8 Rare but Serious Medical Conditions You Should Know About

No one wants to be a hypochondriac whose mind jumps to the worst-case scenario each time a minor health concern arises. However, it is always good to be well-informed and to possess general knowledge on the things that could potentially affect you or a loved one. Though rare, the following diseases are serious. Know your risks and how to spot any possible warning signs.

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

Hemolytic anemia is a rare disorder characterized by a group of blood disorders that contribute to the body destroying its own red blood cells. The blood cells are destroyed even more quickly than the speed at which the body can make new ones. The lifespan of the affected red blood cells is shortened from months to just a few days. It affects only 3 of every 100,000 people each year, infecting women two times more often than men.

Individuals with systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are more susceptible to autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Symptoms of the disorder include fatigue, trouble breathing, dark urine, chills, backache, and paleness. If autoimmune hemolytic anemia is contracted, complications can range from weakness and an enlarged spleen to a variety of other autoimmune disorders. Treatments for this disorder can involve steroids, immunosuppression, and blood transfusions.

Evans Syndrome

Evans syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that kills off the body’s red blood cells, white blood cells, and/or platelets. The disorder can emerge on its own or as a secondary condition to another disorder such as lupus or certain forms of lymphoma.

Symptoms of this disorder vary based on which type or types of blood cells are affected. With too few red blood cells, a person can experience weakness, paleness, and shortness of breath. With too few white blood cells, they may experience a weakened immune system that leads them to contract more infections. With loss of platelets, they can bruise easily and their blood may become slow to clot.

Bacterial Osteomyelitis

Bacterial osteomyelitis is a rare infection of the bone affecting just 2 out of every 10,000 people. The bone can become infected as a result of various things. An infection in one part of the body can spread to a bone via the bloodstream or an exposed bone due to injury or surgery could be overcome by the infection. In the majority of cases, Staphylococcus aureus (a type of staph bacteria) is the bacteria that causes this infection.

Conditions that weaken a person’s immune system, like HIV, diabetes, or sickle cell disease can increase the individual’s risk factor for contracting bacterial osteomyelitis. Symptoms of the infection can appear and progress rapidly and include fever, nausea, loss of range of motion, and tenderness in the infected area. Bacterial osteomyelitis is treated using antibiotics or, in more serious cases, with surgery to remove the infection.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial illness that is transmitted to humans via ticks. When affected, a person will experience flu-like symptoms (ranging from mild aches to a high fever) that most often appear within one to two weeks of a bite from an infected tick (primarily Lone Star ticks).

Risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of becoming infected are the same as ones that generally increase your chances of being bitten by any tick, such as being outdoors in warm weather in areas where ticks are present. Without the proper treatment in the form of the antibiotic doxycycline, Ehrlichiosis can lead to organ failure, seizures, or coma.

Meningococcemia

Meningococcemia is a rare infectious disease that causes an upper respiratory tract infection, along with fever and skin rashes. The disease is contracted when the body is infected by meningococci bacteria, which is both an airborne bacteria and one spread through close contact.

The disease affects males and females equally, most often in people ages 20 and younger. Only about 1.2 individuals of every 100,000 contract the disease each year. Treatment usually consists of an antibiotic.

Amebiasis

Amebiasis (or amoebic dysentery) is characterized as a parasitic infection of the colon brought on by the consumption of water contaminated by or contact with surfaces contaminated by the Entamoeba histolytica parasite. Amebiasis causes the person infected to suffer stomach pain, fever, and bloody stool. In more rare cases, the parasite can invade the liver or even spread to other organs of the body.

Eales Disease

Eales disease is a rare eye disorder that is detected by the inflammation and haze that occurs around the retinas of the infected individual. Early symptoms include the oozing of a clear substance from the eye and the blurred vision that comes on because of this. Treatment for Eales disease most commonly includes surgery to treat the affected areas of the eye.

Ebstein’s Anomaly

Ebstein’s anomaly is a type of congenital heart defect that causes the tricuspid valve (which separates the right ventricle from the right atrium) to be unable to work properly due to its placement being too low and its leaflets having formed abnormally. This defect can cause your heart to be enlarged or for it to otherwise fail.

The severity of symptoms associated with Ebstein’s anomaly can vary widely, but often present themselves soon after birth. Due to low oxygen levels, lips and nails may appear blue in color. Symptoms that appear in older children include a cough, rapid breathing, and/or lack of expected growth. Treatment for Ebstein’s anomaly can differ by case, but most typically is administered in the form of diuretics, breathing treatments, or surgery to either correct or replace the affected heart valve.

"Being informed about rare medical conditions, such as Ebstein's anomaly, is crucial for parents and individuals alike. As birth injury lawyers, we understand the complexities and challenges that come with this condition. It is important to seek legal guidance in cases where medical negligence may have played a role." - lawyer from Gilman & Bedigian Law Firm 

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