Imagine suddenly having difficulty swallowing every time you eat. You feel that there’s something stuck in your throat and you experience a clicking sensation when chewing your food.
Or imagine having a very fragile skin that blisters and tears even from very minor friction.
Having to go through such experiences will definitely prompt you to look for the possible cause so that you can find appropriate remedies.
But because they are rare diseases, very few doctors have knowledge of the symptoms and possible treatments, if available.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) reports that 300 million people worldwide suffer from a rare disease. Global Genes, on the other hand, says that it takes an average of 4.8 years before a patient receives an accurate diagnosis.
This means that to find out what their disease is, the patients and their families have to see dozens of physicians who would most likely just refer them to another doctor or tell them that they couldn’t figure out what exactly they are going through.
Raising awareness about rare diseases encourages more people to learn about it, which could eventually shorten the time for patients to get an accurate diagnosis. And with more people becoming familiar with rare diseases, the more advocates there could be for finding possible treatments.
February 28 is World Rare Disease Day. Help spread awareness about rare diseases. Share this blog on social media. And feel free to use any of these graphics from our Social Media Kit.
