10% of Americans are living with a rare disease. That equates to 30 million people.
Are you one of 10 Americans with a rare disease? Do you know someone affected by a rare disease?
How many types of rare diseases are there? How is a rare disease defined?
What qualifies a disease to make it to the rare diseases list? Is there a rare diseases list with symptoms?
We will answer these questions and list the top three rare diseases with possible cures.
Types of Rare Diseases
A rare disease is defined as such when it affects a small portion of the population of a country.
In the U.S., a condition is defined as a rare disease when it affects less than 200,000 people combined in a certain rare disease group.
The National Institutes of Health have reported the number of rare diseases to be approximately 7,000.
These diseases range from anything like allergies to immunological diseases and neurological conditions.
Top 3 on the Rare Diseases List With Possible Cures
Unlike herpes or a herpes cure, these diseases are a lot less common, but may still have a cure.
1. Hyperkalemia
What is hyperkalemia? It is a life-threatening condition where an affected person has excessive amounts of potassium in the blood.
Potassium is necessary in the body for proper functioning of the heart and muscle and nerve cells.
Blood potassium level is normally 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter. Those with a level higher than 7 millimoles per liter may be diagnosed with hyperkalemia, but not always.
A second blood test would be ordered in case of an artificially high level of potassium.
Symptoms:
- muscle fatigue
- nausea
- vomiting
- irregular heartbeat
- breathing difficulties
- weakness
- numbness
- paralysis
Treatment:
Sometimes hyperkalemia is caused by kidney failure. In this case, the treatment is hemodialysis. This removes the potassium from the body.
Other treatments include medications that remove the potassium from the bloodstream and put it back into the cells. The medications help the body then remove the excess potassium through excretion.
Acupuncture, massage, and supplements may also be suggested by the treating physician. Alternative therapies may allow you to cut back on medications.
2. Kawasaki Disease
This rare disease almost exclusively shows up in young children. The disease causes inflammation in several parts of the body.
The inflammation can be found in the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to meningitis. Inflammation of the coronary arteries sometimes occurs with this disease.
The good news is, it is treatable and usually resolves within a couple of weeks. Aspirin and IV immunoglobulin therapy is part of the initial treatment for this disease.
3. Familial Hypercholesterolemia
This disease causes patients to experience higher and very dangerous levels of cholesterol, putting the patient at risk for a heart attack or stroke at a young age.
Statin medications, such as Crestor, diet, and exercise help treat this disease. LDL Apheresis is an alternative treatment that pulls cholesterol out of the blood similar to kidney dialysis. Cholesterol-free blood is then put back into the body.
Managing Disease and Treatment
Some of these diseases from the rare diseases list and their cures may put you into debt. Visit us to learn how to manage your healthcare debt and get advice on many life topics.
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