What Illnesses are Not Invisible?
It was brought to my attention that most illnesses are in fact invisible. There are birth defects that are not invisible, there are injuries that are not invisible, but most illnesses that one acquires is usually invisible. I can not think of any that are not. Cancer is invisible until the treatment causes visibility such as hair loss or surgery removes a part of ones body that is visible. Otherwise, it is invisible.
So here is my question to you…Can you name an illness that is not invisible? I am anxious to hear your answers.
This is really interesting, Tina….Another couple for your list. Motor neuron disease particularly as it progresses can be very visible, and from my time as a head and neck nurse some of the cancers are visible and disfiguring. The surgery to help treat for instance, sinus tumours can involve huge amounts of the face/jaw being removed, orbit removal and skin grafts/flaps. Bells palsy is also very visible – not sure if you class it as an illness though……
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I thought it to be interesting too that I could think of so many invisible illnesses, but very few visible ones. That’s what spurred the question. Thank you so much for your help!
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I have known people with MD, MS and if you asked them, they’d tell you that they had a condition and were not ill. Deafness isn’t an illness. Are you sick with deafness? ALS, in it’s late stages, is definitely visible. A stroke is not an ongoing illness. It’s an episode that may or may not have resulting limitations. Spinabifida is in that MS, MD, born with it category and are referred to as conditions. I also don’t know anyone ill with autism. So, in my humble opinion, and that’s all that it is, it’s really tough to find visible illnesses. We see the results sometimes, but there is no ongoing illness. Deformative arthritis might be. But unless the symptoms of the illness can be seen, the illness remains invisible.
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You make very valid points. MS can come on later in life and is most often invisible. Thank you for your perspective!
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I have two grandsons born with cleft lip and palate, always visible.
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But aren’t those considered birth defects? I don’t know the answer is why I’m asking.
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Yes, and not an illness persay, but the effects, all the surgeries, complications of nose, teeth, hearing, etc last a lifetime. So I consider it an illness myself.
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Yes, but they are not all visible.
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