tapeworm, armored tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm, broad mite, and flea tapeworm. Tapeworm infection is fairly easy to cure, but tapeworm infection may not show any symptoms for years. The very location of the parasite in the intestine is usually not palpable at all and does not result in serious consequences. Only when the tapeworm develops, multiplies and poisons the human body with toxins for a long time, disease symptoms begin to appear. These are: feeling weak, anemia, hyperactivity or apathy, neurological disorders, dizziness, headaches, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss (already in a very advanced stage of the disease).

Read also:

1. The most common genetic diseases. How are they made?
2. «For us, COVID-19 is like a nail driven into a coffin at a fraction of a millimeter» [LIST]
3. Bones get sick too. What diseases is our skeleton exposed to?

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.