Rare diseases - Effects not so rare

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Rare diseases - Effects not so rare
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• To most people, the word 'disease' refers to
  infectious diseases like typhoid, cholera etc.
  But how many of us regularly hear about diseases
  like Down's Syndrome?
• Probably a few - the ones whokeep track of the
  medicinal world. So why are such diseases mostly
  unheard of? Because they are classified as rare
  diseases. Most of these rare diseases are ones
  about which we have little or no knowledge. As it
  happens, 29th February, the rarest of days in the
  annual calendar, is also the day when such rare
  diseases are shed light upon. 'Rare disease day'
  is observed on this day. You too can take this
  opportunity to learn about a few new diseases,
  while spreading awareness by sharing information.

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Narcolepsy

• It is a sleep disorder in which the patient
  experiences episodes of sleepiness during the
  day.Additional symptoms include extreme muscle
  weakness, before waking up or prior to sleeping,
  known as 'automatic behavior' i.e. doing things
  without any recollection of the action
  afterwards.

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Down syndrome

• It is a congenital disorder caused by chromosomal
  abnormality that happens before birth.Certain
  features, such as a flat face and a short neck
  are characteristic of Down syndrome. The more
  dangerous effect is a degree of intellectual
  disability in the child, that may range from mild
  to moderate. Although, Down syndrome is a
  lifelong condition, with care and support,
  children who have Down syndrome can grow up to
  have healthy, happy, productive lives.

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Parkinson's disease

• This disorder affects the way you move. It
  happens when the nerve cells in the brain that
  make dopamine (dopamine sends signals to the part
  of your brain that controls movement) break down.
  The symptoms include movement disorders like
  tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and
  postural instability. Parkinson's is progressive,
  which means it gets worse over time. But usually
  this happens slowly, over many years. Nowadays
  there are good treatments that can help
  Parkinson's patients live a full life..

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Grave's disease

• This disorder affects the thyroid gland and often
  the skin and eyes. Although seen predominantly in
  women, a small proportion of males are also
  affected. The main symptoms of Graves' disease
  may include - fatigue, weight loss, an abnormal
  intolerance of heat, muscle weakness, sleeping
  problems and rapid heart rate. Although, the
  exact cause of Graves' disease is unknown, it is
  thought that an imbalance in the immune system
  may play a role.

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• According to the Indian Society for Clinical
  Research, in India rare diseases affect around 70
  million individuals. Most of the cases are either
  misdiagnosed or left untreated and this has
  resulted in increased mortality. Ignorance is no
  longer bliss it is time to be awake and to
  spread awareness.

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• Health care is more prevention than cure. At
  Health Care at Home we try to bring a holistic
  approach to healthy living beyond healing
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