10 terrible diseases. The most terrible diseases that exist on earth

From time to time, modern society is shaken by another news about a terrible disease discovered in the vastness of our planet. After such messages, we thank God in our thoughts that children's chickenpox or seasonal flu is the maximum of what we have had to deal with in life. Terrifying and incomprehensible ailments not only kill, but slowly make people with disabilities. It is impossible to single out the 10 most terrible diseases in the world, since there are many more of them. We present to your attention a list of dangerous infections and viruses, which includes not only exotic ailments, but also diseases that are absolutely familiar to us.

AIDS

The plague of the 20th century, the scourge of the millennium - this is how acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is called. Why is this the worst disease in the world? Because no cure has yet been found for it. The brightest minds puzzled over the miraculous drug, conducting countless experiments. But all to no avail. Today, about 40-45 million earthlings suffer from AIDS. If at first the virus hosted only on the African continent, now every country in the world can present its own disease statistics.

AIDS is transmitted sexually, through dirty medical instruments, in the womb - from mother to child. Since the virus lives exclusively in the blood, it is she who becomes the cause of infection. You can catch the disease even in the dental office, when applying a tattoo, or by brushing your teeth with someone else's brush. On all these objects, the blood of the patient can remain, which enters the body through small cracks. If earlier the most terrible disease in the world, whose name is AIDS, was considered shameful, today the entire planet has joined forces to help infected people.

Crayfish

A short word that contains so much crying and grief... Unlike AIDS, cancer can be cured with chemotherapy or radiation exposure, but it is terrible because of its unpredictability. Oncological disease spares neither the old nor the young: approximately 14 million victims are registered every year. Where the attack comes from has not been established. Medicine calls genetic disorders, the influence of bad habits, and malnutrition as the main causes. Undoubtedly, this is the most terrible disease in the world. Cancer is able to "devour" entire parts of the body. Sometimes women lose their breasts, genitals, only to stop a progressive disease.

Cancer is an uncontrolled, very rapid cell division that transforms into malignant tumors in the internal organs and tissues of a person. The tumor affects the vital centers, as a result of which they cease to function. It is not recommended to treat the disease with unconventional methods - the patient loses precious minutes, which ultimately costs him his life.

smallpox

Living virus. It is able to be stored frozen for many years, and it also feels free at temperatures up to one hundred degrees. Smallpox appeared a long time ago: historians say that even the ancient Egyptians suffered from this dangerous ailment. At one time, such famous personalities as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Joseph Stalin also suffered the disease.

Smallpox rightfully occupies a leading position in the ranking, which presents the most terrible diseases in the world. The photos found in the medical literature are sometimes truly amazing: the unfortunate are covered with a huge number of ugly dark pockmarks, which then transform into large scars. It is difficult to survive the disease: mortality occurs in 20-90% of cases. Those who are lucky often get "inherited" blindness. Smallpox is a natural focal virus that causes the body to rot alive. It is almost impossible to catch a terrible disease these days, but for the purpose of prevention in Africa, people are sometimes vaccinated.

Bubonic plague

Remembering her, we imagine wagons with troupes, masks with bird beaks, bonfires in cities. Thanks to cinema, modern people know a lot about this terrible disease, which in the Middle Ages devastated literally half of Europe. In those days, bubonic plague topped the top 10 most terrible diseases in the world. Medicine did not have sufficient knowledge and treatment technologies, so millions of people died from the virus. In our time, plague is treated with antibiotics and sulfonamides.

After the infection enters the body, acute intoxication occurs, the lymphatic system is affected, which leads to a quick and painful death. The carriers of infection are rodents, which massively inhabited large cities in the Middle Ages. It was also possible to become infected from the bite of a flea that was in contact with a sick animal. At the same time, no one undertakes to name the exact number of deaths, since in those days no calculations were made. Interestingly, there are many superstitions associated with the bubonic plague: our ancestors believed that epidemic outbreaks prevented global natural disasters.

Tuberculosis

This is an infectious disease, the causative agent of which is the so-called Koch's wand. The bacterium enters the body through the digestive tract, with an open form - by airborne droplets, less often - by contact through the skin. The main symptoms: sudden weight loss, cough, sputum with blood, pale skin, increased sweating, fatigue, irritability and sleep disturbance. A dangerous disease is often treated in hospitals with the help of antibiotics, drugs that increase immunity, and the actual anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Speaking about the most terrible diseases in the world, one cannot forget about this virus, which usually affects the lungs of a person. The course of therapy takes a rather long period of time, but if you turn to a professional doctor in time, the chances of a full recovery are quite high. Instead, a neglected disease can lead to disability, disability and death. By the way, tuberculosis in our time is infected with a third of the inhabitants of the planet.

Leprosy

In modern medicine, the disease is called leprosy. This is an infectious disease that affects the skin, peripheral parts of the nervous system and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, and in especially severe forms - internal organs, eyes and the musculoskeletal system. The patient begins to rot alive: first of all, the legs and arms, genitals, and face suffer. The poor fellow does not lose all the limbs, but in most cases he remains without fingers. The disease progresses especially in the area of ​​the nose: it is replaced by a gaping ragged hole.

Leprosy is the most terrible disease. In the world at the end of the last century, there were about 14 million lepers. In the future, thanks to modern therapy, this figure was reduced to 800 thousand. But even today, leprosy is very insidious. The incubation period lasts from 3 to 20 years, then the asymptomatic stage begins, so it is almost impossible to detect the disease at an early stage. When the diagnosis is made, the patient is prescribed drugs from the group of sulfones.

elephant disease

Describing the most terrible diseases in the world, the list should be replenished with this ailment. Its official name is lymphatic filaria. Most common in the tropics, as it is spread by mosquitoes. An infected female insect bites a person, and its larvae enter the bloodstream, with the help of which the infection spreads throughout the body. Usually they accumulate in the tissues, affecting the lymph nodes: they increase to enormous sizes. At the same time, the legs are transformed, strongly swelling, the skin thickens several times. In especially severe cases, the hands, genitals and chest also hypertrophy.

Having fallen ill, a person becomes ugly and incapacitated. It is difficult for him to move, he constantly suffers from nausea and migraines. Antibiotics are the most effective treatment, sometimes surgery is recommended for the patient. Doctors also prescribe hydromassage, the use of compression stockings, and therapeutic exercises. It is important to eat right and move more.

Hutchinson syndrome

The disease is also called progeria. This is by far the most terrible disease in the world - a genetic disorder that is characterized by premature aging. Sick children at 12 look like ninety-year-olds. One case of the disease is registered for 8 million babies; in the modern world, 80 children are officially known to live with a terrible syndrome. Already in the first three years of life, the baby begins to show symptoms: growth retardation, severe baldness, bone deformity. In addition, his skin becomes dry and wrinkled, his eyelashes and eyebrows actively fall out, his genitals do not develop, and his earlobes are missing.

The prognosis for patients is unfavorable: they all die before the age of 25 from heart disease and malignant tumors. At the same time, cases of reaching adulthood are extremely rare. Prevention and treatment have not been developed. Scientists continue to actively study Hutchinson's syndrome, hoping not only to invent a cure for ailments, but also to shed light on the general mechanism of beauty fading and body aging.

