The human body is very complex. Despite having it own field of study, there are still medical mysteries that are yet to be fully explained. And googling symptoms can actually do more harm than good. Some diseases, although common, are still difficult to understand and even harder to experience. Here are 14 of the scariest diseases a person can have.
Table of Contents
Rabies
Rabid dogs cause the majority of human rabies cases. This viral disease targets the central nervous system and has no cure. And once the symptoms start showing (like drooling and being afraid of water, AKA
hydrophobia), it is irreversible. So, if an animal bites you, make sure to get an anti-rabies shot ASAP.
Dementia
“My grandma has dementia, and it’s sadly zombifying her slowly over the years, from early symptoms like short-term memory loss to misunderstanding and violence, and finally to forgetting her situation and lifestyle,” writes a poster. And there’s not much one can do to improve this condition.
ALS
ALS causes motor degeneration, incapacitating your muscle movements. “Slowly, you lose the ability to walk, feed yourself, and bathe; then you can’t get up one day. Then you can’t talk,” summarizes a poster. What’s worse, ALS patients die within 2-5 years after diagnosis.
Locked in Syndrome
This rare disorder paralyzes every bit of your body except the muscles responsible for eye movement. Your brain is conscious and can think, but you can’t talk or move.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
This fatal condition is caused by prion, an abnormal infectious protein that generates rapidly in the brain. It affects muscle movement and decreases mental function, with patients dying within a year.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema
“The idea that you get so confused and disoriented that some people just step off a ledge or undress because they feel warm and die from hypothermia scares me,” expresses a user. HACE is caused by fluid leaking in the brain or oxygen deprivation.
Fatal Familial Insomnia
It’s a rare, fatal genetic condition that causes muscle cramps, insomnia, and dementia. It affects the parts of the brain that control sleep, memory, and the central nervous system. Symptoms only worsen over time, and patients have an average lifespan of 7 months to 3 years.
A commentator says, “The thought of not being able to sleep and staying awake until you die is scary to think about.”
Prion Diseases
Apparently, this disease is caused by normal prion cells that become abnormal. These cells damage the brain and nervous system, and research hasn’t found a way to destroy them. Symptoms include fatigue, confusion, hallucinations, difficulty speaking and walking, and dementia.
Glioblastoma (GBM)
Only 1% of GBM patients live to 10 years. The rest die within 14 to 16 months after diagnosis. This aggressive brain tumor starts in the brain or spinal cord before invading other healthy tissues. Signs include headaches, nausea, blurred vision, and seizures.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
This is a mental illness where a child’s caretaker seeks attention by making her child sick. A lady who suffered this at her mother’s care says, “She pretended my sister had a made-up seizure disorder, and she still believes it. She had me taking insanely high doses of multiple SSRIs when I was 11 and convinced everyone that I was psychotic.”
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
This brain tumor affects the parts that regulate vital functions like heart rate and breathing. Moreover, it affects people of all ages, with kids having less than a 1% chance of survival.
Addison’s Disease
It’s an adrenal insufficiency disease “that causes low cortisol levels.” Cortisol aids in maintaining immunity and blood pressure and reducing stress levels. Therefore, low levels of this hormone can be life-threatening, resulting in shock and death.
Huntington’s Disease
This scary disease affects the brain, causing reduced mobility and memory function. “It’s ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s all wrapped into one,” notes a user.
Depression
“Imagine there’s nothing wrong with you, but madness slowly takes everything from you until it forces you to end it all at your own hand,” says a commentator.
Source: Reddit
Featured Photo from Shutterstock
12 Unspoken Rules That Are Not Completely Obvious
12 Unspoken Rules That Are Not Completely Obvious
21 British Words That Are Confusing to Americans
21 British Phrases That Are Confusing to Americans
10 Worst Things About Owning an Electric Vehicle
10 Worst Things About Owning an Electric Vehicle
10 Words and Phrases That Make You Sound Stupid
