What happens in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, exactly?

What is it? Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or CJD is a neurodegenerative disease, which means that it progressively leads to the destruction of the nervous system and its functions. It is incurable, able of transmission,  and leads to death. CJD occurs at a rate of about 1 case a year in 1 000 000 people. It is…

Type 2 diabetes explained

What is it? Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by the developed insulin resistance of cells, and the body’s inability to produce enough insulin to meet it’s needs. Insulin is essential to the movement of glucose from the blood into the cells: hence the disease  leads to heightened glucose levels in blood and urine.…

Type 1 diabetes explained

What is it? Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This means that the body’s own immune system has gone wrong and attacked the body. Insulin is essential to the movement of glucose from the blood into the cells: hence the disease  leads to heightened glucose…

Ebola explained

What is it? If there’s one disease that has dominated the media over the last few years, it’s undoubtedly Ebola. The outbreak in Western Africa, lasting from 2013 to 2016, claimed 11 325 lives and caused worldwide panic. About 50% of infections have lead to death. Ebola is classified as a viral hemorrhagic fever, which…

Alzheimer’s disease explained

What is it? Alzheimer’s is the most common cause for dementia. In 95% of cases, the disease onsets when people are older than 65. Alzheimer’s affects 6% of people older than 65 and, after that, the proportion doubles every five years. Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative illness. This means that it gets worse over time, and…

So what is this blog about, exactly?

Have you ever had a sick relative or friend, or even been sick yourself? Yeah, of course you have. The world is not perfect: people get sick all the time. But do you actually know why the illness came about – what went wrong while the body was just trying to mind it’s own business, why were certain…