Necrotizing fasciitis

The main symptoms are as follows: the epidermis acquires a purple hue, huge bubbles filled with liquid form, gangrene begins. The unfortunate person's temperature rises, the pressure drops, the pulse often becomes rapid, and the consciousness is confused. The doctor usually prescribes antibiotics and removes dead tissue with a scalpel, sometimes it is necessary to amputate the limb. The disease is really terrible, so doctors recommend going to the hospital as soon as they notice that the skin around the wound has acquired a bluish-burgundy hue.

Malaria and cholera

These are also the most terrible diseases in the world. For example, malaria, popularly known as "swamp fever", is severe. It often results in death. The carriers of the infection are mosquitoes. By biting their prey, they inject pathogenic bacteria into its blood. The disease proceeds quickly, accompanied by chills, high fever, anemia and an increase in the size of organs. A large population of Africa often dies from malaria, since medical care is at a rather low level in the countries of the continent. Children usually become victims due to unfavorable living conditions, lack of clean drinking water.

As for cholera, it is also a dangerous infectious disease. His embryo successfully reproduces in fresh water: a person who drinks such a liquid quickly becomes ill. Mortality from the disease is high, but infection can be prevented by adhering to the basic rules of hygiene. People who are accustomed to washing their hands before eating, carefully rinse vegetables and fruits, do not drink water from the well, are not susceptible to this disease.

Porphyria disease and jaw necrosis

Thinking about what is the most terrible disease in the world, it is difficult not to remember these ailments. Porphyria is a genetic disease, it leads to the accumulation in the human body of specific compounds that have different functions, for example, they produce a large number of red blood cells. People suffering from the disease cannot be exposed to direct sunlight: they leave severe burns, ulcers and wounds on their skin. The method of treatment is unclear, doctors are working to invent an effective medicine.

Jaw necrosis, fortunately, ceased to be diagnosed many years ago. All that is known about this disease is that at the beginning of the 19th century, workers in the match industry suffered from it. They were exposed to a very toxic substance - white phosphorus, which provoked a terrible disease in facial bone tissues. They just rotted alive before our eyes. If the jaw bones were not removed surgically, the disease continued to destroy the body and led to death.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis and hypertrichosis

Not only ugly, but also the most terrible diseases in the world, photos of which can be seen in any medical reference book. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is common in hot countries, its carriers are all the same mosquitoes. Biting a person, they leave larvae in his body, which begin to corrode the skin. A harmless wound soon turns into a huge purulent ulcer, which heals for a very long time and poorly. The most dangerous is the defeat of the face. If left untreated, the person may die.

Hypertrichosis is the most terrible disease, it is quite rare in the world. It is characterized by the appearance of an abundant amount of hair in different parts of the body: on the face, chest, back. It occurs due to a gene mutation, may be a consequence of taking certain medications. If hypertrichosis is mild, it is easy to get rid of it with laser hair removal. At the same time, it is impossible to pull out hairs with tweezers or wax - this will only aggravate the disease. It is not recommended to resort to self-medication - it is better to immediately contact a professional doctor.

In this article, we will make a summary review of the most terrible diseases of mankind that can be found in people around the world. Most of the described ailments are curable, but some complex genetic diseases cannot be corrected even at the present stage of development of medicine.

Elephantiasis

Elephantiasis, or elephantiasis, – This is a disorder of the lymphatic system, the consequence of which is a pronounced increase in certain parts of the body. Most often, the lower limbs of a person are exposed to painful growth.

Among the factors contributing to the development of the disease, experts call:

• unsuccessful surgical intervention associated with the removal of lymph nodes;
• dysfunction of the circulatory system;
• radiation exposure;
• syphilis;
• weak immune system;
• frequent frostbite of the limbs.

Symptoms of the disorder

Among the main signs of the disease can be noted:

• the formation of a large number of ulcers and warts;
• high tissue swelling;
• thickening of the bones;
• hypertrophy of volumes and forms of organs;
• thrombus formation.

At the final stage of the course of the disease, which can develop decades after the onset of the disease, a person experiences muscle atrophy. In addition, the occurrence of sepsis and tissue necrosis is noted.

Elephant disease treatment

Modern medicine has developed many methods for the prevention and treatment of elephantiasis. First of all, this is lymphomassage, which is designed to improve the outflow of lymphatic fluid from the vessels. This procedure is carried out by qualified specialists in a medical institution.

Another way to combat the disease is compression hosiery, which puts a slight pressure on the vessels. Thanks to the compression effect, lymph circulation improves, and the number of congestions decreases.

The most complex and neglected cases of elephantiasis must be treated surgically. If you run the disease to an extreme degree, it can provoke blood poisoning and death.

Acromegaly

People with this disease have enlarged and thickened parts of the body, for example, hands, feet, limbs, skull. Acromegaly develops as a result of a malfunction of the pituitary gland, after which the human body begins to grow. Growth can continue for many years. Gigantism is considered a childhood form of manifestation of acromegaly.

Symptoms of the disease

A patient suffering from acromegaly notes the following signs of the disorder:

• persistent voice changes. The tonality of the voice decreases after the thickening of the vocal cords;
• pain in the spine and joints;
• the appearance of wart growths;
• increased pigmentation of the skin;
• male-pattern hair growth, which can be observed in females;
• damage to the respiratory organs;
• significant enlargement of the thyroid gland;
• the appearance of cardiovascular pathologies;
• decrease in the level of sensitivity of the fingers;
• violation of the menstrual cycle in women;
• dizziness;
• weakness, fatigue and reduced work capacity.

Methods for the treatment of acromegaly

Medical science has developed many methods of dealing with the disease. First of all, people suffering from disorders of the functions of the anterior pituitary gland are recommended to undergo a diagnosis and determine the level of growth hormone. When choosing a method of treatment, it is important to take into account the age of the person, the nature and stage of his illness, the presence of concomitant disorders and the state of vision.

Measures to neutralize the disease will be aimed at removing the pituitary tumor found. Among the main methods of treatment are:

1. Surgical method, which involves the removal of the tumor by surgery. This method is used on small tumor formations if the patient suffers from serious visual impairment.
2. The drug method, which consists in taking hormonal and biologically active drugs. Medicines must be taken by those patients who have contraindications for the operation. It is noted that medications may not work for all patients. In addition, discomfort is likely as a result of the side effects of drugs.
3. Radiation method, which consists in influencing the affected area of ​​the pituitary gland through gamma radiation. To obtain a visible effect, the patient will need to attend radiation procedures from 3 to 5 years.

Porfiria

Porphyrin disease occurs as a result of hereditary pigmentation disorders. Also, the disease can be triggered by a violation of metabolic processes, an excessive amount of porphyrin substances, which are produced mainly in the cells of the liver and brain. The English king George III suffered from the disease, who later passed the disease on to Alexandra, who later became the wife of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II.

Signs of the disease

Among the main manifestations of porphyrin disease, experts call:

• the appearance of red urine in newborns;
• the development of ulcers on the skin, which later turn into scars. The rash is most often located on the face, neck, and feet;
• enlargement of the spleen;
• a sharp increase in sensitivity to sunlight. Coming out into the world, the patient experiences an unpleasant itch, swelling and redness of the skin. In places where the skin has been burned by light, blisters and ulcers appear;
• visual impairment, which can lead to complete blindness;
• anemia
• destruction of nails;
• pain in the abdomen;
• development of psychoses.

