Scientists have defeated five incurable diseases that everyone fears. Deadly nine: the most terrible infections in the world (11 photos) Global diseases of humanity of the 21st century
In the twenty-first century, the list of the most dangerous diseases has been supplemented with several more. And today the TOP 10 diseases of the 21st century include the following:
10th place: AIDS and HIV
The disease is quite young, but it has already ruined the lives of millions of people. Today, AIDS is considered a slow infectious disease, since more than 15 years can pass from infection to biological death. This disease is characterized by four stages:
The first stage resembles an acute infection and manifests itself as a regular virus (fever, cough, rash, etc.).
The second stage is asymptomatic, when there are no manifestations of the disease.
The third stage occurs after 3-5 years, immunity is significantly reduced.
The fourth stage is the complete destruction of the immune system.
According to statistics, approximately 36 million people have AIDS, while about half do not even know it.
9th place: cancer
Cancer is a malignant neoplasm in which pathological tissue growth occurs. The most common cancers are breast cancer and lung cancer. It is believed that cancer is directly related to a disorder in the genetic apparatus of cells. Which in turn is related to the environmental situation, carcinogens in food and water, and so on.
8th place: tuberculosis
The bacillus that provokes the development of tuberculosis is found almost everywhere. The source of infection can be a sick person who secretes tuberculosis bacilli along with sputum. If it enters the body of a healthy person, the infection may not appear for a long time. But when a person’s immunity decreases, for example, due to poor nutrition or unfavorable living conditions, tuberculosis develops.
7th place: malaria
Malaria is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, of which there are about fifty species. It should be noted that mosquitoes are only carriers of the disease. In the human body, malaria develops in just ten days. Further symptoms appear in the form of pain in the liver, anemia, destruction of red blood cells occurs, the process is accompanied by high body temperature. Approximately one third of malaria cases are fatal.
6th place: “mad cow disease”
This disease is also called bovine spongiform encephalopathy. It has claimed the lives of several million people over the past few decades. The disease is transmitted by prions, that is, abnormal proteins that affect the spinal cord and brain. A person can become infected even if he eats a tiny piece of contaminated meat; the infection can also spread through the saliva of an animal, bats, or from mother to child. The first symptom is itching and burning, after which a depressed state appears, fear of death, nightmares in sleep, apathy, dilated pupils, rapid pulse, thirst.
5th place: polio
Polio is considered a childhood disease because it can affect children under seven years of age. During the first 14 days, the disease occurs in a latent form, after which symptoms such as fever, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, muscle weakness, partial or complete paralysis appear. If therapy fails, there is a high probability that the child will remain paralyzed. It is believed that this disease has not occurred for twenty years. But, unfortunately, in Tajikistan alone this year, 300 sick children were recorded, fifteen of whom did not survive.
4th place: “Bird Flu”
The carriers of this virus are birds, hence the name. Human infection occurs through airborne droplets through consumption of poultry meat infected with the virus, as well as eggs. The symptoms are similar to regular flu, but after a while atypical pneumonia occurs, which is fatal. There are currently no medications for bird flu.
3rd place: lupus erythematosus
In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, internal organs are damaged, which is accompanied by a rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose. The main symptoms of the disease are: joint pain, spots on the head, face, arms, ears, chest. Patients complain of sensitivity to sunlight, weakness, and anxiety. Doctors do not know why the disease occurs. Presumably, the development of lupus erythematosus is associated with a disruption of the immune system.
2nd place: cholera
Vibrio cholera is transmitted from person to person through food and water. The development of the disease occurs in the small intestine, which leads to diarrhea, pain around the navel, pain in the kidneys, and vomiting. Cholera is fatal in most cases. Most often, cholera outbreaks occur in Africa and America.
1st place: Ebola fever
To date, this disease has claimed the lives of several thousand people. Fever can be carried by animals or by contact with the blood of a sick person or animal. The incubation period for fever lasts four to six days. At this time, patients experience severe headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, and later cough and acute chest pain. On days 6-7, hemorrhagic syndrome, nosebleeds, and uterine bleeding develop. After about two weeks, the patient dies from blood loss and shock.
Science-fiction writers of past centuries believed that 21st-century people would travel to other planets, command robots, and live forever. And here we are in 2014 - we are surrounded by nanotechnology, virtual worlds, social networks, as well as stress, poor ecology and natural anomalies.
Eternal life is still a fantasy. Medicine continues to fight old diseases and is looking for ways to counter new common diseases.
Top list of diseases of the past
It’s hard to imagine, but in the recent 20th century, about 500 million people died from it. Only in 1967 did the WHO decide on mass vaccination against smallpox.
