Rare Diseases

Living with a rare condition can be solitary and tough. There may be little information available concerning the ailment, and there may be few, if any, therapies available. It may also be difficult to connect with other sufferers — or even determine how many of you are out there. A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Researchers believe there are up to 7,000 such diseases, and around 30 million Americans are currently dealing with one of these diseases that you have probably never heard of or know very little about. "Even though these disorders are considered rare based on the amount of persons affected," says Summit Health Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine specialist, "a considerable number of individuals incur significant problems from them." "And the ramifications extend beyond therapy, which may be less readily available than for more prevalent disorders , to the toll on mental health, a person's fa...