At a late stage of the disease, a person may fall into a coma.

Can porphyria be cured?

When choosing treatment methods, specialists adhere to therapeutic methods. The patient is prescribed painkillers, antioxidants and medicines that reduce blood pressure. The patient is advised to adhere to a dietary diet and exclude such dishes as fatty meat, fish and broths from the daily diet.

Leishmaniasis

The list of the most terrible diseases also includes an illness called leishmaniasis. This is an infectious disease that begins with the bite of a female mosquito. The disorder is often found in countries with a humid and hot climate, it is often diagnosed in the Mediterranean, East Asian, African and South American regions. There are varieties of the disease that are transmitted after the bite of rodents.

Symptoms of leishmaniasis

In patients who become infected from a carrier, the following symptoms of the disease appear:

• painful lesions in the nose and mouth. On the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and cheeks, erosive mushroom-shaped sores can form. After healing, the ulcers turn into bumpy, dense brownish-red scars;
• destruction of the nasal septum;
• tissue necrosis of the hard palate and pharynx;
• increase in body temperature;
• weight loss.

Development of the disease

The incubation period lasts from 3 to 30 days after the bite. Further, numerous painful ulcers and nodules begin to appear on the skin. Along the edges of the nodes, edema and deeper lesions of the skin are formed. Only after 4-5 months, the ulcers begin to overgrow with crusts, and scars form.

Methods of treatment and prevention

Preventive measures to prevent the disease of leishmaniasis involve the control of organisms that carry the infection. People who plan to work in the field for long periods of time should protect themselves by wearing close-fitting clothing.

You can recover from the disease if you follow the recommendations of the doctor. As a rule, doctors prescribe an effective drug treatment to the patient. In addition, a person suffering from leishmaniasis must observe strict bed rest, eat hard and engage in oral hygiene.

If it is possible to carry out an early diagnosis of the disease, then the patient is out of danger. Late diagnosis increases the risk of mortality. Approximately 95% of adults and 85% of children die in the first 3-10 months of illness if the type of infection cannot be identified.

The video tells the story of a young girl who contracted cutaneous leishmaniasis from a sand fly.

Necrotizing fasciitis

Erysipeloid, or necrotizing fasciitis, is one of the infectious diseases that provoke inflammation of the layers of the skin. The first cases of the disease were identified in 1871. The causative agent of infection are special bacteria that penetrate the subcutaneous tissue.

Circumstances contributing to the development of the disease

Most often, the disease occurs in the presence of several of the following risk factors:

• excess body weight;
• age over 50 years;
• weakened immune system;
• the presence of peripheral vascular damage;
• diabetes;
• chronic alcohol or drug addiction;
• infectious complications that developed after surgery.

Symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis

A person suffering from an infectious lesion will note:

1. the formation of edema with blisters from the liquid;
2. the occurrence of inflamed nodes in the lower extremities;
3. fever, fever, chills;
4. discoloration of the skin, which acquire a gray-bluish tint;
5. severe intoxication, blurred consciousness;
6. tachycardia;
7. pressure drop.

At first, the skin becomes painful, at a later stage it loses sensitivity and tissue necrosis occurs.

How to treat erysipeloid

The mortality rate among affected individuals is 30%. Physicians can make a correct diagnosis in the early stages of the development of the disease.

If necrotizing fasciitis is found, surgery is often required. In the last stages, it is required to amputate the affected parts of the body.

The early stages of the disease allow the use of local drug treatment. The choice of method depends on the localization of tissue damage and the stage of the disease.

Hypertrichosis

Excessive body hair, or hypertrichosis, can be congenital or acquired. It manifests itself in an excessive amount of hair, which is not characteristic of people of a certain age and gender. Most often, women suffer from the disease. The cause of the disease is a genetic mutation caused by an abnormal course of pregnancy or an infectious lesion.

Symptoms of the disease

Hypertrichosis is characterized by:

• the appearance of excess hair. They can be localized in one place or cover many areas of the human body. If the patient develops local hair growth, then most often it is located on the back, on the neck, behind the ears, on the stomach;
• development in place of hair follicle tumors.

Methods for the treatment of excess hair

The goal of physicians in the treatment of hypertrichosis is to get rid of dysfunctions of the endocrine glands. Specialists need to identify endocrine pathologies that a person has, which most often provoke increased hair growth.

Based on the results of the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed medication. Usually drugs of the hormonal group and their analogues are used. The effect of therapy is manifested after 3-6 months after the start of treatment. For persons suffering from hair loss, cosmetic procedures are performed.

The attached video clearly demonstrates cases of excessive hair growth.

Acantokeratoderma

Under acantokeratoderma understand the violation of skin pigmentation. The disease manifests itself by the formation of dark spots with a thickened structure. Typically, patches of plum and blue tint can be found on the face, neck, armpits, elbows, groin, palms, fingers and knees. As a rule, the formation of pigmentation indicates an increased risk of diabetes.

Who is at risk

The highest chance of suffering from acanthosis derma is among American Indians. African Americans also have a fairly high tendency to pigmentation. The least likely to develop the disease in persons of Hispanic and Caucasian ethnic groups.

Reasons for the development of pigmented blue and purple spots

The occurrence of the disease is associated with an excess of insulin in the human body. It is he who provokes abnormal cell growth. In addition, among the circumstances that served as prerequisites for the appearance of spots, they call:

• taking a certain group of medicines for bodybuilders;
• the formation of a malignant tumor;
• hormonal disbalance;
• dysfunction of the adrenal glands;
• pathology of the functions of the pituitary gland;
• excess dose of nicotinic acid.

Treatment of pigmentation

Acanthokeratoderma can be cured by reducing the patient's body weight to normal, and prescribing him medications. The patient will need to monitor blood glucose levels and monitor the intake of nutritional supplements. A number of clinics offer cosmetic procedures to lighten spots. They should not be carried out by patients arbitrarily, without the permission of the attending physician.

micropsia

Micropsia, which was discovered in 1952, is often referred to as Alice in Wonderland syndrome. This neurological disease is characterized by a complete distortion of reality for the patient. A person suffering from an illness perceives all objects around him proportionally reduced. It seems to the patient that he is among small objects, as it was in the fairy tale of Lewis Carroll.

Objects located around a person are seen by him at the same time near and far. Hallucinations are accompanied by headaches and epilepsy. A single attack of micropsia can last from a few seconds to a week.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo disease, which the famous American singer Michael Jackson suffered from, suggests the presence of pigmentation disorders on the skin. The cause of the disorder is the lack of melanin, which entails the lightening of certain areas of the skin.

Causes of melanin deficiency

Factors contributing to the development of the disease include:

• hereditary manifestations;
• exposure to chemicals;
• taking medications;
• endocrine and immune disorders.

Symptoms of the disease

With a lack of melanin, milky white spots begin to appear on the human body. If they form on the head, then the hair growing in this area becomes white. Most often, light spots are located on the elbows, hands and knees.

The patient does not have pain in lightened areas, but such areas are very sensitive to sunlight. If the patient exposes the spots to the sun, they will quickly burn to the point of blistering.

Methods of getting rid of the disease

Treatment includes a set of therapeutic techniques aimed at preventing pigmentation and reducing defects. Patients are advised to take immunomodulators and antioxidant drugs. There is the possibility of using laser exposure, with the help of which artificially grown cells are implanted in the patient.

