Medicine Has Come A Long Way, But There's Still Work To Do
From eradicating polio to inventing vaccines, medicine has done wonders to help us live longer and maintain a higher quality of life. However, some diseases continue stumping scientists. Whether extremely rare or one of the most common lifetakers, here are 20 conditions that are still incurable.
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1. Cancer
The second biggest killer in America is incurable. It's also unknown exactly what causes it though certain habits like drinking alcohol and smoking make you more susceptible. While there's no cure, treatments exist that can sometimes shrink cancer cells to the point where they're no longer detectable.
2. Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus passed through bodily fluids. Symptoms include jaundice, dark urine, fever, joint pain, and abdomen pain. While there's no cure, there's a vaccine that prevents you from getting the disease.
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3. Asthma
Asthma is an inflammatory condition that narrows the airways, making breathing hard. While there's no cure for asthma, symptoms often improve over time with treatment.
4. Dengue
Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. High fever, severe headache, and nausea are some of the symptoms. There is no cure for dengue but there's a vaccine and most of the time it can be treated at home with over-the-counter pain medication; however, severe cases can be fatal.
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5. Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia. People with Alzheimer's experience forgetfulness, poor judgment, and cognitive decline. There's no cure for Alzheimer's but medicines and practices have been shown to help people with the disease maintain their mental function and slow the progression.
6. Parkinson's
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder characterized by tremors and muscle stiffness that impairs movement. There is no cure for Parkinson's but there are treatments that can help relieve the symptoms.
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7. Huntington's
Huntington's disease targets the part of the brain in charge of voluntary movements, so people with the disease develop uncontrollable movements and postures. Depression, mood swings, trouble swallowing, and speaking are other symptoms. You can't cure or slow the progression of the disease.
8. HIV/AIDS
HIV is spread through intercourse or needles. When untreated it becomes AIDS which is deadly. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS but treatments administered for HIV prevent the disease from developing and have greatly reduced the number of deaths.
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9. Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that can make walking and standing up difficult. It's usually diagnosed in children between the ages of three and six. There is no cure for MD but there are treatments that can help you manage it and prevent complications.
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10. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms vary dramatically from person to person but usually include blurred vision, color distortion, trouble with walking and balance, and feelings of numbness. While there are ways to help manage symptoms of MS, there is no cure.
11. Lupus
A butterfly-shaped rash on the face characterizes lupus. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, joint pain, and skin lesions. There is no cure but symptoms can be improved with early treatment.
12. Rheumatoid Arthritis
The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. It's an autoimmune disease that can damage the joints over time. There is no cure for it but identifying the underlying cause and administering treatments early can help relieve symptoms and slow the progression.
13. Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that makes sweat, digestive fluids, and mucus thick and sticky, plugging up pathways and making it hard to breathe and pass stool. There's no cure for cystic fibrosis but treatments can help make it easier to live with.
14. Herpes Simplex Virus
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is characterized by fluid-filled blisters that accumulate wherever the infection is. It's spread through skin-to-skin contact. It's treatable with antiviral medication but it's not curable.
15. Human Papillomavirus
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is spread through skin-to-skin contact. There are more than 100 different types of HPV and while it doesn't usually cause any symptoms, it can lead to genital warts and cervical cancer. There is no cure but there is a vaccine that prevents against certain types.
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16. Ebola
Ebola is a rare but deadly disease passed through body fluids of animals or people. Symptoms include vomiting, fever, rash, and bleeding. There's no cure but there is medication that tries to stop the virus from reproducing.
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17. Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder that leads to abnormal red blood cells. Symptoms include fatigue, infections, weakened immune system, and pain. Stem cell transplants are the only available cure but they're usually too risky to administer.
18. Diabetes 1 & 2
Diabetes causes a person's blood sugar levels to become too high either because the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells (type 1) or the body doesn't produce enough insulin (type 2). There isn't a cure for diabetes but type 2 can be managed with lifestyle changes and oral medicines while type 1 can be managed with insulin injections.
19. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe and causes wheezing, shortness of breath, and frequent coughing. It's often caused by long-term exposure to smoke. While there's no cure, treatments are available and symptoms can be improved if one avoids smoking and exposure to smoke.
20. Alopecia
Alopecia is characterized by large amounts of hair loss. It affects between 50 and 80 percent of Caucasian men. There's no cure but certain treatments may help, depending on the cause.
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