Cholera, a disease known since ancient times, has caused millions of deaths. Despite the fact that the infection no longer poses the same danger, infections and even epidemic cases are recorded every year around the world. For example, in Haiti at the end of 2010, more than 3 thousand people died and another 200 thousand were infected with Vibrio cholerae.
Until the 20th century, it was pandemic in nature. Between 1898 and 1963, more than 12 million people died from the plague in India. It is vain to believe that the plague is a thing of the past. According to WHO, more than 2 thousand people become sick with the plague every year, and this trend is not decreasing.
Common diseases of our time
The modern picture of mortality is radically different from past centuries. Isolated cases of plague and cholera are still recorded, but do not claim the lives of millions of people.
55% of the total number of deaths is mortality from heart and vascular diseases. These statistics are alarming primarily because with increasing life expectancy, many diseases have become significantly younger.
According to WHO, Russia is the leader in the prevalence of coronary heart disease, strokes and arterial hypertension. And these are not diseases of older people; they suffer from these diseases regardless of age.
According to Rosstat, in 2000, 434 thousand people were registered with diseases characterized by high blood pressure; by 2012, this figure almost doubled and amounted to 841 thousand people.
Other numbers are also striking. For example, according to Rosstat, in 2012, more than 47 million people were diagnosed with respiratory diseases.
Perhaps, respiratory diseases can rightfully be considered the most common diseases of the 21st century. Among the most common diseases are bronchitis, asthma, (COPD), pneumonia and others. The nature of these diseases can be not only infectious (viruses, bacteria, fungi), but also allergic, autoimmune, and hereditary.
The modern way of life of a person has a strong influence. We are often in close proximity to people who smoke, breathe in exhaust fumes, or spend our everyday lives in cramped office spaces. Even photocopiers and printers help reduce the body’s protective functions, and thanks to air conditioners (which either cool or heat the air), pathogenic microorganisms successfully multiply.
When talking about common diseases of the century, HIV cannot be ignored. Despite the fact that the human immunodeficiency virus was discovered back in 1983, it still retains its position.
Thus, in Russia, the number of patients registered with HIV infection increased from 78 thousand people in 2000 to 438 thousand people in 2012.
The ten countries with the largest number of HIV-infected people (data for 2006-2007) include:
- India (6.5 million);
- South Africa (5.5 million);
- Ethiopia (4.1 million);
- Nigeria (3.6 million);
- Mozambique (1.8 million);
- Kenya (1.7 million);
- Zimbabwe (1.7 million);
- USA (1.3 million);
- Russia (1 million);
- and China (1 million).
Most diseases of the 21st century are international. Cancer is one of these global threats. There are statistics that indicate the predisposition of countries to certain forms of cancer.
Lung cancer is more common in smoking countries such as Scotland and the UK; Breast cancer is more common in countries where women give birth to children at a late age; pancreatic cancer is more common in the USA, Canada and Denmark - this is primarily due to dietary culture.
At first glance, digestive and metabolic problems seem minor compared to pandemic infections of past centuries. But they are the ones who influence the functioning of other organs in the body. Thus, obesity is accompanied by an increase in cholesterol in the blood and can cause the development of diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and then stroke and heart attack. Consequently, digestive problems are inextricably linked with the results of mortality statistics.
According to WHO, infertility is considered a global problem. It is impossible to name the exact number of people unable to reproduce. However, the number of calls to specialists due to the inability to have children is inexorably growing all over the world.
A characteristic feature of our century can be considered the increased number of people with neuroses, psychoses and depression. The frantic rhythm of the city, globalization, and technological progress require a person to be flexible to rapidly changing living conditions. This often happens to the detriment of health. Every year in Russia from 2000 to 2012, more than 2 million people with diseases of the nervous system were registered, and how many more people cannot admit to themselves the need to see a specialist?
There is no need to live at cosmic speed and implement the ideas of science fiction writers. Start the day after a good night's sleep, get off on the right foot, take your time to live - take time for breakfast and lunch, go for a walk, look for positive emotions - and be healthy!
Changing generations bring new achievements into our world that have a beneficial effect on the life and development of society. A few centuries ago, people died from viruses and infections. Plague, cholera and others, which were considered incurable, terrified humanity. Since that time, medicine has made significant strides forward - from the discovery of antibiotics to the cultivation of organs. But some diseases are always replaced by new ones, and it is not known which of them is worse - diseases of the 21st century or Bubonic Plague.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Most of the population of the modern world suffers from stress. This trend can be seen especially clearly in cities and megalopolises, where people constantly need to rush somewhere: to work, to school for children, to the grocery store, to the gym or to dance, to fix a broken phone or have time to read all the news in order to be informed. in everything. As a result of excessive emotional and intellectual stress, a person is in a state of constant fatigue that does not go away. Neurosis gradually sets in and the patient finds no way out. Even after a long rest, symptoms remain, which may be the cause of the development of new ailments. This disease is called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). But many people confuse it with depression, which often accompanies CFS.
