Every October the NFL and countless other organizations go pink for breast cancer awareness. April is Autism Awareness Month. We constantly hear about general heart health, dental health (and how it affects the heart), and we’re presented with facts and statistics about alcoholism and drug abuse, especially opioids. There are conditions out there, however, that affect thousands or even millions of people, that don’t have the spotlight on them quite as much as the others. Here are six that you’ve probably never heard of. 

Myocarditis 

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart, and it can affect anyone, including the very young. In fact, it’s the third leading cause of Sudden Death in children and is most prominent in infants to people in their early 30’s. It’s generally brought on by a viral infection that stresses the heart, but it also has links to cancer and metal poisons. Myocarditis awareness is beginning to take off, however, it still has a long way to go before people understand and know to look for it when they experience health problems. 

Cervical Teratoma

Anything involving the neck or spine is going to be serious, as both of those are extremely important and, in some cases, fragile areas of the body. However, there are some afflictions to the cervical area that are less harmful than others. A cervical teratoma is a group of germ cell tumors that present in the neck, as opposed to the more common ovary or testicle areas. While they are more commonly found in children and are considered benign, in adults they’re generally found to have cancer and must be dealt with medically. Cervical procedures in neurosurgical offices can be used to remove the growth for either children or adults, as with children the danger of the tumor is that it may press on the windpipe, causing trouble with breathing. If the tumor is biopsied, found to be malignant, and cancer had spread, adults will undergo other therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation. 

Pain and Discomfort Due to Surgical Mistakes

While it’s hard to give exact statistics on how many people this affects, pain, discomfort, and even death can be the end result of surgical mistakes, specifically of foreign objects being left in a patient’s body. This could be something that affects the patient immediately, as in a scalpel or scissors that irritate or puncture the organ it’s closest to or within, or more slowly, like a sponge being left inside the body that takes time to get infected. The enormity of the problem and severity of symptoms depend on what the object is and where it was left, but thankfully patients can recoup some of their loss of income and high medical bills by contacting a medical malpractice attorney to help them navigate the process. 

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition wherein tissue that resembles the uterine lining grows outside of a uterus. It’s not rare, as 1 in 10 people deal with it on a daily basis, and it doesn’t just affect women. In some cases, trans men experience the pain that comes with the disease, and it’s also shown up in cisgendered men as well. The symptoms that accompany Endometriosis most often are a pain, nausea, vomiting, and severe moods swings. And some aren’t just affected during their period, but also during ovulation and other times of the month as well. While Endometriosis awareness is now gaining ground, especially in places like Australia, it’s still not a well-known disease, most likely because it takes laparoscopic surgery to confirm a diagnosis, and for years doctors believed pain, even extreme pain, was just a part of a woman’s cycle.