What medical conditions seem more common now than when you were growing up?

Asthma. When I was at secondary school, there were only two of us who suffered in the whole school which had about a 1000 pupils. Now it seems really common.

Allergies.

Yes I'm sure they were Maws...just not talked about I suppose l. Though everyone seems to call them haemorrhoids now. I do remember a youngish bloke who'd just moved in next door and our first, over the fence, chat was all about his piles and the agony of his very recent operation. I felt sorry for him but didn't expect the graphic details on our first meet 🤣

New knees made me laugh MT62

Crikey weeks in hospital for cataract surgery Spindrift. And I remember nervous breakdowns being talked about.

Well at least we know what all the questions were leading to

I caught part of a report on TV this morning regarding lots of illnesses that are affecting young people now. One was diabetes and I was thinking about when I was at school. Nobody at our primary school had diabetes and I never heard of anybody at grammar school having it.

Bronchiectasis

Primrose53

I caught part of a report on TV this morning regarding lots of illnesses that are affecting young people now. One was diabetes and I was thinking about when I was at school. Nobody at our primary school had diabetes and I never heard of anybody at grammar school having it.

That’s because it’s weight related, type2 diabetes and even nine year olds are sometimes considered obese now.

valdali

Allergies and stress.

I might be wrong, but wasn't what we now refer to as 'stress/anxiety ' referred to back then as 'suffering with one's nerves''?

greyfur

Hip and knee replacements. I never knew anybody with these. Nor my parents' generation.

Athsma.

ADHD

Hip replacements began in the 60’s I think.

Knee replacements about a decade later, so quite recent I suppose.

Diabetes

Benign prostatic hyperplasia
prostatitis
prostate cancer

Coeliacs disease.

Yep Suffering from nerves was something I heard as a child - usually said in hushed tones!
I remember a class mate dying from diabetes ( type1) - I suppose that’s why it was less common. There was insulin available by then but still early days and survival was more hit and miss. Autoimmune diseases do seem to have become more common but maybe treatment allows better survival now?
Asthma - I’ve had asthma since childhood but it didn’t get called that for a few years - it was a wheezing tendency - and treatment was limited. Inhalers and especially preventative treatments which I think came available around 1975 meant better and much safer management.
There were people with autism- but only those with the severest profound autism were diagnosed and they were not usually cared for in the community.

Cancer in general really. Skin cancers and melanomas in particular. I can’t think of one older person I know that hasn’t had a skin cancer removed ( not all melanomas). Downside of living downunder .

ME/CFS

Type 2 diabetes in children and young adults. It used to be unusual to see a fat child and fat young people were fairly rare, now it's not, type 2 diabetes is completely avoidable.

Primrose53

I caught part of a report on TV this morning regarding lots of illnesses that are affecting young people now. One was diabetes and I was thinking about when I was at school. Nobody at our primary school had diabetes and I never heard of anybody at grammar school having it.

My grandparents lived in the Channel Islands during the German Occupation in WW2. Before the Germans invaded diabetics had insulin. When they invaded the insulin ran out and they died.

Type 1 diabetes is not more common, as SpinDriftCoastal's post says.
It is not related in any way to obesity.
There was a school in my area for "delicate children", which would have included diabetics, as it would have been difficult to manage any medical conditions in a busy classroom before the days of Teaching Assistants.

Were there really less or were they not talked about and many not even recognised by doctors ?

The word cancer was not ever said out loud
My Nan told me her mum died from rheumatism !!! And her dad from a broken heart because after her mum died her dad took a very young wife who ran off with his money and his heart !!!

How about the illnesses that have been practically wiped out like polio, whooping cough. scarlet fever, and others that people can now live with that were death sentences back then My granddad died from a heart attack he had been treated with tablets, he would have had a stent put in now
I think there are now more allergies and more mental health problems but that is surely down to more diagnosis and treatment

^I think there are now more allergies and more mental health problems but that is surely down to more diagnosis and treatment

^

I wouldnt say that is true of allergies, personally.

Fallingstar

Autism and many other mental health issues.

Autism is NOT a mental health issue. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder.

SpinDriftCoastal

Primrose53

I caught part of a report on TV this morning regarding lots of illnesses that are affecting young people now. One was diabetes and I was thinking about when I was at school. Nobody at our primary school had diabetes and I never heard of anybody at grammar school having it.

My grandparents lived in the Channel Islands during the German Occupation in WW2. Before the Germans invaded diabetics had insulin. When they invaded the insulin ran out and they died.

My grandparents were there too. My Granny told me the Germans took control of all medication on the island and when GP's ran out they had to go, cap in hand, to the German authorities and ask for more and it wasn't always given, hence the deaths.

My friend in primary school was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes age 10. She was on insulin but died in her twenties due to kidney failure.
ME is a new condition and definitely more adhd and autism diagnosis.