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Out-of -date conditions

(85 Posts)
apricot Wed 10-Jun-15 19:26:51

How many disorders can you think of which no longer exist?
Like chills, rheumatism, growing pains, weak chests?
My hands keep going purple and people say it's "bad circulation" but can that be a real condition? Either your blood is circulating and you're alive, or it isn't and you're dead.

Ariadne Wed 10-Jun-15 19:30:29

My grandmother used to talk about the blood "overheating" and causing all sorts of complaints. And I am convinced that her "rheumatics" and those of my mother, were the arthritis that I have (well, not at the moment grin

I think poor circulation is an actual condition, but will leave our resident medics to verify that!

Ana Wed 10-Jun-15 19:34:16

I'm pretty sure rheumatism still exists! hmm

durhamjen Wed 10-Jun-15 19:43:33

I met someone a couple of months ago who said her husband had sugar diabetes. I didn't think anyone called it that these days.

Katek Wed 10-Jun-15 19:45:08

Is lumbago still a complaint? Don't hear it mentioned so much nowadays.

Katek Wed 10-Jun-15 19:51:17

Or chilblains?

absent Wed 10-Jun-15 20:02:16

Katek Chilblains certainly do still exist but are less likely to occur in houses with central heating.

What about growing pains?

mcem Wed 10-Jun-15 20:05:28

If any of us wore something skimpy or short we were warned that we'd get ' a chill in the kidneys'.
Can't think of anyone who did actually ever have this diagnosis!

thatbags Wed 10-Jun-15 20:13:09

I have chilblains. They definitely still exist.

thatbags Wed 10-Jun-15 20:13:28

Probably caused by poor circulation.

Charleygirl Wed 10-Jun-15 21:25:52

apricot if your hands turn a purple colour you probably have Raynaud's Disease which is poor circulation.

mcem Wed 10-Jun-15 21:37:28

Agree with Charley. My daughter has been diagnosed as having Raynaud's syndrome. Her hands turn blue/purple in the cold. No remedy apart from gloves and heat.

petallus Wed 10-Jun-15 23:30:49

As a child i was warned if i sat on something cold i would get piles.

And it's true, i did!

Marelli Wed 10-Jun-15 23:36:17

I think 'growing pains' do exist - in the legs, anyway. I had really achey legs when I was young, and so did my DD and then her DD. Her little boy (my Gt Grandson) has the same problem.

Grandma2213 Thu 11-Jun-15 00:30:42

My mother always said she had Quinsy which I think was a sore throat (tonsillitis). I have since found out it is quite serious and usually requires hospitalisation! She was always prone to exaggeration, my mother!

Petallus We were warned that if we sat on the school radiators we would get piles. I got them as a result of pregnancy!!

Falconbird Thu 11-Jun-15 06:50:37

Haven't heard of Bell's Palsey for years.

Falconbird Thu 11-Jun-15 06:51:17

Haven't heard about Goiters either, not sure what they were.

absent Thu 11-Jun-15 06:58:02

Bell's Palsey (no idea about the spelling) still happens and it's horrible. A friend was very ill for quite a long time.

Goitre is a thyroid problem but, perhaps, called something else these days.

Grannyknot Thu 11-Jun-15 06:59:25

Goitre was said when people had thyroid problems.

I love keeping my kidneys warm! smile

How about "having a turn"? grin

Grannyknot Thu 11-Jun-15 07:02:02

It is spelt Bell's Palsy. I've known two people,who b have had it and it is horrible.

Sheena Thu 11-Jun-15 07:09:37

If anyone said to my Mum they had a pain in their leg/hip/arm/shoulder etc she'd say "Oh, you must have pulled a guider" ??? grin hubby and I still say it now !!

kittylester Thu 11-Jun-15 07:35:45

I've had a quinsey (sp?) it was horrendous but I didn't need to be in hospital. The treatment was the most enormous antibiotic tablets I have ever seen and, considering I couldn't even swallow my own saliva, quite difficult to take! confused

Bez Thu 11-Jun-15 07:54:29

Goitre is a condition which does still exist - it is a tumour of some sort on the thyroid itself - OH had one about eight years ago and the term was certainly used still here in France - this was all discovered at a routine chest ex ray and the French radiologist saw it and put it in his report. (We were here on holiday at the time but as nirmal they gave us the Xray and report). Back in UK initially the surgeon said there was nothing there and was just dismissing us when he changed his mind and sent OH for an MRI scan which showed the tumour ( fortunately it proved to be nothing nasty when tested) and it was so big it was almost inoperable! He had an operation to remove it and half his thyroid and they found the tumour had grown all around the nerves etc. he was lucky it all went OK. Thing was a year or so before he was given an endoscopy and they were unable to get the things down his throat as his oesophagus was pushed out of line and had a bend in it but they never thought to find out why!!! He also almost choked twice!

Anya Thu 11-Jun-15 07:57:36

Watching Wolf Hall I wondered what the 'sweating sickness' was that carried off Thomas Cromwell's wife and two daughters very suddenly.

Is that a disease that's still around under a different name or something, like the plague, which doesn't 'exist' any more?

PRINTMISS Thu 11-Jun-15 08:01:26

Me too, I had quinsy, which my mother swore I got when I was pushed into the local open-air swimming pool, and stayed under the water rather longer than expected - didn't drown, but could not swim, and someone sort of rescued me! I am not sure when antibiotics became available, and so not sure what treatment I had, but still remember the heat and pain, no hospital, but about two/three weeks off school.
My gran always said it was 'growing pains' and a warning about piles, and keeping kidneys warm. Chilblains were always a problem, and I seem to remember something called "Zambuc" was rubbed into these.