Medicine is a fascinating field and one that the smartest people in the world are always trying to figure out more about. In this fantastically complicated and strange field, there are several conditions that are strange or unusual, even in medical terms. This article aims to highlight a few of the stranger conditions out there and explain a little about what they are and how they are dealt with medically.
Fabry Disease
First, on the list, Fabry disease is a rare genetic condition that is caused by a defective gene in the body. The condition causes your lipid (scientific word for fat) metabolism to act abnormally due to a buildup of globotriaosylceramide, which is a type of lipid in the body’s cells.
Symptoms. This condition is most readily recognizable by the Gastro-Intestinal distress that it causes in sufferers. It is, however, a genetic condition and is more easily recognized in children, once diagnosed by a parent, due to their parents’ familiarity with the issue.
Treatments. Fabry disease is primarily treated via Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) which is, fortunately, available readily.
Dysphagia
Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing problems. This issue can range in severity and is often accompanied by several other medical issues, including but not limited to frequent chest infections and weight loss. Dysphagia, while a condition in its own right, may be indicative of other medical issues and should be considered regarding what it could mean medically.
Symptoms. It can be hard to recognize the symptoms of dysphagia, as often they may simply seem like the symptoms of a cold or even be ignored entirely. However, it is important that you take action on these symptoms once they have become apparent to you.
Treatments. Treating dysphagia is fortunately very possible, and there are even several options that increase in extremity depending on how you respond to treatment. Both speech therapy and thickeners, such as SimplyThick Nectar food thickener, are used by people living with dysphagia on the milder side, while more extreme cases do sometimes require surgery to fit a stent to keep the dysphagia under control.
Abdominal Migraines
Finally, the last condition on this list is abdominal migraines. This is a rather unpleasant condition that does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. Those who suffer from abdominal migraines suffer pain in their abdomen and are often unable to isolate the source of that pain for a long time. This condition is difficult to identify due to its cyclical nature and the fact that it presents in children, who are often subject to pains in their abdomen.
Symptoms. This condition is best described by episodes of abdominal pain that present alongside other migraine features. Normally a person suffering from abdominal migraines is healthy between episodes. However, these episodes will often start in childhood and generally occurs in people with a strong family history of migraines.
Treatments. Treating abdominal migraines generally takes two forms. First, relieving the symptoms of these migraines during episodes, and second, preventing future episodes. The first is generally done through the administration of pain relief and anti-nausea medication. The second is less well known, but medications such as beta-blockers and antihistamines have been thought to work.