Progeria

The most terrible diseases in the world can include such a genetic disease as progeria. Pathology manifests itself in the form of changes in the skin and internal organs as a result of premature aging of the body. If such an ailment occurs in children, then it is called the Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome. The form of the disease that occurs in adults is commonly referred to in medicine as Werner's syndrome.

Signs of the development of the disease

Symptomatic changes in the human body with progeria include:

• premature aging of all tissues and organs;
• mental retardation;
• baldness;
• thinning of the skin;
• atherosclerosis;
• rapid loss of sebum;
• fast fatigue;
• development of diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• occurrence of skeletal defects.

How to treat progeria

The disease of an adult can last up to 14-18 years, after which death occurs. Among the most common causes of death are heart attacks and strokes. Modern medicine has not discovered an effective method of curing this disease. At this stage of the development of scientific research, it has been revealed that patients should adhere to therapeutic methods for:

• increase in body weight;
• elimination of the consequences of atherosclerosis;
• treatment of diabetes.

The video demonstrates the Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome.

Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder caused by a psychological disorder. Most often it affects girls and women aged 14 to 45 years. They completely or partially refuse food, reducing the number of calories to a minimum. The reason for this is depression, the fear of getting better.

Ways to lose weight

Patients with anorexia resort to various methods of weight loss. They restrict themselves in food, using the most severe diets. Often the diet involves the use of exclusively low-calorie drinks or complete hunger without water.

Anorexics also take measures to further cleanse the body. After eating, they take laxatives or make themselves vomit. Often, patients with anorexia are actively involved in sports. In this case, the load on the body significantly exceeds the normal level.

Symptoms of anorexia

You can recognize a case of the disease by the following signs:

• rapid weight loss;
• pathological fear of getting fat;
• sleep disturbance;
• feeling of fullness and heaviness in the stomach;
• negation of the normal weight minimum;
• depressive state;
• prolonged isolation from society;
• muscle spasms;
• persistent dizziness, fatigue and drowsiness;
• constipation;
• swelling;
• violation of the menstrual cycle;
• loss of teeth and hair;
• irritability, guilt after eating.

How to get rid of anorexia

First of all, a patient with anorexia should be treated by a psychotherapist. Then he should go to a specialist to select a diet, which involves the gradual resumption of the normal regimen and amounts of food.

AIDS

A condition such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome develops when infected with HIV. As a rule, the disease is accompanied by numerous tumor and infectious lesions of the body. It is known that more than 80% of all AIDS patients are under the age of 30 years.

Stages of disease development

The initial stage of the disease is almost asymptomatic. It lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months from the moment of infection. After this, the second stage begins, which is characterized by an acute reaction of the body to the virus. The body produces antibodies, resulting in a sore throat, bacterial pneumonia, or candidiasis.

Signs of the disease

Symptoms characteristic of people with AIDS:

• swollen lymph nodes;
• weight loss;
• increased sweating at night;
• prolonged diarrhea;
• fever, elevated body temperature.

Disease treatment methods

While undergoing therapy, the patient undergoes antiretroviral and symptomatic treatment. Doctors seek to reduce the number of viruses in the patient's blood for a long time, since it is completely impossible to get rid of them.

Leprosy

Such a terrible disease as leprosy, or leprosy, has been known to mankind since ancient times. The first mention of the disease was found in the scientific writings of Hippocrates. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease. It is caused by microbacteria that provoke the occurrence of lesions of the skin, organs of vision, nervous, reproductive and respiratory systems.

The process of the development of leprosy

The incubation stage of the development of the disease occurs within 3-5 years after the moment of infection. In some cases, it can take only six months. This period is almost asymptomatic. A person may at times experience mild dizziness, chilliness, weakness and drowsiness, but these symptoms do not allow a serious illness to be diagnosed.

How to recognize leprosy

After the end of the incubation stage, the patient begins to notice more obvious manifestations of the disease. Some of the typical symptoms of leprosy include:

• muscle atrophy;
• the formation of spots, tubercles, nodes and ulcers, which are constantly increasing in size. In the affected areas, hair follicles and sweat glands are destroyed;
• narrowing of the hands and feet.

The final stages of the disease are characterized by mutations of the phalanges of the fingers, damage to the facial nerve, which causes complete blindness. Extensive spots, plaques and nodes appear on the skin. The facial features of the patient are distorted. Sometimes there is an overgrowth of the earlobes, nosebleeds intensify, and the respiratory function becomes difficult. Men suffering from leprosy become infertile.

How to cure leprosy

The treatment of this terrible disease involves taking antimicrobial agents, as well as the help of a wide range of medical specialists, such as an orthopedist, ophthalmologist, neuropathologist, physiotherapist.

With timely diagnosis, the disease can be cured completely. A mild form of leprosy is treated for 2-3 years. Leprosy at a severe stage can be cured after 7-8 years, while the patient will remain disabled due to the irreversible morphological changes that have occurred.

smallpox

Smallpox has a high mortality rate. It is classified as a viral infection. The consequences of cured smallpox can be blindness and the presence of a large number of scars at the site of large ulcers.

Smallpox Symptoms

At the initial stages of the disease, a person is concerned about:

• temperature rise;
• chills;
• vomit;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• strong feeling of thirst;
• tearing pains in the lumbar region, sacrum and limbs.

Stages of development of a viral disease

On the 2nd day, smallpox patients begin to develop a rash. Ulcers are located in the chest, navel, armpits, inguinal folds and on the surface of the thighs. After another 2 days, doctors note a decrease in body temperature. The general clinical symptoms of the disease are slightly weakened. At this time, smallpox ulcers are covered with a crust, scars are formed. There is a rash on the genitals, in the pharynx, in the trachea, in the rectum. It entails the formation of erosion.

1 week after the onset of the disease, the vesicles begin to fill with pus. The state of health of patients sharply worsens. They suffer from intoxication, there is a disorder of consciousness, delirium, convulsions. After 2 weeks, the crusts of ulcers disappear.

During the smallpox period, people may suffer from comorbid conditions, such as sepsis or pneumonia.

Treatment methods for smallpox

In the treatment of smallpox, doctors use antiviral agents and antibiotics. In patients who have had smallpox, the body is detoxified. As a preventive measure, a special vaccine is used.

Plague

Plague is an acute infectious disease, the first information about which appeared in ancient times. The causative agent of the disease is considered to be a plague bacillus. The consequence of the disease may be gangrene of the fingers or feet.

How infection occurs

The causative agents of a dangerous infection live in the organisms of small animals, such as marmots, ground squirrels, rats, hares and cats. The ability of fleas to carry the disease is also noted. The causative agent is resistant to low temperatures.

Symptoms of the disease

Plague patients complain of:

• fever
• lesions of the lymph nodes;
• disorder of respiratory functions;
• sepsis;
• problems with the nervous system;
• insomnia;
• nausea and vomiting;
• impaired coordination of movements and speech;
• the formation of dense tumors, or buboes, with fuzzy edges and a dark red color.

The period of the plague

The initial period lasts up to 6-12 days. At this time, the growth and softening of the inguinal lymph nodes occurs. There is an increase in body temperature. The disease can go into a pulmonary or septic form. If this happens, the patient will suffer from pneumonia, increased vomiting and tachycardia.

