Skip to content
BLOH EDIT DOCS

sicknesses that are often confused

  • TOC {
    }

WHAT CAUSES SICKNESS?

Persons from different countries or backgrounds have different ways to explain what causes sickness.

_A baby gets diarrhea.

But why?_

People in small villages may say it is because the parents did something wrong, or perhaps because they made a god or spirit angry.

A doctor may say it is because the child has an infection.

A public health officer may say it is because the villagers do not have a good water system or use latrines.

A social reformer may say the unhealthy conditions that lead to frequent childhood diarrhea are caused by an unfair distribution of land and wealth.

A teacher may place the blame on lack of education. People see the cause of sickness in terms of their own experience and point of view.

Who then is right about the cause? Possibly everyone is right, or partly right.

This is because…

Sickness usually results from a combination of causes

Each of the causes suggested above may be a part of the reason why a baby gets diarrhea.

To prevent and treat sickness successfully, it helps to have as full an understanding as possible about the common sicknesses in your area and the combination of things that causes them.

In this book, different sicknesses are discussed mostly according to the systems and terms of modern or scientific medicine.

To make good use of this book, and safe use of the medicines it recommends, you will need some understanding of sicknesses and their causes according to medical science.

Reading this chapter may help.

18

{:.no_toc}

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SICKNESSES AND THEIR CAUSES

When considering how to prevent or treat different sicknesses, it helps to think of them in two groups: infectious and non-infectious.

Infectious diseases are those that spread from one person to another.

Healthy persons must be protected from people with these sicknesses.

Non-Infectious diseases do not spread from person to person.

They have other causes.

Therefore, it is important to know which sicknesses are infectious and which are not.

NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Non-infectious diseases have many different causes.

But they are never caused by germs, bacteria, or other living organisms that attack the body.

They never spread from one person to another.

It is important to realize that antibiotics, or medicines that fight germs (see page 55), do not help cure non-infectious diseases.

Remember: Antibiotics are of no use for non-infectious diseases.

examples of NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Problems caused by:

something that wears out or goes wrong within the body

  • rheumatism
  • heart attack epileptic seizures stroke
  • migraine headaches cataract
  • cancer

something from outside that harms or troubles the body

  • allergies
  • asthma
  • poisons
  • snakebite
  • cough from smoking
  • stomach ulcer
  • alcoholism

lack of something the body needs

  • malnutrition
  • anemia
  • pellagra
  • night blindness and xerophthalmia
  • goiter and hypothyroidism
  • cirrhosis of the liver (part of the cause)

Problems people are born with

  • harelip
  • crossed or wall-eyes (squint)
  • other deformities
  • epilepsy (some kinds)
  • mental slowness
  • birthmark

Problems that begin in the mind (mental illnesses)

  • fear that something is harmful when it is not (paranoia)
  • nervous worry (anxiety)
  • belief in hexes (witchcraft)
  • uncontrolled fear (hysteria)

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria and other organisms (living things) that harm the body.

They are spread in many ways.

Here are some of the most important kinds of organisms that cause infections and examples of sicknesses they cause:

19

{:.no_toc}

examples of INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Organism that causes the sickness:

bacteria (microbes or germs)

tuberculosis

How it is spread or enters the body: through the air (coughing)

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

tetanus

How it is spread or enters the body: dirty wounds

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

some diarrhea

How it is spread or enters the body: dirty fingers, water, flies

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

pneumonia (some kinds)

How it is spread or enters the body: through the air (coughing)

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphillis

How it is spread or enters the body: sexual contact

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

earache

How it is spread or enters the body: with a cold

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

infected wounds

How it is spread or enters the body: contact with dirty things

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

sores with pus

How it is spread or enters the body: direct contact (by touch)

Principal medicine: different antibiotics for different bacterial infections

virus (germs smaller than bacteria)

colds, flu, measles, mumps, chickenpox, infantile paralysis, virus diarrhea

How it is spread or enters the body: from someone who is sick, through the air, by coughing.

flies, etc.

Principal medicine: acetaminophen and other painkillers

rabies

How it is spread or enters the body: animal bites

Principal medicine: vaccinations prevent some virus infections

warts

How it is spread or enters the body: touch

Principal medicine: vaccinations prevent some virus infections

HIV

How it is spread or enters the body: body fluids of someone infected get inside another person ́s body

Principal medicine: Antiretroviral medicines fight HIV.

