Buhari is very ill: Here are the 5 ailments speculated

Apart from disappearing from public, working from home and missing federal executive council meetings and Jumat prayers, he’s so frail. Between May 29, 2015, when he was sworn in as the President of the world’s most populous black nation (191.1 million people at 2 pm on Monday, May 8, 2017) and now, he has lost a chunk of his body weight.

However, the government has been silent on the ailments the 74 year old Duara, Katsina-born retired two star General is battling with, leaving room for wild speculations. At a time, he was rumoured to be fed by intravenous means.

Apart from the Meniere disease which the Presidency acknowledged last year, there are speculations on about four more ailments – Crohn, prostrate, dementia and geriatrics issues.

Here are a few facts about these ailments:

The inflammatory bowel disease causes the lining of the digestive tract to swell leading to abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, fatigue and fever, weight loss, malnutrition, mouth sores and blood in the stool.

The exact cause of the life threatening ailment is not known. But heredity and the immune system play a large role.

Cancer of the prostate starts from the ‘walnut shaped gland that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transport sperm’ in men.

From trouble urinating to decreased force while urinating, patients can also notice blood in semen, experience pain in the bones and erectile dysfunction.

The cause of prostrate cancer is unknown, but black and older men with history of cancers in their family are prone to develop it.

Dementia is a group of symptoms affecting memory which leaves sufferers struggling with everyday chores and activities.

Sufferers have difficulty in remembering things, communicating, reasoning, handling complex tasks and organising and planning.  They are confused and disoriented.

Dementia is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain sometimes triggered by reaction to medications or vitamin deficiencies.

There are complicated versions of dementia such as Alzheimer’s, vascular, lewy body, frontotemporal and mixed dementia.

And their causes are also complex.

These are diseases generally associated with old age, especially those above 65.

Older people usually have  major issues such as heart problems, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease or high blood pressure.

Aging comes with many complications as the body struggles to cope with everyday living. All parts of the body need special attention by specialists.

Meniere disease affects the inner ear and might lead to permanent hearing loss. The serious disorder disorients sufferers, making them feel as if they are spinning.

This spinning episodes known as vertigo lasts for about 20 minutes to several hours without warning.

The cause of Meniere is unclear, but mistakenly filling the ear with liquid or other objects are culprits. And allergies, viral infection, head trauma, genetics, immunity and migraine have also been labelled as possible causes.