Top 9 Most Common Diseases During World War I

When discussing heart disease during the Great War, it shared some similarities with modern-day heart conditions. However, the fatality rate during the war was significantly higher and more dangerous than it is today.

During World War I, heart defects were extremely difficult to detect and often undiagnosable unless external symptoms appeared due to factors such as loud noises, combat, or the scent of gunpowder, all of which put strain on the heart. Heart disease in World War I commonly affected adults and damaged the four major valves of the heart, often leading to strokes.

Typically, soldiers suspected of having heart problems were either discharged or kept off the battlefield.

Diabetes often led to death for many who contracted it, as the discovery of insulin was still two decades away. Civilians and soldiers with this condition had to follow strict diets, severely limiting their food intake. Without any treatment available, death followed shortly after diagnosis.

Venereal diseases were among the most common illnesses during World War I. These infections primarily spread due to unprotected sexual contact, resulting in rapid transmission. The number of cases surged, quickly spreading within the military and severely impacting the soldiers' combat readiness. At the time, treatment for venereal diseases was costly, time-consuming, and largely ineffective. Many nations, upon noticing the rising number of infections, introduced strict health policies, including mandatory medical checks for soldiers and sex workers to contain the spread of these diseases.

Tuberculosis was a deadly disease that claimed many lives during the war. It was caused by a slow-reproducing bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There are two stages of tuberculosis: the primary and secondary stages. In the primary stage, individuals diagnosed with the disease were classified as having pulmonary insufficiency. In the secondary stage, symptoms included coughing, blood-tinged sputum, weight loss, and high fever. Those in the second stage were isolated to prevent spreading the disease to their families, friends, or anyone they came into contact with, as no effective treatments were available at the time.

Though tuberculosis gradually faded, it left lasting physical and psychological scars on those affected. Medical research later led to the development of vaccines and helped prevent the outbreaks of tuberculosis in subsequent wars.

By the end of World War I, the British Army alone had recorded over 80,000 cases of soldiers suffering from shell shock. This term referred to soldiers experiencing psychological trauma after the intense stress of battle. Symptoms included insomnia, an inability to walk or speak, and panic attacks. Shell shock was relatively rare in the early stages of the war, but as the conflict wore on, the number of cases grew, and doctors struggled to pinpoint the exact cause of the disorder. Some believed that the blasts from bombs caused shock waves in the soldiers' brains, while others suspected that carbon monoxide from explosions damaged brain tissue.

Soldiers showing signs of shell shock were often labeled as cowards, but as cases increased, efforts were made to address the issue. The solution involved allowing affected soldiers to rest for a few days, with their officers encouraged to discuss both the war and their family lives with them. In severe cases, affected soldiers were taken to casualty stations for weeks of recovery. If they didn't improve, they would undergo additional observation until they were deemed fit to return to combat.

Trench foot, also known as foot infection, was a widespread and deadly disease during World War I. It caused soldiers' feet to turn red or bluish. This condition typically occurred due to prolonged exposure to wet, cold, and unsanitary environments. If left untreated, it could lead to numbness, necrosis, and often required amputations.

The only treatment available at the time was to wash wounds with warm water, dry the feet thoroughly, and change socks multiple times a day. Over 75,000 cases of trench foot were reported in the British Army and around 2,000 in the U.S. Army. However, by the end of the war, improvements in soldiers' boot quality helped reduce these numbers significantly.

Malaria was a prevalent disease, not only during World War I but also in modern times. It was one of the deadliest illnesses, claiming more lives than any other in various conflicts, including the First World War.

Numerous soldiers and civilians were affected by malaria during World War I. The majority of those infected were between the ages of 18 and 48, with many succumbing to the disease. Reports show that the British, French, and Austro-Hungarian armies combined had over 20 million cases, with an average of 80,000 deaths every month.

The lack of medical supplies, poor treatment options, and unsanitary living and fighting conditions allowed malaria to thrive, making it nearly impossible to control at certain points. After the war, the death toll significantly decreased as troops were relocated from infected areas to safer, cleaner environments.

Following malaria in terms of prevalence, typhoid and typhus were also widespread during World War I. Though these diseases are rarely mentioned in modern times, they were among the most feared and deadly during the Great War.

Many people mistakenly believe that typhoid and typhus are the same, but they are distinctly different. Typhoid, caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria, was one of the deadliest and fastest-spreading diseases in World War I. Symptoms included fever, sweating, diarrhea, and high temperatures, with extreme dehydration and intense pain.

Typhus, also known as gaol fever or ship fever, was spread by lice (Pediculus humanus) among soldiers. It was a consequence of poor hygiene and overcrowding. During the war, large numbers of deaths occurred due to typhus, and with no antibiotics available, the mortality rate varied between 10% and 80%.

The flu was a devastating disease, often referred to as the 'grim reaper' due to its higher death toll than weapons during wartime. Known as the Spanish flu, this pandemic emerged immediately after World War I and spread rapidly across Europe. Children and those between the ages of 20 and 40 were the most vulnerable. Poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, and polluted environments contributed to the swift transmission of the virus, leaving many people beyond help.

Those who contracted the Spanish flu would develop a fatal form of pneumonia, along with symptoms like headaches, muscle aches, persistent dry cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, and blood poisoning. Once infected, death usually occurred within three days, with victims suffering intense pain and swollen bodies.