There are many diseases in the world that kill tens and hundreds of thousands of people every year. The World He alth Organization has identified the 15 most common of them. According to statistics, it is these diseases that cause death in 60% of cases.
Ischemic heart disease
The first place in the ranking of the most common diseases in the world is coronary heart disease. This disease is associated with insufficient blood flow to certain parts of the heart muscle. Most often, ischemia affects the elderly, in most cases - men.
There are many factors that can influence the development of coronary heart disease. These include:
- diabetes mellitus;
- smoking;
- drinking alcohol;
- passive lifestyle;
- being overweight;
- lipid metabolism disorders.
Ischemia is not in vain considered the most common non-contagious disease, because only in Russia every year more than 600 thousand people die from it. This isthe disease leads either to disability or death, in connection with which it is also considered one of the most undesirable and dangerous. To protect yourself from the development of heart pathologies, you need to lead a he althy lifestyle, control your body weight, do not neglect sports and eat the right food.
Cerebrovascular disease
This disease differs from coronary artery disease in that in this case, insufficient blood supply does not affect the heart, but the brain tissue. This, in turn, leads to oxygen starvation, which can result in a stroke and, in the worst case, death.
There are several forms of the disease - ischemic, hemorrhagic and mixed. In the first case, the cause of a stroke is the formation of blood clots or atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels of the brain. Secondly, hypertensive hemorrhage in the brain.
Victims of the disease are usually people over 50 years old, patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension. Also at risk are:
- smokers;
- liquor lovers;
- people with impaired fat metabolism;
- congenital vascular anomalies;
- skull injuries;
- blood diseases;
- people under frequent stress;
- diabetics;
- patients with severe hormonal imbalance;
- those with brain tumors;
- heart rhythm problems.
Currently, medicine has made great strides forward, making it possible to improve the patient's condition withdiagnosed with cerebrovascular disease. However, unfortunately, so far no therapy is able to fully cope with the changes that have occurred in the vessels.
Lower respiratory infections
In third place on the list of the most common diseases are infections of the lower respiratory tract. The most dangerous are pneumonia, pleural empyema, pneumonia, abscess or complications of chronic bronchitis.
Few people have not heard of a disease like pneumonia, which is not surprising, given its prevalence and possible consequences. The worst thing is that children most often become its victims, because the disease “attacks” people with weak or reduced immunity. The risk group also includes the elderly, drug addicts, smokers, people who are often faced with stress, as well as those with respiratory pathologies.
Similar factors can influence the development of lung abscess or pleural empyema. These diseases are accompanied by the appearance of purulent-necrotic cavities in the tissues of the lungs and the accumulation of pus in the pleural cavity.
AIDS and HIV
AIDS is included in the list of the most common infectious diseases in the world and is also considered the slowest. The fact is that more than 15 years can pass from the moment a person is charged to the onset of death.
Doctors distinguish several stages of this disease. The first is characterized by symptoms such as fever, rash, cough, general weakness. At these stages, AIDS is easily confused witha common cold, which is why the diagnosis of the disease is often delayed.
During the second - asymptomatic stage - there are no signs of the disease at all. A person with AIDS may not even be aware of it, because the first significant changes in his body occur only after a few years - this process is called the third stage of the disease. If during it the human immunity becomes much weaker, then the fourth, last stage, is characterized by its complete destruction.
Cancer
Some people call cancer the "plague of the 21st century" and for good reason, because more than 8 million people die from various types of this disease every year. The most common cancers are lung, stomach, liver, rectum, cervix and breast.
The main risk factors in this case are sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcoholism and unhe althy diet. Also, various chronic infections can affect the development of tumor formation in the body.
What distinguishes cancer from many of the most common diseases in the world is that it can be cured if it is diagnosed in time and all the necessary measures are taken. There are several methods of its treatment - chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. In cases where the disease is highly advanced and the chances of recovery are low, palliative care is used to alleviate the suffering of the patient.
Diarrhea
Many underestimate the danger of this kind of diseases, although in fact they are the most common cause of death among young children. Severe dehydration leads to death, which in some cases is almost impossible to avoid.
