About This Quiz
If a disease lasts more than three months, it is considered a chronic condition. However, chronic illnesses are also conditions that have long-lasting effects that come with time. These diseases can vary in severity from making the patient feel minor discomfort for the rest of their life to degenerative conditions that slowly break down various organs and parts of the body. No matter how subtle or intense the chronic illness is, it always comes with symptoms. While many of these symptoms present themselves at various stages of the disease, they usually become quite apparent. However, that doesn't mean that they are easy to spot and diagnose.
Many chronic illnesses present as small issues or viruses in their beginning stages. This makes it difficult for doctors to catch them the first few times a patient seeks help. For the most part, the doctor will even treat the symptoms rather than look into further testing because most chronic illnesses are pretty rare. Do you think you have a better eye for illness than a doctor? We're going to give you a list of symptoms for chronic diseases to see if you can identify it. Take this quiz to see where you rank on the diagnosing scale.
While there are varying degrees of asthma, the majority of people who suffer from it can keep it at bay with medications like steroids and inhalers. However, there are some cases of asthma that are so severe that they can be life-threatening.
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While the majority of cases of Alzheimer's affects senior citizens over 80, some exhibit signs early on. This disease is progressive and deteriorates memories and mental function.
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Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that generally appears in adolescence. Those afflicted with this disease have a pancreas that cannot produce insulin properly, if at all. There are treatments, but no cure.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD) is most commonly found in smokers or ex-smokers. However, there are cases in which nonsmokers are affected, but it is usually caused by environmental air quality.
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Depression can be inherited, or it can come from social situations that the patient is in. With so many ways to become affected by the disorder, depression has become incredibly common in the United States.
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Symptoms of Parkinson's disease also include slowed movement, changes in speech and jaw stiffness that can lead to reduced ability to create facial expressions. Though this disease mostly shows signs at older ages, 10% of cases are in patients under the age of 50.
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Some people have Crohn's disease but they can go their entire lives with minimal symptoms. However, others experience chronic abdominal pain, even if they change their diets.
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Also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS is a degenerative disease that affects the nervous system. Over time, it weakens the muscles and completely disables physical function.
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Not only does Huntington's disease affect the nerve cells in a patient's brain, but it can also be fatal. The condition is rare, and it is inherited from the patient's parents. Abnormal eye movements and impaired posture are other symptoms that come along with Huntington's disease.
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Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is a disease that can be regulated and even overcome by a proper diet and exercise. It affects how the patient's body is able to process blood sugar.
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Osteoporosis is the weakening of bone density. Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis than men, but treatment with diet, exercise and medication has proven to help with the symptoms.
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Epilepsy can be inherited, or it can be a result of a brain injury or trauma. There are medications, dietary changes and surgical procedures that can help treat the disease, which is caused by abnormal brain activity.
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Millions of cases of bipolar disorder crop up around the United States every year. This common condition can be treated with medication, diet and exercise, but we don't know the cause, and there is no cure.
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Osteoarthritis is better known as degenerative arthritis. While there are over 100 types of arthritis around, all of them are commonly referred to as arthritis. If you are diagnosed with arthritis, you and your doctor will come up with a treatment plan.
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Hypertension is a fancy way of saying that someone has high blood pressure. This can cause complications in many forms and increase the patient's risk of stroke and heart disease. A healthy diet and exercise program can reduce these risks.
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Inflammatory bowel disease has more specific diseases within its definition. However, it is mostly considered a disorder that is caused by chronic inflammation, specifically in the patient's digestive tract.
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Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) also include double vision and weakness. It is extremely painful and requires physical therapy and medications to slow the progression. However, these medications can suppress the immune system.
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There are varying degrees of sleep apnea. In the most severe cases, the patients stop breathing for over a minute at a time while they are sleeping. Special devices known as CPAP machines can be used to help subside the effects.
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Though atrial fibrillation may not have any symptoms at all, some who suffer from the condition get lightheaded and have bouts of shortness of breath. The condition causes palpitations and irregular heartbeat.
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Cervical cancer is a very serious matter as a woman's cervix helps to regulate the hormones throughout her body. This means it can spread quickly. However, early detection is vital, and it can be treated with surgery and chemotherapy.
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Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has quite a few symptoms and can be difficult to diagnose. It can be caused by other medical conditions, and can only be diagnosed if the person has suffered from severe fatigue for over six months.
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Sickle cell anemia occurs when the red blood cells in a patient's body are misshapen and become sickle-shaped. This causes the blood cells to break down and die earlier. Treatments for this condition are as simple as medication and as extreme as bone-marrow transplants.
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Occurring solely in women, endometriosis happens when endometrial cells grow outside of the uterus. This disease can cause the patient to have incredible amounts of pain and suffer from infertility.
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This skin condition can be painful and unsightly. However, those who suffer from it have options when it comes to medications and dietary changes. The redness, swelling and cracking can be mediated.
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As far as autoimmune diseases go, lupus might be one of the most common. There are more than 200,000 new cases per year in the United States. Lupus is what happens when your immune system starts to attack the body's tissues, causing inflammation.
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This hereditary disease affects children. There are newborn screenings available for early diagnosis. Cystic fibrosis is a rare condition in which the body produces too much mucus and digestive juices.
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There are several different types of muscular dystrophy. It occurs when the body is unable to create healthy muscle tissue on its own. This leads to a steady decrease in muscle mass, which leads to weakness all over the body.
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Although the majority of mitral valve prolapse cases don't necessarily need treatment, some do. The ailment can last for years and comes with irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath.
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Degenerative disc disease is more common than you would think. It is caused when the vertebrae in a person's back begin to lose their cushioning, causing them to fragment and herniate.
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Those who don't suffer from narcolepsy might consider the condition to be humorous. However, this sleep disorder results in drowsiness and the tendency to fall asleep whenever the body is relaxed.
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Common signs of psoriasis are a scaly and patchy rash accompanied by itchy, dry skin. This skin condition is very common and is thought to be an issue with the immune system. While most cases can be treated with a proper diet, others require medication.
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Though scleroderma is not a common disease, it is incredibly serious. Not only does this condition cause tightening in the skin around your joints, but it also comes with joint pain and heartburn. Treatment for scleroderma requires surgery, medication and physical therapy.
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Ulcerative colitis is caused by inflammation in the bowels. More specifically, it can be found in the innermost lining of the large intestine or the rectum. This is very painful and may even require surgery.
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Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is an incredibly painful condition. Other symptoms include changes in how your hair and nails grow, muscle spasms and stiff joints. It isn't a very common disease.
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Scoliosis is a curve in the spine that can be incredibly painful. It generally occurs during adolescence, when growth spurts are most common. If not treated early enough, this disease can become debilitating.
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