“It’s been astonishing”: 17 serious medical issues now treatable thanks to science

Unfortunate news in some parts of the world led one Redditor to ask for examples of medical problems that have become more treatable. Advances in medical science in the past 30 years have produced incredible results to the point that former “death sentences” are now nearly curable. It’s almost shocking how far we’ve come when you list it all out.

1. Hepatitis C

“Hep C can now be cured and was for a long time placed next to HIV as incurable.” —u/ClassicExamination

2. HIV

“HIV has gone from a death sentence to practically undetectable with the right medication.”

“You can live a full life, never pass it on to anyone, never develop to AIDS.” —u/bihufflepuff

3. Cystic fibrosis

“Cystic Fibrosis used to require multiple ‘tune up’ hospitalizations per year. They’ve developed a triple therapy drug that works with the defective protein. Way less hospitalizations and way improved quality of life.” —u/icouldbeeatingoreos

4. Hemophilia

“I’m a mom of two severe hemophiliacs and just in my 11-year-old’s lifetime, advances in treatment have meant we no longer spend every weekend at the hospital ER, they get one shot in the arm once a month instead of three infusions a week through ports, and the medication works fifty times better.”

“They are, for all intents and purposes, normal kids. It’s been astonishing to witness.” —u/ProvePoetsWrong

5. Musculoskeletal issues

“I would like to shout out the underappreciated medical discipline of physical therapy!”

“Physical therapy has advanced so much and has become more widely accepted as an actual option of treatment for musculoskeletal problems. So many people have been able to avoid surgery with the correct PT.” —u/flugualbinder

6. Heart failure

“A lot of heart issues can be maintained or fixed via medication or non-invasive procedures now. Even if you have a low ejection fraction/heart failure, a pump in your heart can keep you alive until you can get a transplant, or at least give you a few more years of life. Absolutely incredible the advancements in healthcare lately.” —u/Jinx73_

7. Menopause

“I am so glad that menopause treatment is becoming more standard. For the last 25 years, perimenopausal women have been made to suffer because of faulty, poorly researched information regarding hormonal treatment for menopause. That’s been changing over the last few years.”

“My mom and her peers didn’t get to benefit, but I will and I am. Hormones can help with osteoporosis, lower dementia rates, and overall health issues, including mental health in women.” —u/braineatingalien

8. Vitamin deficiencies

“Psychotherapist here and know the signs of vitamin deficiencies (experience them myself) and encourage clients to get bloodwork done by their PCP because of symptoms they experience that exacerbate their mental health symptoms. Lo and behold, they have some kind of deficiency (iron, D, and B12).” —u/Spiritual-Map1510

9. Blood cancers

“The treatments sure aren’t easy, but a variety of hematopoietic malignancies (pediatric B-lymphoblastic leukemia, small B cell lymphomas, JAK2 mutant myeloproliferative neoplasms, etc) w new targeted treatments over the last 30 years have vastly better outcomes than before 1990-1995 or so.” —u/IOVERCALLHISTIOCYTES

10. Diabetes

“Type 2 diabetes. Changes to the way we manage it mean you can push it effectively into remission.” —u/Minoskalty

11. Respiratory allergies and asthma

“When I was a kid, there were a couple of asthma meds, nebulizers were huge and non-portable, and allergies essentially had Benadryl. Being an allergic, asthma-y kid was sleepy from the Benadryl and jittery from the asthma meds.”

“Now there are great non-drowsy, effective allergy meds. There are nasal sprays. I can take one puff twice a day of an inhaler and be set. If it gets bad, a nebulizer can fit in a fanny pack.” —u/Lyeta1_1

12. Feline Infectious Peritonitis

“FIP, a cat disease, was once a death sentence, and can now be cured with a moderate success rate.” —u/Ihavsunitato

13. Joint problems

“Instead of waiting for joints to deteriorate and just replacing them, biologics have allowed people with arthritis and many autoimmune diseases to live mostly normal lives!” —u/Backpack_anatomy

14. Cervical cancer

“We haven’t gotten to the point of fully phasing it out yet, but in places where vaccination rates are relatively high people my age and younger will have basically a negligible risk of developing cervical cancer as they age.” —u/smcguffey1

15. Lots more cancers

“Immunotherapy for cancer treatments. It’s extended the lives of many patients and effectively cured certain stage 4 cancers.” —u/swellswirly

16. Gender dysphoria

“Part of the reason you see more transgender people is that the actual medicine has gotten safer, more effective, and more accessible. The hormones available today are both stronger for inducing second puberty and gentler on the system than the hormones available 30 years ago. Surgical techniques have improved.” —u/Conscious-Tree-6

17. Schizophrenia

“Long-acting injectable anti-psychotic medications are helping people with schizophrenia live better lives every day. I’m hopeful for further advances for schizophrenia in the next 10 years.” —u/CrazyWhammer