Fungus

ringworm fungus athlete’s foot, jock itch, yeast infection

How it is spread or enters the body: by touch or from clothing

Principal medicine: nystatin, miconazole, gentian violet, ointments with undecylenic, benzoic, or salicylic acid

internal parasites (harmful animals living in the body)

In the gut: worms, amebas (dysentery)

How it is spread or enters the body: feces-to-mouth lack of cleanliness

Principal medicine: different specific medicines

internal parasites (harmful animals living in the body)

In the blood: malaria

How it is spread or enters the body: mosquito bite

Principal medicine: a combination of malaria medicines

External parasites (harmful animals living on the body)

lice, fleas bedbugs scabies

How it is spread or enters the body: by contact with infected persons or their clothes

Principal medicine: permethrin, keeping very clean

Bacteria, like many of the organisms that cause infections, are so small you cannot see them without a microscope, an instrument that makes tiny things look bigger.

Viruses are even smaller than bacteria.

Antibiotics (penicillin, tetracycline, etc.) are medicines that help cure certain illnesses caused by bacteria.

Antibiotics have no effect on illnesses caused by viruses, such as colds, flu, mumps, chickenpox, etc.

Do not treat virus infections with antibiotics. They will not help and may be harmful (see antibiotics).

20

{:.no_toc}

SICKNESSES THAT ARE HARD TO TELL APART

Sometimes diseases that have different causes and require different treatment result in problems that look very much alike.

For example:

A child who slowly becomes thin and wasted, while his belly gets more and more swollen, could have any (or several) of the following problems:

• malnutrition ([see page 112](#page-112))

• a lot of roundworms, ([see page 140](#page-140)), (usually together with malnutrition)

• advanced tuberculosis ([see page 179](#page-179))

• a long-term severe urinary infection ([see page 234](#page-234))

• any of several problems of the liver or spleen

• leukemia (cancer of the blood)

• HIV ([see page 339](#page-339))

2.

An older person with a big, open, slowly growing sore on the ankle could have:

• bad circulation that results from varicose veins or other causes ([see page 213](#page-213))

• diabetes([see page 127](#page-127))

• infection of the bone (osteomyelitis)

• leprosy ([see page 191](#page-191))

• tuberculosis of the skin ([see page 212](#page-212))

• advanced syphilis ([see page 237](#page-237))

The medical treatment for each of these diseases is different, so to treat them correctly it is important to tell them apart.

Many illnesses at first seem very similar.

But if you ask the right questions and know what to look for, you can often learn information and see certain signs that will help tell you what illness a person has.

This book describes the typical history and signs for many illnesses.

But be careful! Diseases do not always show the signs described for them, or the signs may be confusing.

For difficult cases, the help of a skilled health worker or doctor is often needed. Sometimes special tests or analyses are necessary.

Work within your limits! **In using this book, remember it is easy to make mistakes.

Never pretend you know something you do not.**

If you are not fairly sure what an illness is and how to treat it, or if the illness is very serious, get medical help.

21

{:.no_toc}

SICKNESSES THAT ARE OFTEN CONFUSED or given the same name

Many of the common names people use for their sicknesses were first used long before anyone knew about germs or bacteria or the medicines that fight them.

Different diseases that caused more or less similar problems-such as ‘high fever’ or ‘pain in the side’, were often given a single name.

In many parts of the world, these common names are still used.

City-trained doctors often neither know nor use these names.

For this reason, people sometimes think they apply to ‘sicknesses doctors do not treat’.

So they treat these home sicknesses with herbs or home remedies.

Actually, most of these home sicknesses or ‘folk diseases’ are the same ones known to medical science.

Only the names are different.

For many sicknesses, home remedies work well.

But for some sicknesses, treatment with modern medicine works much better and may be life-saving.

This is especially true for dangerous infections like pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis, or infections after giving birth.

To know which sicknesses definitely require modern medicines and to decide what medicine to use, it is important that you try to find out what the disease is in the terms used by trained health workers and in this book.

If you cannot find the sickness you are looking for in this book, look for it under a different name or in the chapter that covers the same sort of problem. Use the list of CONTENTS and the Index

If you are unsure what the sickness is, especially if it seems serious, try to get medical help.

The rest of this chapter gives examples of common or traditional names people use for various sicknesses.

Often a single name is given to diseases that are different according to medical science.

Examples cannot be given for each country or area where this book may be used.

Therefore, I have kept those from the Spanish edition, with names used by villagers in western Mexico.

They will not be the same names you use.

However, people in many parts of the world see and speak of their illnesses in a similar way.

So the examples may help you think about how people name diseases in your area.

examples of local names for sicknesses

STOPPED-UP GUT

Means that the gut is stopped up or obstructed (see page 94).

But in Mexican villages any illness causing stomach-ache or diarrhea may be called empacho.

It is said that a ball of hair or something else blocks a part of the gut.

People put the blame on witches or evil spirits, and treat with magic cures and cupping (see picture).

Sometimes folk healers pretend to take a ball of hair and thorns out of the gut by sucking on the belly.

Different illnesses that cause stomach pain or discomfort and are sometimes called empacho are:

• diarrhea or dysentery with cramps (see page 153)

• worms (see page 140)

• swollen stomach due to malnutrition (see page 112)

• indigestion or stomach ulcer (see page 128)

• and rarely, true gut obstruction or appendicitis (see page 94)

Most of these problems are not helped much by magic cures or cupping.

