Beware of This ‘bloody’ Disease

Diagnostic tools for detection of medical conditions have no doubt advanced, yet some diseases like Leukemia can still prove tough to spot, especially if the condition exists without the manifestation of symptoms.

A grim record to prove how elusive leukemia can be is the case of a teenager from Hyderabad. Sick for over six months, doctors were unable to pin the condition to a disease, despite conducting a battery of tests.

A haematoncologist finally cracked the disease which turned out to be leukemia. The boy was put on treatment and is on the road to recovery.

This is just one case among many which go undiagnosed and can mean life and death to patients. Studies show that 20% of the time, experts have failed to diagnose the disease, and even if they did, it turned out to be a delayed diagnosis. Unfortunately, Leukemia lends itself difficult for diagnosis.

Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, also known as leukocytes. Research has not helped in pinning the causes of leukemia, although certain factors like exposure to radiation or age can increase the chances of this disease. Certain types of leukemia are common in children.

Leukemia can manifest without any telltale symptoms even during the chronic stages. Sometimes even routine blood tests can detect the disease. It is important to know that symptoms of this disease may be as common as symptoms of flu, which may lead people to overlook medical care.

Frequent infections, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, vomiting, sore throat, and general fatigue are some of the common symptoms.

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What begins as flu like symptoms advance rapidly in leukemia and patients can complain of severity in symptoms. It is important to seek medical advise so that treatment can begin without delay.

Source-Medindia
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