Ways to cure the plague

In modern conditions, the mortality rate does not exceed 10%. The success and duration of the period of treatment and rehabilitation depend on the accuracy of diagnosis and the stage of the disease. Medicine fights the disease through the use of antibiotics, antibacterial drugs and anti-plague serum. Treatment occurs after the hospitalization of the patient, who is kept in an isolated ward. The average duration of treatment is at least 1 month.

Malaria

Signs of illness

Among the main symptoms that accompany a patient suffering from malaria are:

• fever
• chills;
• pain in the joints;
• anemia
• nausea and vomiting;
• convulsions.

How the disease progresses

Experts note that the course of malaria occurs cyclically. Each attack lasts an average of 6 to 10 hours. The attack is manifested by a sharp increase in body temperature, chills, trembling and increased sweating. It may be accompanied by severe headache, vomiting.

When a malarial attack ends, a person feels muscle weakness and a decrease in temperature, but profuse sweating continues for another 2-5 hours. After an attack, the patient falls into a deep sleep. In some cases, jaundice develops, a coma may occur.

The cyclicity of attacks has an interval of 2-3 days. After detecting signs of malaria, the patient is immediately hospitalized.

Treatment methods for malaria

Treatment involves the administration of a specific antimalarial drug. If the disease is particularly severe, the patient may need a blood transfusion.

Possible complications after the disease. Thus, survivors of malaria often suffer from coughing up blood, anemia, liver disease, convulsions, paralysis, heart failure, and mental disorders.

Spaniard

The Spanish flu, or the Spanish flu as it is popularly called, is an acute disease that can cause the death of thousands and millions of people. One of the most famous victims of the Spanish flu at one time was the German sociologist and philosopher Mark Weber.

The Spanish flu raged at different times in European, African, Asian and American lands. According to general estimates, he claimed the lives of more than 2.8% of the world's population. The mortality rate among those infected with the Spaniard reaches a figure of 20%.

In 1918 in Spain, the number of people infected with the flu reached 8 million people. This figure was 40% of the country's population. Most of the cases consisted of young people aged 20 to 40 years, who were distinguished by strong immunity.

Symptoms of the disease

Individuals suffering from the Spanish flu noted such signs of the disease as:

• pneumonia;
• coughing up blood;
• cyanosis of the skin.

In the final stages, the disease provoked the development of persistent intrapulmonary bleeding. As a result, many victims of the Spanish flu died from asphyxia. Sometimes death occurred suddenly, the day after infection, when none of the symptoms had yet to manifest itself.

Cholera

Doctors know that cholera is an intestinal infection that is caused by a special category of bacteria entering the body. The disease does not have a specific geographical distribution area, at different times it was recorded in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. Currently, there are also often cases of infection with cholera bacteria.

Symptoms of the disorder

Patients with cholera have the following signs of the disease:

• watery diarrhea;
• vomit;
• dehydration.

Stages of development of cholera

The incubation stage continues in the patient for 1-2 days. During this time, complete dehydration of the body and death can occur. Experts in the field of epidemiology have identified 3 degrees of the course of the disease:

1. Mild degree, which occurs in practice in 80% of cases and suggests the presence of loose stools, constant vomiting. The patient loses 3% of body weight as a result of fluid loss, feels satisfactory. With timely treatment, the disease can be defeated in 2 days.
2. The average degree, when the patient has frequent loose stools up to 20 times a day. At the same time, he experiences pain in the abdomen, there is discomfort in the navel and rumbling in the abdomen. In addition, profuse vomiting is characteristic. Fluid loss is up to 6% of a person's body weight. The patient experiences muscle cramps, dry mouth, cyanosis of the lips, partial loss of voice, tachycardia and severe weakness.
3. Severe, in which a person can lose up to 9% of body weight as a result of water excretion. This degree suggests the presence of persistent muscle cramps, copious watery stools and vomiting, lowering blood pressure, weakening of the pulse, skin cyanosis. Specialists who observed the course of the severe stage of cholera recorded that the patient's facial features become sharper, his voice becomes hoarse, his eyes sink, his fingers and toes become covered with deep wrinkles.

cholera treatment

Patients are given medication, replenish the balance of fluid and electrolytes. A person cured of cholera may subsequently suffer from acute kidney failure and convulsive seizures. In some cases, after cholera comes a coma.

The video tells about the cases of mass epidemics of cholera and the history of research on this dangerous disease.

Syphilis

Such a chronic sexually transmitted disease as syphilis has been known to mankind for more than 2 thousand years. The disorder is characterized by damage to the skin, as well as mucous membranes, organs, bones and the human nervous system. The disease is caused by a specific bacterium.

Methods of infection with syphilis

Although there is a common belief that syphilis is only transmitted through sexual contact, this is not entirely true. The fact is that bacteria can be carried through the blood when using a single syringe for injection. Contactless infection is carried out by razors, toothbrushes, spoons, towels used by the patient. A newborn baby can adopt the disease from the mother or after breastfeeding.

Types of syphilis

Doctors distinguish 4 types of syphilis, namely:

1. Primary, which develops after 3 weeks from the moment of infection. The patient noted the formation of hard ulcers in the genital area. The mucous membranes are covered with a rash. The process of enlargement of lymph nodes is characteristic.
2. Secondary, which begins 6-7 weeks after infection. At this stage of the course of syphilis, the entire skin of the patient is covered with rashes. The bone, nervous system, as well as the kidneys and liver are attacked by bacteria.
3. Tertiary, occurring several years after the onset of the disease. At this stage, the patient has a persistent lesion of the spinal cord and brain, the development of meningitis, paralysis, visual impairment and deformation of bone tissues. One third of patients die at this stage.
4. Congenital, when infection occurs at the time of gestation by the mother. Children diagnosed with congenital syphilis are deaf. They have persistent inflammation of the cornea of ​​​​the eyes.

Ways to treat syphilis

The basis of the complex of therapeutic therapy for syphilis is antibiotics. Doctors also recommend the use of immunostimulating substances. Patients attend physiotherapy classes, take restorative drugs.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is one of the most terrible diseases of modern society, from which there is no cure. The disease, sometimes called Charcot's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease, is a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system. It occurs after the death of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. In this case, a person suffers from an inability to carry out movements. After a patient is diagnosed with ALS, he lives no longer than 3-5 years.

Signs of the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In the early stages of the disease, people may experience symptoms such as:

• impaired balance, speech and swallowing;
• muscle spasms;
• weakness in the limbs;
• hanging foot;
• involuntary bouts of crying or laughing;
• respiratory disorders.

The course of the disease

Muscle weakness begins with minor discomfort. A person feels a slight tingling and cramps in the limbs. Sometimes muscle damage occurs primarily in the larynx.

As a result of the development of ALS, a person loses the ability to move independently. In the advanced stages of the disorder, he cannot speak, eat, or breathe without the help of specialized equipment.

Treatment methods for Lou Gehrig's disease

The methods developed at this stage can only alleviate the general symptoms of the course of the disease. Patients whose respiratory functions cease to function require constant mechanical ventilation.

Incredible Facts

Over the years, human health has been threatened by many diseases.

A disease that turns a person's muscles into hard bones, a bacterium that causes severe spasms and diarrhea, and a fungus that leads to a purulent growth on the legs are some of the most terrible diseases that can disfigure people.