Internet addiction
Frantically search for Wi-Fi, upload new photos to Instagram every hour, update your status, play a new computer game day and night, and scroll through the news feed in search of the most relevant news. All this is familiar to modern people who have been observing changes in people’s behavior since the advent of the World Wide Web. The Internet reduces the time spent searching for information; social networks allow you to meet people on the other side of the globe. Consider that any work is related to Internet programs and databases.
But the Internet is not an assistant and friend for everyone. The obsessive desire to constantly be online, constantly communicate in instant messengers, while avoiding personal contacts is nothing more than another disease of the 21st century - Internet addiction. One of the types of Internet addiction is gambling addiction, which disproportionately affects children, adolescents and men with an unstable psyche or dissatisfied with real life. Internet addiction is equated to alcoholism and drug addiction.
Emotional burnout
A psychological disease that occurs in our time is emotional burnout syndrome. We are bombarded with so many responsibilities from all sides, sometimes of the same type and uninteresting, that a moment of stupor sets in. At this moment, you need to change the frantic rhythm of life, which, perhaps, you yourself do not notice, but your body is tired of hinting to you that it is exhausted. The energy we expend is not always returned in the form of achievements. But people need recognition, praise - if not from others, but at least from themselves. Otherwise, the person is not satisfied and does not see motivation in his daily actions. Or continues the race for achievements, still upsetting the balance. Therefore, do not forget to thank your loved ones even for the most trivial work.
Phantom call syndrome
We often heard from friends who were rummaging in their pockets: “Someone is calling. But no, it seemed”? This is phantom call syndrome. A person is constantly in a restless state, believing that his phone is ringing or vibrating. The reason for this is stress. If you are waiting for an important call or you have received unpleasant news over the phone, the nervous system becomes more sensitive and perceives any vibration as a cell phone call. This condition quickly passes if the irritant is eliminated in time. But if the phantom vibrations do not disappear within a week, it’s time to sound the alarm and seek help from a professional.
Depression
Autumn depression. It seems that in recent years this expression has even become fashionable. Of course, not everyone who makes such a diagnosis will have it confirmed. But the fact remains that depression has filled the homes of many people on the planet. People of all ages are susceptible to depression; scientists even attribute this disease to animals. It is caused by severe psychological trauma, pressure from society, and stress. The person is in apathy, eats and sleeps poorly, and does not take care of physiological needs. The depressed state of the patient causes suffering to his loved ones. The advanced stage often becomes the cause of suicide. Fun fact: Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men.
Physical inactivity
Have you ever seen crowds of children on the playground? Why, the majority are sitting at home in front of monitors or with a tablet in their hands. The child is busy and doing well. Probably, parents are guided by this principle, forgetting that the child needs to move and train muscles in order to avoid many health problems in the future.
It's not just the little ones who need movement. Adults have grown attached to cars and sofas, not noticing changes in weight, metabolism and general well-being. Physical inactivity does not exist as a disease, but its effect on the body is great. Insufficient physical activity leads to obesity, sleep disturbances, poor blood circulation and problems with internal organs. This is just the beginning of the list of consequences of minimal physical activity on the body. It's time to get up from the soft chair and do at least some gymnastics first, and then the marathon is just a stone's throw away.
Diabetes
You can criticize urbanization, poor quality of products and poor ecology as much as you like, but the main reasons for the “unsweetened disease” lie in lifestyle. They knew about it back in the last century, but in the new millennium this “sore” is spreading at an impressive speed. There are more than 410 million people with diabetes in the world. In Belarus, the incidence rate has increased 3 times over 20 years.
Diabetes mellitus develops when the body does not have enough insulin, a pancreatic hormone. It carries glucose from food to cells, which then produce energy. The reasons for the development of the disease: poor nutrition, heredity, sedentary lifestyle, excess weight and constant stress.
Allergy
Immune error, reaction to stress, modern disease. Allergies are called by different names. The disease, in which the immune system rejects foreign substances in the body, has been known since ancient times, but has begun to gain momentum in the 21st century. Allergies can be to food, pollen, wool, metals, air humidity and even the sun. Most often it manifests itself as rhinitis, headache, rashes, but in severe cases it leads to asthma, anaphylactic shock and death. The environment has a strong influence on the development of allergies - the level of hazardous substances in urban air increases, constant contact with chemicals (powder, cleaning products), and hazardous components in products. Infants are increasingly suffering from allergies.