To treat empacho, try to identify and treat the sickness that causes it.

SIDE PAINS

This name is used for any pain women get in one side of their belly.

Often the pain goes around to the mid or lower back.

Possible causes of this kind of pain include:

• an infection of the urinary system (the kidneys, the bladder, or the tubes that join them, (see page 234)

• cramps or gas pains (see diarrhea 153)

• menstrual pains (see page 245)

• appendicitis (see page 94)

• an infection, cyst, or tumor in the womb or ovaries (see page 243) or an ectopic pregnancy (see page 280)

22

{:.no_toc}

CONGESTION

Any sudden upset or illness that causes great distress is called la congestión by Mexican villagers.

People speak of congestión of:

the head, the chest, the stomach, or the whole body. It is said that la congestión strikes persons who break ‘the diet’ (see page 123), by eating foods that are forbidden or taboo after childbirth, while taking a medicine, or when they have a cold or cough.

Although these foods usually cause no harm and are sometimes just what their bodies need, many people will not touch them because they are so afraid of getting la congestión.

Different illnesses that are sometimes called la congestión are:

• Food poisoning, from eating spoiled food: causes sudden vomiting followed by diarrhea, cramps, and weakness (see page 135).

• A severe allergic reaction, in allergic persons after they eat certain foods (shellfish, chocolate, etc,), take certain medicines, or are injected with penicillin.

May cause vomiting, diarrhea, cold sweat, breathing trouble, itchy rash, and severe distress (see page 166).

• Any sudden upset of the stomach or gut: see diarrhea (see page 153), vomiting (see page 161), and acute abdomen (see page 93).

• Sudden or severe difficulty breathing: caused by asthma (page 167), pneumonia (page 171), or something stuck in the throat (page 79).

• Illnesses that cause seizures (fits) or paralysis: see seizures (page 178), tetanus (page 182), meningitis (page 185), polio (page 314), and stroke (page 327).

• Heart attacks: mostly in older persons (page 325).

23

{:.no_toc}

CONGESTION

Any sudden upset or illness that causes great distress is called la congestión by Mexican villagers.

People speak of congestión of:

the head, the chest, the stomach, or the whole body. It is said that la congestión strikes persons who break ‘the diet’ (see page 123), by eating foods that are forbidden or taboo after childbirth, while taking a medicine, or when they have a cold or cough.

Although these foods usually cause no harm and are sometimes just what their bodies need, many people will not touch them because they are so afraid of getting la congestión. Different illnesses that are sometimes called la congestión are:

• Food poisoning, from eating spoiled food: causes sudden vomiting followed by diarrhea, cramps, and weakness (see page 135).

• A severe allergic reaction, in allergic persons after they eat certain foods (shellfish, chocolate, etc,), take certain medicines, or are injected with penicillin.

May cause vomiting, diarrhea, cold sweat, breathing trouble, itchy rash, and severe distress (see page 166).

• Any sudden upset of the stomach or gut: see diarrhea (page 153), vomiting (page 161), and acute abdomen (page 93).

• Sudden or severe difficulty breathing: caused by asthma (page 167), pneumonia (page 171), or something stuck in the throat (page 79).

• Illnesses that cause seizures (fits) or paralysis: see seizures (page 178), tetanus (page 182), meningitis (page 185), polio (page 314), and stroke (page 327).

• Heart attacks: mostly in older persons (page 325).

PULSING

Latido is a name used in Latin America for a pulsing or ‘jumping’ in the pit of the stomach.

It is really the pulse of the aorta or big blood vessel coming from the heart.

This pulse can be seen and felt on a person who is very thin and hungry.

Latido is often a sign of malnutrition (page 112), or hunger! Eating enough good food is the only real treatment (see page 110 and page 111).

24

{:.no_toc}

HYSTERIA, FRIGHT

According to Mexican villagers, hysteria (susto) is caused by a sudden fright a person has had, or by witchcraft, black magic, or evil spirits.

A person with fright is very nervous and afraid.

He may shake, behave strangely, not be able to sleep, lose weight, or even die.

Possible medical explanations for hysteria:

In many people, hysteria is a state of fear, perhaps caused by the ‘power of belief’ (see page 4).

For example, a woman who is afraid someone will hex her becomes nervous and does not eat or sleep well.

She begins to grow weak and lose weight.

She takes this as a sign she has been hexed, so she becomes still more nervous and frightened.

Her susto gets worse and worse.

In babies or small children, hysteria is usually very different.

Bad dreams may cause a child to cry out in his sleep or wake up frightened.

High fevers from any illness can cause very strange speech and behavior (delirium).

A child that often looks and acts worried may be malnourished (page 112).