Warning: the photos in the article are difficult to read and may shock.

1. Noma (water cancer)

Mouth ulcers that gradually eat away at the flesh until the teeth and lower jaw are exposed - this is not a scene from a horror movie, but a disease called noma.

The disease is common in Asia and Africa and is caused by a bacterium that enters the body due to poor hygiene or contaminated water, causing gangrene to develop on the face. Also known as water cancer, it can also affect the genitals.

In the past, the disease was more common, even in developed European countries, especially during World War II in prisoners and concentration camps.

Noma occurs when a bacterium enters the body, most often due to poor hygiene, contaminated water, and nutritional deficiencies or illness that weakens the immune system.

Although the disease has virtually disappeared in developed countries, without proper treatment it kills 90 percent of children.

2. Mycetoma (Madura foot)

Mycetoma is a fungal infection most commonly found in Africa, India, and Central and South America. Symptoms include swelling of feet and legs although the disease can spread throughout the body.

Later, pus may begin to come out of the swollen parts of the body. Usually, non-painful condition Therefore, patients often do not immediately seek medical help.

There is currently no cure for this disease, and in severe cases it can lead to limb loss. However, the disease can be avoided if you keep your hands and feet clean, especially when you are in the field or in nature.

3. Zudek's syndrome

In most cases, Zudeck's syndrome results injury or accident. It causes severe pain, even with a slight touch on the skin.

Zudek's syndrome may be limited to only one limb, although pain may also affect other organs.

People suffering from this syndrome feel burning sharp pain or painful, throbbing sensations. Patients may experience exacerbations due to a change in temperature, or upon impact, the affected area swells, becomes painful and rigid, and may even change in color.

Although the disease is treated, the road to recovery is usually long and difficult, including physical therapy and sometimes surgery.

4. Leprosy (leprosy)

Leprosy is a contagious infection that causes inflammation of the skin, eyes, nerves, and respiratory system. Plaques and spots can appear on the skin, and in severe cases, leprosy causes deformity and disfigurement of the body. The causative agent is a type of bacteria known as mycobacteria.

Symptoms can go unnoticed for years and lead to blurred vision and loss of sensation in the limbs and the affected area. As sensation is lost, sores and infections occur, which can eventually lead to organ loss.

Leprosy has existed since ancient times, and in the past, anyone with leprosy was isolated in a leper colony to prevent the spread of the disease. However, modern science has shown that the disease is not so contagious, so such extreme measures had little effect on its spread.

To date, there is an antimicrobial treatment that relieves this disease.

5. Filariasis

Vibrio vulnificus is a highly contagious bacterium that causes a severe infection that can be acquired by eating raw seafood, swimming with an open wound, or stinging rays.

The disease is accompanied by many symptoms, including vomiting, severe diarrhea, blistering, and severe abdominal pain.

Vibrio vulnificus weakens the immune system by attacking the liver and blood system and can eventually kill someone who is not treated.

The disease was first documented in 1979. Scientists believe that rising temperatures in general and a decrease in salt levels on the coast leads to the spread of pathogens. The bacterium lives in warm sea water, and most often the infection occurs after eating raw seafood.

7. Picacism

Picacism is a disorder that causes inexplicable appetite for inedible things ranging from things like paper and wood to excrement and urine. This does not include people with mental disorders or those who eat inedible things for cultural or religious reasons, making diagnosis difficult.

The consequences of pica can be health problems, especially when eating excrement or dirt, as well as toxic substances such as paint or lead, which leads to lead poisoning.

So, a case was documented when 1400 objects were found in the stomach of a man.

8. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive is a very rare, almost incurable disease that occurs in approximately 800 people worldwide.

It causes disruption of the tissue repair system and turns affected muscles, ligaments and tissues into bones.

The new bones do not have flexible connections, and when they begin to grow throughout the body, the person practically stops moving.

Removing newly formed bones only exacerbates the problem and causes uncontrolled bone growth.

In severe cases the person becomes completely immobilized.

9. Clarkson's disease (syndrome of increased capillary permeability)

Clarkson's disease is a disorder in which leakage of plasma from blood vessels. The plasma is absorbed by the skin, which leads to swelling and an increase in volume.

The only treatment for Clarkson's disease is fluid injections into the body. This is a problem, as it takes three days for the bloating to subside, during which time damage to important organs and tissues can occur, which can be fatal.

The disease got its name from Dr. Bayard Clarkson, who diagnosed the disease in 1960 in a patient who had spontaneous swelling. Since then, 150 people have been diagnosed with the disease. The cause of the disease is still unknown.

10 Elephant Man Syndrome

Joseph Merrick was born in Leicester, England in 1862. He was a healthy child, but as he grew older, growths began to appear on his skin, like an elephant. Since then, he has been nicknamed "The Elephant Man".

His right arms grew disproportionately to his left, both of his legs grew to enormous sizes, and the skin on his face was covered with growths.

Doctors still cannot say for sure what caused Merrick's illness.

Merrick himself believed that the cause of his deformity was the emotional trauma experienced by his mother during pregnancy, when she was frightened by an elephant.

Others believe that the reason was combination of many diseases, including Proteus syndrome(unusual growth of tumors all over the body), microcephaly(reducing the size of the head), hyperostosis(excessive bone growth) and neurofibromatosis(excessive growth of benign formations). Despite all theories, the exact cause of the deformations remains a mystery.

Everyone knows that our beautiful and, in its own way, unique world did not always exist. And with the advent of the planet Earth, unusual forms of life began to appear and develop on it. And their share was not just to survive in difficult conditions, but also to go a long evolutionary path to beings like us. In addition to the mind and the ability to change the world around us, many millennia of evolution have also introduced a rather large number of other unusual microorganisms into our world.

Some of them are simply objects of study, sometimes they even serve to improve the health of the population. Examples are bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. But along with them, microorganisms arose and evolved that bring death, whose influence on any living organism can easily lead to death.

Alas, the range of diseases that our body can be affected by is shocking. Even though we do not notice them and are not familiar with most of the names, it is safe to say that a solid number of such ailments can be fatal for us.

It is because of this that we offer you the top 10 most dangerous diseases of all mankind, which can not only lead to death, but also to long agony, which is very difficult to get rid of.

But we want to believe that your "meeting" with these diseases will stop only after reading this list.

Oncology is a rapid, chaotic cell division that cannot be controlled. It leads to the appearance of tumors in tissues or organs, as a result of which they cease to perform their functions. Cancer is dangerous because for a long time its symptoms may not appear.

Every year, 14 million people are diagnosed with this disease. Causes that cause cancer are usually: smoking, drinking alcohol, radiation, or poor diet.

9. Diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a separate part of endocrine diseases that develop due to a lack of the hormone insulin, which leads to hyperglycemia - and this is an increase in glucose in human blood.

Diabetes is divided into two types: non-insulin dependent and insulin dependent.

Diabetes can also cause myocardial infarction, nephropathy, and retinopathy.

8. Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a very dangerous, infectious disease. In the Middle Ages, it was considered untreatable, as a result of which it claimed the lives of a large number of people. Fortunately, today, tuberculosis is well treated, however, anyway, in its neglected form, the disease very often leads to death, so it is considered one of the most dangerous diseases in the world.