Diarrhea can be caused by abnormalities in the pancreas, problems with enzyme production, long-term use of antibiotics, radiation therapy, and food toxins. The best way to prevent diarrhea is to drink purified water and fresh, quality food.
Tuberculosis
About 3% of deaths on the planet are due to tuberculosis, in connection with which it rightfully takes its place in the list of the most common diseases of the 21st century. The main danger of this disease is that it is transmitted by airborne droplets.
In the past, doctors hoped to completely eradicate tuberculosis, as happened with smallpox. However, the disease turned out to be stronger, because its main causative agent, the tuberculosis microbacterium, has the ability to adapt to environmental conditions and develop immunity to drugs.
People with bad habits (drugs, smoking, alcohol) are at risk of getting TB. Also at risk are persons in contact with sick patients, employees of medical institutions, people with AIDS and diabetes.
Malaria
Malaria is the mostcommon in the states of Asia and Africa, because it is there that a large number of carriers of infection live - anopheles mosquitoes. Previously, malaria was called "swamp fever", as the main symptoms of this disease are a strong increase in body temperature and chills.
For the treatment of malaria, quinine was used - an alkaloid of cinchona bark, which has analgesic and antipyretic effects. Currently, this substance began to be replaced by more effective and safe synthetic analogues, but many doctors still insist on the use of quinine.
Polio
Polio is the most common non-communicable disease among children. The disease develops very quickly, although the first 14 days are asymptomatic. This is followed by severe nausea, weakness, muscle weakness and paralysis. In most cases, children with polio either do not survive or are permanently paralyzed.
Avian flu
Many people don't expect the answer to the question, "What is the most common disease among humans?" to be answered, "Avian flu." This disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, and the virus itself enters the human body along with contaminated food, namely poultry meat or eggs.
In many ways, bird flu resembles the common cold, but after a while, serious complications occur. The main and most dangerous is SARS, because its "climax" is a fatal outcome.
Cholera
Cholera is an acute intestinal disorder,characterized by involvement of the small intestine, fecal-oral transmission, and symptoms such as:
- diarrhea;
- vomit;
- nausea;
- dehydration.
Cholera is most prevalent in Africa, Asia, South America and India, where living conditions are not the best. In most cases, infection occurs while drinking bad water, which contains Vibrio cholerae, swimming in "infected" water bodies, and even washing dishes on which the bacterium has settled.
Hypertension
In itself, this disease does not pose such a danger as the complications that follow from it. We are talking about severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system - heart attack, stroke and other diseases.
Hypertension - the world's most common non-communicable disease - is characterized by an increase in blood pressure, which leads to further serious consequences. The development of the disease can be prompted by frequent stress and fatigue, overweight, the presence of endocrine diseases, the intake of large amounts of s alt, and various infections.
Childhood diseases
Special attention should be paid to childhood diseases, because millions of children die every year because of them. Among them, the most common diseases are:
- whooping cough;
- mumps;
- hepatitis A;
- scarlet fever;
- salmonellosis.
Most childhood diseases are caused by variousbacteria that cause irreparable harm to the body with a weakened immune system. Currently, vaccination against these and other diseases is widely practiced throughout the planet, but they still have not been completely eradicated.
In Russia
The most common diseases in Russia are bronchitis, pneumonia, acute laryngitis and tracheitis. Doctors believe that this trend is due to the habit of people to endure diseases "on their feet." It is highly recommended during acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections to avoid strong physical exertion, going to work and to observe bed rest, accompanied by drug treatment.
It is worth noting that over the past few years, the number of recorded cases of these diseases has increased, although mortality rates have decreased. In 2016, for every 100 thousand Russians, there were 20.8 thousand with pneumonia, laryngitis, bronchitis and tracheitis. It has been established that people over 55 years of age are most susceptible to the disease when it comes to women, and 60 years old in the case of men.
Unfortunately, these are not all diseases that lead to death. There is still no cure for many common diseases, and therefore doctors strongly recommend getting vaccinated on time and adhering to a he althy lifestyle, because this is the only way to protect yourself from unpleasant consequences.
