Some diseases, in addition to their scientific name, are known by another more popular and easier to remember. In general, these names usually refer to some analogy that describes the disease and that helps to better understand its symptoms. These are some of the best-known diseases with curious names that exist.
The slap disease
This disease, also known as infectious erythema, occurs mainly in children, although it can also be suffered by adults. It is characterized because those who suffer from it show an intense red color on the cheeks and paleness around the lips, hence it is known as slap disease.
It is a very contagious ailment that is transmitted mainly through nasal secretions and saliva, but in principle it is not more serious and complications do not usually appear.
The showcase syndrome
It is the popular name for Chronic Lower Extremity Ischemia and consists of severe pain in the legs when walking called claudication. Those affected by this disease need to stop every little time so that the muscle pain disappears and that is why the analogy of the shop window is used to name it.
The cause of pain is a cardiovascular problem, specifically the obstruction of the arteries. Therefore, it is a disease that must be taken very seriously, since it is related to the possibility of suffering myocardial infarctions and stroke.
The kissing disease
It is one of the best-known diseases that we have included in this list. Also called infectious mononucleosis, it is an infectious viral disease caused by a herpes virus that is transmitted mainly through saliva.
Most of us are exposed to this virus in our childhood, when the kissing disease does not produce symptoms or these are confused with those of the flu. When it occurs in adolescents or young people, it is characterized by fever, sore throat, fatigue and general malaise. These symptoms usually disappear in a few weeks, during which time the affected person should avoid kissing and sharing cutlery and other utensils with other people to avoid infecting them.
Rapunzel syndrome
In this case we are talking about a psychological disorder called trichophagia, because of which the affected person tends to eat their own hair. Trichophagia is often related to trichotillomania, another disorder that involves compulsive hair pulling.
Rapunzel syndrome affects the digestive system, since the hair cannot be digested and it can end up forming a ball in the intestine and obstructing the walls of the intestine. In the most serious cases, it even requires a surgical intervention to remove these hairballs.
Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires' disease is pneumonia caused by a bacterium called legionella, which usually lives in standing water in places like bathtubs, swimming pools, or air conditioning systems. It is named for an outbreak that occurred during the American Legion's convention in Philadelphia in 1976.
Legionella outbreaks often cause great concern among the population, as pneumonia can be fatal if not treated in time. Its main symptoms are fever, chills, and cough.
Traveler's diarrhea
Anyone who has traveled to developing countries has probably suffered from so-called traveler's diarrhea at some time. It is an infectious process, generally of a mild nature, caused by the consumption of food or drink contaminated with certain microorganisms.
Symptoms include three or more bowel movements a day, abdominal pain, fever, and sometimes vomiting. Normally the infection clears up in just three or four days without the need for treatment, although this time may be enough to spoil our holidays.
Vampire disease
This is the name with which it refers to porphyria, a group of disorders that, among other things, cause blisters on the body of those who suffer from it when exposed to sunlight. Porphyrias are characterized by the absence of a protein responsible for the synthesis of red blood cells and, in addition to photosensitivity, can cause anemia, nausea, hypertension, insomnia, or gum problems.
Did you know about these diseases? Although their names may be curious or funny to us, some of them have to be taken into account due to the complications they can present. If you perceive any of the symptoms described, do not hesitate to go to the specialist to receive the appropriate treatment.
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