Basically, the disease develops in the lungs. The reasons may be: the penetration of tuberculosis bacteria into the lungs through the skin or esophagus.

7. Lymphedema. Otherwise - "elephant disease".

This terrible disease disfigures and turns a person into an analogue of a monster. It is quite exotic and difficult to find in mid-latitudes, its largest distribution areas are mainly in the tropics.

The development of the disease begins with immediately imperceptible edema, which, after some time, deform the affected part of the body into a huge shapeless mass.

6. Necrotizing fasciitis.

This terrible disease, fortunately, is not so common. Indeed, due to this disease, up to 80% of those infected die. With all this, the treatment will always be reduced to only one thing - amputation.

And it is very difficult to diagnose this disease, because the first stage is a simple fever.

This disease can be caused by the entry into the wound (almost immediately after surgery) of flesh-eating bacteria.

5. Getchinson-Gilford syndrome.

Another name is progeria.

Progeria is the rarest disease. There are about a hundred sick people on our planet. But despite this, the Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is recognized as one of the most terrible. The bottom line is… premature aging.

Those who become ill are doomed to a very painful and short existence, not even life. A child prone to such a disease at the age of 10 can easily look 80.

The main causative agent is a genetic defect. Also, this disease is incurable.

4. Spanish flu. Or Spanish.

The name of this disease comes directly from the place of its occurrence - a mass disease of the population in Spain.

This flu affected more than 40% of the population. The notorious Max Weber also fell victim to the Spanish flu.

At the moment, statistics claim that there are about 55 million cases.

We are approaching the top three diseases.

3 Bubonic Plague

One of the most famous and terrible diseases.

In the Middle Ages, the plague "decimated" a good half of Europe. According to some reports, plague doctors or "reapers of death" visited more than 60 million patients in order to carry away their souls.

In those days, the lethality rate from the plague was 99%!

2. Smallpox

The mortality rate for this disease ranges from 30 to 90%. Also, often, those who were able to survive this ailment remain blind or with scars all over their body.

Smallpox is a very persistent virus. Which can easily live for many years if it is frozen and also easily survive when warmed to 100 degrees.

The nature of smallpox is such that a person infected with it simply begins to rot, alive.

People are still susceptible to this disease, so if you do not get the necessary vaccine on time, then the possibility of contracting smallpox will be very high.

1. AIDS

AIDS can confidently be called "the scourge of our millennium."

More than 45 million people have been infected worldwide, and the worst thing is that absolutely no cures and treatments have yet been invented.

People infected with AIDS can die even from an elementary cold, because they have almost no immunity.

These factors have brought AIDS to the top of our rankings.

All people in their lives were ill with something, otherwise it is impossible, it has been so laid down from the very beginning of the existence of our world. Chickenpox, rubella, acute respiratory infections - this is a small part of what we have experienced. But there are such diseases in the world that it is better not to think about, and each person hopes that they will pass by without fail. But, as time shows, no one is immune from this. So what is the most dangerous disease in the world? Let's find out in this article.

TOP 10 most dangerous diseases

Modern medicine already knows a huge number of different diseases. All of them are characterized depending on the pathology: moderate, moderate, and also severe. We tried to describe the 10 most dangerous human diseases and assign each one its place.

10th place. AIDS

The list of the most dangerous diseases opens with AIDS, it ranks tenth in our ranking.

This is a fairly young disease that has ruined the lives of millions of people. The source of infection is human blood, with the help of which the virus infects all internal organs, tissues, glands, blood vessels. At first, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. It “slowly” studies and spreads throughout the body of the sick person. At the initial stage, it is quite difficult to identify the virus.

AIDS occurs in four stages.

1. The first is an acute infection. Symptoms at this stage resemble a cold (cough, fever, runny nose, and skin rash). After 3 weeks, this period passes, and the person, not knowing about the presence of the virus, begins to infect others.
2. AI (asymptomatic infection). There are no clinical manifestations of HIV. The disease can only be detected through laboratory tests.
3. The third stage occurs after 3-5 years. Due to the fact that the body's protective functions decrease, symptoms of the disease itself appear - migraine, indigestion and intestines, swollen lymph nodes, loss of strength. A person at this stage is still able-bodied. Treatment gives only a short-term effect.
4. At the fourth stage, the immune system is completely destroyed, not only with pathogenic microbes, but also with the usual ones, which have been in the intestines, on the skin, and in the lungs for a long time. There is a complete defeat of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, organs of vision, respiratory system, mucous membranes, and lymph nodes. The patient loses weight rapidly. Death in this case, unfortunately, is inevitable.

HIV is transmitted sexually, through blood, from mother to child.

AIDS statistics

The greatest activity of this disease is in Russia. Since 2001, the number of infected people has doubled. In 2013, about 2.1 million people became ill worldwide. There are currently 35 million people living with HIV, of which 17 million are unaware of their disease.

9th place. Crayfish

The 10 most dangerous diseases in the world also include cancer. He occupies the ninth position in our ranking. This is a malignant tumor in which there is an abnormal growth of tissue. In women, breast cancer predominates among tumors, in men - lung cancer.

Previously, there were allegations that this disease is spreading quite quickly. To date, this information is not reliable, since it has long been proven that cancer in the body develops for decades.

In the process of growth, the tumor does not give any pain. Therefore, a person with cancer can walk without symptoms for many years and not suspect that he, in fact, has the most dangerous disease in the world.

Everything becomes clear at the last stage. The growth of the tumor as a whole depends on the body's defense, therefore, if the immunity drops sharply, then the disease progresses rapidly.

To date, the occurrence of tumors is associated with serious disorders in the genetic apparatus of the cell. The environmental situation also plays an important role, for example, radiation in the environment, the presence of carcinogens in water, air, food, soil, clothing. Some working conditions accelerate the development of the tumor to the same extent, for example, cement production, regular work with microwaves, and also with X-ray equipment.

Recently, it has been proven that lung cancer is directly related to smoking, stomach cancer - with improper and irregular nutrition, constant stress, drinking alcohol, hot food, spices, animal fats, medicines.

However, there are tumors that are not related to the environment in any way, but are inherited.

Cancer stats.

If you ask yourself what are the most dangerous diseases of the 21st century, then the answer is obvious: one of them is cancer, which has claimed millions of lives and continues to progress, bringing grief and suffering to many families. Every year there are about 4.5 million men and 3.5 million women on the planet. The situation is horrendous. Even worse are the assumptions of scientists by 2030: approximately 30 million people may leave us forever for this reason. The most dangerous types of cancer, according to doctors, are: cancer of the lungs, stomach, intestines, liver.

8th place. Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis occupies eighth place in the TOP-10 most dangerous diseases. The stick that causes this disease is around us in the truest sense of the word - in water, air, soil, on various objects. It is very tenacious and in a dry state can be stored up to 5 years. The only thing that the tubercle bacillus is afraid of is direct sunlight. Therefore, in ancient times, when this disease could not be treated, patients were sent to where there is a lot of sun and light.

The source of infection is a sick person who excretes tuberculosis bacteria with sputum. Infection occurs when its smallest particles are inhaled.

Tuberculosis cannot be inherited, but the likelihood of a predisposition still exists.

The human body is quite susceptible to this infection. At the beginning of infection, some disturbances from the immune system appear. The disease will manifest itself to the full extent when the body cannot resist the tuberculosis infection. This is due to poor nutrition, living in poor living conditions, as well as exhaustion and weakening of the body.