Sometimes early signs of tetanus (page 182) or meningitis (page 185) are also called susto.

TREATMENT:

When the hysteria is caused by a specific illness, treat the illness.

Help the person understand its cause.

Ask for medical advice, if needed.

When the hysteria is caused by fright, try to comfort the person and help him understand that his fear itself is the cause of his problem.

Magic cures and home remedies sometimes help.

If the frightened person is breathing very hard and fast, his body may be getting too much air, which may be part of the problem:

EXTREME FRIGHT OR HYSTERIA WITH FAST HEAVY BREATHING (HYPERVENTILATION)

Signs:

• person very frightened

• breathing fast and deep

• fast, pounding heartbeat

• numbness or tingling of face, hands, or feet

• muscle cramps

TREATMENT:

♦ Keep the person as quiet as possible.

♦ Have her put her face in a paper bag and breathe slowly.

She should continue breathing the same air for 2 or 3 minutes.

This will usually calm her down.

♦ Explain to her that the problem is not dangerous and she will soon be all right.

25

{:.no_toc}

MISUNDERSTANDINGS DUE TO CONFUSION OF NAMES

This page shows 2 examples of misunderstandings that can result when certain names like ‘cancer’ and ‘leprosy’ mean one thing to medical workers and something else to villagers.

In talking with health workers-and in using this book:

Avoid misunderstanding, go by the signs and history of a person’s sickness, not the name people give it!

Spanish Name: CÁNCER (CANCER)

Mexican villagers use the word cáncer for any severe infection of the skin, especially badly infected wounds (page 88) or gangrene (page 213).

In modern medical language, cancer is not an infection, but an abnormal growth or lump in any part of the body.

Common types of cancer that you should watch out for are:

Any hard, painless, slowly growing lump in any part of your body may be cancer.

Cancer is often dangerous and may need surgery.

At the first suspicion of cancer seek medical help.

Spanish Name: LEPRA (LEPROSY)

Mexican villagers call any open spreading sore lepra.

This leads to confusion, because medical workers use this term only for true leprosy (Hansen’s disease, page 191).

Sores commonly called lepra are:

• impetigo and other skin infections (page 202)

• sores that come from insect bites or scabies (page 199)

• chronic sores or skin ulcers such as those caused by poor circulation (page 213)

• skin cancer (page 211)

• less commonly, leprosy (page 191) or tuberculosis of the skin (page 212)

26

{:.no_toc}

confusion between different illnesses that cause fever

Spanish Name: LA FIEBRE (THE FEVER)

Correctly speaking, a fever is a body temperature higher than normal.

But in Latin America, a number of serious illnesses that cause high temperatures are all called la fiebre, or ‘the fever’.

To prevent or treat these diseases successfully, it is important to know how to tell one from another.

Here are some of the important acute illnesses in which fever is an outstanding sign.

The drawings show the fever pattern (rise and fall of temperature) that is typical for each disease.

Malaria: (see page 186)

Begins with weakness, chills and fever.

Fever may come and go for a few days, with shivering (chills) as the temperature rises, and sweating as it falls.

Then, fever may come for a few hours every second or third day.

On other days, the person may feel more or less well.

Typhoid: (see page 188)

Begins like a cold.

Temperature goes up a little more each day.

Pulse relatively slow.

Sometimes diarrhea and dehydration.

Trembling or delirium (mind wanders).

Person very ill.

Typhus: (see page 190)

Similar to typhoid.

Rash similar to that of measles, with tiny bruises.

Hepatitis: (see page 172)

Person loses appetite.

Does not wish to eat or smoke.

Wants to vomit (nausea).

Eyes and skin turn yellow; urine orange or brown; stools whitish.

Sometimes liver becomes large, tender.

Mild fever.

Person very weak.

27

{:.no_toc}

Pneumonia: (see page 171)

Fast, shallow breathing.

Temperature rises quickly.

Cough with green, yellow, or bloody mucus.

May be pain in chest.

Person very ill.

Rheumatic fever: (see page 310)

Most common in children and teenagers.

Pain in joints.

High fever.

Often comes after a sore throat.

May be pain in the chest with shortness of breath.

Or uncontrolled movements of arms and legs.

Brucellosis (undulant fever, Malta fever): (see page 188)

Begins slowly with tiredness, headache, and pains in the bones.

Fever and sweating most common at night.

Fever disappears for a few days only to come back again.

This may go on for months or years.

Childbirth fever: (see page 276)

Begins a day or more after giving birth.

Starts with a slight fever, which often rises later.

Foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

Pain and sometimes bleeding.

All of these illnesses can be dangerous.

In addition to those shown here, there are many other diseases that may cause similar signs and fever.

For example, fevers that last for more than 1 month, or night sweats, may be caused by HIV infection (see page 399).

When possible, seek medical help.