Disease Diagnosis Online
At some point in your life, you have likely turned to the internet to self-diagnosis yourself when suffering from newfound symptoms of illness. Disease diagnosis online – among rash, pain, etc. – is very common. There is a wide range of medical websites online that contain accurate medical definitions and helpful medical advice.
Alzheimer’s disease and Mesothelioma are two very different diseases in a number of ways. To begin, mesothelioma is a very rare cancer disease while Alzheimer’s disease is pretty common. Despite the fact that one is common while the other is significantly rare, these are two popular disease diagnosis online that people search for.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease – referred to as AD at times – is a fatal disease of the brain that progresses with time and is primarily caused by the irregular build-up of proteins within the brain resulting in the death of cells. More than five million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States according to a 2011 report from the Alzheimer’s Association. In just under 40 more years, the U.S. could be filled with more than 16 million individuals with this disease if it goes untreated but over 100 million all around the world.
As you age, you become more at risk for developing Alzheimer’s, but there are other risk factors aside from aging including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, your family history as well as certain genes.
AD can cause you to have severe memory loss, also known as dementia. Here is a look at other symptoms of AD aside from memory loss:
- Problems with language.
- Personality or behavior changes.
- Difficulty performing regular and familiar tasks.
- Tendency to misplace objects.
- Wandering.
- Anxiety and agitation.
- Disturbances in sleep.
Mesothelioma Disease
Affecting only two to three thousand individuals each year, mesothelioma occurs when tumors form in the lining (also known as the peritoneum) of the abdomen or the sac lining (also known as the pleura) of the chest.
One of the most common causes of mesothelioma is having breathed in a very hazardous material known as asbestos that is often found on construction sites, Navy ships/yards, etc.
Symptoms may not arise until years after being exposed to asbestos – sometimes 20+ years. Symptoms could include difficulty breathing, shortness in breath as well as pain in the chest and/or abdomen.
Treatment for Alzheimer’s and Mesothelioma
If you have worked in or around asbestos then it is important to have regular checkups with your doctor to be tested for mesothelioma. Being able to diagnosis these diseases early on is crucial.
While Alzheimer’s disease is not curable, you can minimize the symptoms that you experience with medications that affect the brain known as cholinesterase inhibitors and the NMDA antagonist memantine.
With mesothelioma, however, the earlier you catch the cancer, the more likely you are to recover through appropriate treatment such as radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, chemotherapy or surgery. The actual course of treatment will depend on the cancer location and progression as well as the patient’s age and health.