What’s in a Name? Real Diseases Suffer from Silly Name Syndrome

The superabundance of online medical information and direct-to-consumer drug ads on TV can be enough to stir the hypochondriac in all of us. But some legitimate (despite their skeptics) conditions, and the people who suffer from them, just can't seem to get any respect. Looking at this list, we think part of the problem might be the you-can't-be-serious quality of some of the names. Here‘s a few examples of “illnesses” that could really benefit from a name change: Restless Leg Syndrome "The first time I saw a TV commercial about Restless Legs Syndrome, I was pretty sure it was a spoof. I figured I had stumbled across a prime-time Saturday Night Live special and was seeing a well-done fake ad," wrote Stephen Dubner on the Freakonomics Blog. RLS sufferers report tingling, burning, or numbing sensations in their legs that create an overwhelming need to move them. Trying to relax or ...