Some of the deadliest diseases don’t announce themselves until it’s too late. They don’t have dramatic symptoms and quietly sneak in, doing damage for months and years before a diagnosis is discovered.
High blood pressure
Otherwise known as hypertension, high blood pressure can be a silent killer without symptoms. It can lead to other chronic illnesses and can be fatal if left untreated. Hypertension can pop up without any symptoms and is difficult to detect. When the damage is done to the arteries and heart, it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular issues.
Type 2 Diabetes
There are two types of diabetes, which are caused by high blood sugar levels. People with Type 1 diabetes have issues with their pancreas producing enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, affects how you process glucose or blood sugar. For people with Type 2 diabetes, symptoms can be hard to detect. Once it progresses, it can cause you to lose weight, become fatigued, and experience frequent thirst and urination. It can spread to the other organs.
Fatty Liver Disease
The process is slow and silent when fatty liver disease starts taking over your body. It manifests in two ways: non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease. It’s common when people consume too much alcohol, but the cause behind the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is harder to deduce, but it may be caused by eating a high level of unhealthy fats. In either case, when left untreated, it can cause the liver to scar, which is known as cirrhosis.
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease can progress slowly and silently over time without noticeable symptoms until the disease has progressed and significant damage has been done. At this point, either a transplant or dialysis will be required to survive. Once it’s advanced, this slow killer can cause fatigue and leg swelling. Those who have a family history may not know they are at a higher risk of getting kidney disease, and the best way to detect it early is through urine and blood tests.
Colon cancer
Colon cancer begins to destroy the body slowly, and since the symptoms are so vague and can be caused by less serious conditions, it’s often missed until it progresses to an advanced stage. These symptoms can include changes in bowel movements like diarrhea and constipation or abdominal pain, which are common symptoms. Who could have known an upset stomach could be so deadly? Getting screened through regular colonoscopies is the best way to catch this deadly cancer early.
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer can be quite sneaky due to its insidious nature. Like colon cancer, it can have vague symptoms like weight loss, fatigue, and bowel habit changes. It’s also hard for doctors to detect tumors through a simple medical exam since this organ sits deep within the abdomen. Often, only once it’s too late do symptoms like jaundice, dark urine, and stools that are a light color appear. Although this cancer is hard to detect, if you eat a balanced diet and stay active, it may reduce your risk of getting it.
Aneurysms
Aneurysms aren’t just a silent killer—they’re sudden, unexpected, and can be fatal. Symptoms often don’t occur until they rupture, which can lead to stroke, coma, and death. An aneurysm can take place in any artery but most commonly happens to the brain and aorta. If they do occur right before a rupture, the person may experience an intense headache, nausea, or changes in vision. This has a high mortality rate—almost 75% of patients who have a ruptured aneurysm pass away, so if you’re genetically predisposed, it’s important to get screened early.
HIV/AIDS
If left untreated, HIV can be deadly. It weakens the immune system by attaching to CD4 cells, which the body requires to fight infection. When it goes untreated, it can progress to the life-threatening disease known as AIDS, which leaves the body susceptible to serious infections like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and cancer. Fortunately, there are many treatments for HIV, and this chronic condition can be managed. But many people with HIV don’t know they have it—in fact, you can have it for years without symptoms, and stigma stops people from getting tested and hence receiving treatment.
