In the past, the common health
problems were the infectious diseases that spread rapidly and affected a large
number of people. To control these diseases a number of steps have been taken
like mass vaccination, improving quality of drinking water, providing better
sanitation and drainage. Many diseases are controlled but still diseases like
malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are a problem. In recent years new type of health
problems have become far more common. Non-infectious diseases are now becoming
the main cause of death and are affecting the quality of people’s lives.
Non-infectious diseases include:
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heart diseases;
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cancers;
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brain
strokes;
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Injuries;
§
loss of
hearing and sight;
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Diabetes;
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joint
problems caused by arthritis;
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bone
diseases that cause bones to break easily; and
§
Mental
diseases such as depression.
These diseases are not only seen
in old age but in any age. Growing older does contribute to some diseases. Many
of the diseases are due to the way people live their lives. If the way people
live their lives is making them more prone to risk of developing diseases such
as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, then there are chances that these
lifestyle diseases can be prevented by changing the way they live. The good
news is that health can be improved without doctors, hospitals and medicines.
There are mainly five aspects of
modern lifestyles which may cause modern disease:
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Poor diet;
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Being overweight;
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Getting insufficient exercise;
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Smoking tobacco; and
§
Drinking too much alcohol.
It is never too late for people
to improve their lifestyle. Stopping smoking, drinking less, getting to right
weight, eating healthy food and exercising will make people better at any point
of their life. Mostly it is seen people make lifestyle changes once they
develop some disease, which is also welcomed but it is much better to make
these lifestyle changes before diseases develop. It helps in increasing their
immunity also. While it is never too late for people to change the way they
live, it is never too early to develop a healthy lifestyle. Earlier, the
better. In fact there are things that parents should do even before their
children are born, and when they are children and teenagers, that can make a
big difference to health in later life. For example, a mother smoking or
drinking alcohol during pregnancy has a lifelong effect on her child.
Overeating and poor diet in the teenage years can lead to obesity and diabetes.
Lack of calcium in the growing years can produce weak bones in old age.
The best way to remain healthy is
to adopt a healthy lifestyle throughout life. Changing lifestyle early in life
will not only add years to a person’s life, but will add quality life to those
extra years. So we see good health is in our own hands.
Source: World Health
Organization
Happy Living!
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