Penetrating through the respiratory tract, the infection enters the bloodstream and affects not only the lungs, but also other equally important organs. It is believed that tuberculosis can spread throughout the body, except for nails and hair.

tuberculosis statistics.

The most significant incidence of tuberculosis is in Africa and South America. Practically do not get sick in Greenland, Finland. Every year, approximately one billion people become infected with TB bacillus, 9 million fall ill, and 3, sadly, die.

7th place. Malaria

Malaria will continue the TOP of the most dangerous diseases. She ranks seventh in our ranking.

The main carriers of malaria are mosquitoes of a special kind - anopheles. There are more than 50 types of them. The mosquito itself is not exposed to the disease.

The symptoms are obvious. There are pains in the liver, anemia occurs, and red blood cells are destroyed. Chills alternating with high fever are the main symptoms of malaria.

malaria statistics.

About 2 million people die from malaria each year worldwide. In the previous year, 207 million were registered, of which almost 700,000 deaths were predominantly among African children. There, one child dies literally every minute.

6th place. "Mad Cow"

Another most dangerous disease in the world, ranked sixth in our ranking, which has claimed the lives of millions of people and continues to operate to this day, is “mad cow disease”, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

The carrier in this case are abnormal proteins, or prions, which are particles that affect the brain and spinal cord. They are quite resistant even to high temperatures. The mechanism of action of prions on the brain is not yet fully understood, but it is known for sure that the resulting cavities located in the brain tissue acquire a spongy structure, hence the corresponding name.

A person can become infected with this disease elementarily, it is enough to eat infected meat in the amount of half a gram. You can also become infected if the saliva of a sick animal gets on the wound, in contact with bats, from mother to child, through food.

At the onset of the disease, itching and burning may be felt at the site of the wound. There is a depressed state, anxiety, nightmares, fear of death, complete apathy. Further, an increased body temperature occurs, the pulse quickens, the pupils dilate. After a few days, salivation increases, aggressiveness and inappropriate behavior appear.

The most striking symptom is thirst. The patient takes a glass of water and throws it aside, a spasm of the respiratory muscles appears. Then they develop into excruciating pain. Over time, hallucinations appear.

After the end of this period, calm comes. The patient feels calm, which ends very quickly. Then paralysis of the limbs occurs, after which the patient dies after 48 hours. Death occurs as a result of cardiovascular and respiratory paralysis.

There is still no cure for this disease. All therapy is aimed at reducing pain.

Statistics on mad cow disease

This disease was considered rare for some time, but to date, 88 deaths have been recorded worldwide.

5th place. Polio

Poliomyelitis is also one of the most dangerous human diseases. Previously, he maimed and killed a huge number of kids. Polio is an infantile paralysis that no man can resist. It most often affects children under 7 years of age. Polio ranks fifth in our ranking of the most dangerous diseases.

This disease proceeds within 2 weeks in a latent form. Then the head starts to hurt, the body temperature rises, muscle pain appears, nausea, vomiting, and the throat becomes inflamed. The muscles weaken so much that the child cannot move the limbs, if this condition does not pass within a few days, then the likelihood that the paralysis will persist for life is quite high.

If the polio virus enters the body, it will pass through the blood, nerves, spinal cord and brain, where it will settle in the cells of the gray matter, as a result of which they will begin to rapidly collapse. If the cell dies under the influence of the virus, then the paralysis of the area that the dead cells control will remain forever. If she does recover, then the muscles will be able to move again.

statistics on poliomyelitis

Recently, according to WHO, this disease has been gone for almost 2 decades. But there are still cases of infection with the polio virus, no matter how sad it may sound. Only in Tajikistan, about 300 cases were registered, of which 15 died. Also, multiple cases of the disease were noted in Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan. Forecasts are also disappointing, scientists who have studied the polio virus claim that in 10 years there will be 200,000 cases annually.

4th place. "Bird flu"

The fourth place in our ranking as the most dangerous disease in the world is occupied by "bird flu". There is no cure for this disease yet. The carriers are wild birds. The virus is transmitted from a sick bird to a healthy one through droppings. Also, rats can be carriers, which do not become infected themselves, but can transmit it to others. The virus enters the human body through the respiratory tract or enters the eyes. Infection occurs by airborne droplets. When eating poultry meat, infection has not been fully studied, since the virus dies at temperatures above 70 ° C, however, it is known for sure that infection is possible when eating raw eggs.

The symptoms are very similar to the common flu, but after a while comes on (acute respiratory failure). Only 6 days pass between these symptoms. In most cases, the disease was fatal.

bird flu statistics

The latest case was in Chile. In Russia, there was a case of human-to-human transmission of the virus, which had never been observed before. Scientists say that "bird flu" will not disappear, and outbreaks will still be repeated.

3rd place. lupus erythematosus

This is a connective tissue disease of an immune nature. Lupus erythematosus affects the skin and internal organs.

This disease is accompanied by a rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose, which is very reminiscent of wolf bites, hence the corresponding name. There are also pains in the joints and hands. As the disease progresses, scaly spots appear on the head, arms, face, back, chest, and ears. There is sensitivity to sunlight, in particular on the bridge of the nose and cheeks, diarrhea, nausea, depression, anxiety, weakness.

The causes of lupus erythematosus are still not known. There is an assumption that immune disorders occur during the disease, as a result of which an aggressive action begins against one's own body.

Lupus erythematosus statistics

Lupus erythematosus affects approximately one in two thousand people aged 10 to 50 years. 85% of them are women.

2nd place. Cholera

The main task of the vibrio will be to get into the mouth of a person, after which it passes into the stomach. Then it enters the small intestine and begins to multiply, while releasing toxins. There is constant vomiting, diarrhea, The person begins to dry before our eyes, the hands become wrinkled, the kidneys, lungs, and heart suffer.

cholera statistics.

In 2013, there were 92,000 cases of cholera in 40 countries around the world. The largest activity is in America and Africa. The least affected are in Europe.

1st place. Ebola

The most dangerous human disease in the list closes which has claimed the lives of several thousand people.

Carriers are rats, infected animals, for example, gorillas, monkeys, bats. Infection occurs as a result of contact with their blood, organs, secretions, etc. The sick person poses a great danger to others. Transmission of the virus is also possible through poorly sterilized needles and instruments.

The incubation period lasts from 4 to 6 days. Patients are concerned about the incessant headache, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and muscles. A few days later, there is a cough and sharp pains in the chest. On the fifth day, a rash appears, which later disappears, leaving behind a peeling. A hemorrhagic syndrome develops, nosebleeds appear, a miscarriage occurs in pregnant women, and uterine bleeding occurs in women. In most cases, a fatal outcome follows, approximately in the second week of illness. The patient dies of profuse bleeding and shock.

Ebola stats.

The greatest activity of this disease occurs in Africa, where in 2014 as many people died as did not die during all periods of Ebola outbreaks. An epidemic is also observed in Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia. In 2014, the number of cases reached 2000, 970 of which left our world.

Of course, no one is immune from all of the above diseases, but we can still do something. This is to lead a healthy lifestyle, play sports, wash your hands more often, do not drink from suspicious reservoirs, eat right, enjoy life and avoid stress. Health to you!