Cancer
There are more and more patients with cancer in the world. In the 2000s, cancer became the leading cause of death on the planet - more than 8 million people die from malignant tumors every year. Persistent searches for a cure and attempts at treatment do not yield results; the recovery rate is simply meager. Scientists predict a 70% increase in cancer incidence over the next 20 years. This disease was described on papyrus and was encountered in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Hippocrates gave the modern name for the disease (carcinoma - cancer, crab). But the general picture of the spread of a cancerous tumor in the body was learned only in the 19th century.
AIDS
Another terrible disease that is still conquering humanity is AIDS. AIDS cannot be considered an epidemic, but the disease has long been called a social disease. It is impossible to cure a person infected with HIV - with proper treatment, life is only maintained and prolonged. Over the past couple of years, the disease has seemed to be forgotten, but it continues to spread throughout the world and claim lives.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
It is important to remember that such a disease of the 21st century as mad cow disease is fatal, death is guaranteed! And to avoid infection, you should never eat raw meat, especially beef. It is through it that a specific virus (prion) is transmitted, which will settle in the brain and destroy it quickly enough. An infected person will live no more than 9 months.
So, below is a list of diseases with which doctors still do not know what to do, since the cause of their occurrence, development and outcome are often very difficult to predict.
First on the list, of course, is AIDS. This fairly “young” disease appeared 31 years ago. Caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, it brings pain and suffering to millions of people. An affected person may die from a simple cold if not treated properly. Today, doctors and modern drugs can only maintain the normal state of human health, but we are not yet talking about a final cure. Alzheimer's disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disease, the causes of which have not yet been found (since 1906). Previously, elderly people (at least 65 years of age) suffered from this disease, but today, in the 21st century, there is a tendency to reduce the age of patients. The most common symptom is short-term memory loss. Over time, when the disease gains momentum, disruptions in the functioning of major organs occur. After diagnosis, on average, the patient lives no more than seven years (only three percent live more than 10 years).
Pick's disease is atrophy of the cerebral cortex. The symptoms are very similar to Alzheimer's disease, but as it develops, the patient can behave very strangely - eating paper, soil, glue, and eventually insanity sets in. Most often, this disease affects women over 50 years of age. Doctors have not yet found the causes and methods of treatment, so all therapy is aimed strictly at alleviating symptoms. As a rule, psychotropic drugs are prescribed that have a stimulating or, conversely, sedative effect. Already in the later stages of Pick's disease, the patient is hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital.
A common cold. Yes, yes, that's it. There is not a single antibiotic that can cure this disease once and for all. As doctors say: “If you treat a cold, it will go away in 7 days, but if you don’t treat it, it will go away in a week.” There is only one conclusion: only time will help. Modern drugs and traditional medicine (lemon, honey, raspberries, sauna) will help relieve symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever).
Flu. Returning to the topic of colds, it should be said that the reasons for its occurrence can be different. Including influenza viruses. But every year they mutate, acquiring more and more new properties, becoming resistant to vaccines and existing medications. Bird flu, swine flu and others can cause enormous irreparable harm to human health.
Schizophrenia. This mental disorder is more relevant than ever in our modern world. Depression, anxiety disorders, social problems, unemployment, alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty - this is what can lead to schizophrenia. Patients suffering from this disease live 10-12 years less than healthy people (of course, if at the time of the attack the person does not commit suicide, which is quite common).
Creutzfeldt Jakob disease or, in simpler words, “mad cow disease”. It is characterized by damage to the cerebral cortex, spinal cord, basal ganglia (nerve endings). The brain affected by this disease literally turns into a sponge, and accordingly, there is a disruption in the functioning of this organ, which is so important for a person (loss of vision, hearing, speech, mental illness, impaired coordination, etc.). Modern medicine is powerless. There are only symptomatic therapy methods that bring relief and prolong life for some time.
Interestingly, thanks to the work of doctors and virologists, such a terrible disease as smallpox disappeared in the 20th century. This disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, which means that as the population grows, it should spread at a catastrophic rate. But the developed vaccines and total vaccination of people helped defeat this disease.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that medicine is not so powerless. Incurable diseases of the 21st century have every chance of being forgotten. The daily work of doctors to save human lives, immunologists and virologists should not be underestimated. Thanks to their work, AIDS patients, for example, can live long and happy lives and have children. The main thing is to hope and believe!
