We all get sick from time to time. We all have accidents. That’s why we have doctors and hospitals – so that if and when something happens, we can be put together again (hopefully) and learn some lessons about being more careful and living a healthier lifestyle along the way. What are the most common health complaints in the USA? What can we do to prevent them (or at least reduce their symptoms) in a natural way?
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the condition that causes more deaths in America than anything else – it kills more people than cancer. It affects both men and women equally, and it can cause anything from heart attacks to strokes which, if not fatal, can certainly be debilitating.
There are things that can be done to lower your risk of heart disease, however. If you smoke, stop smoking (of course, this will make you healthier in general and reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer). If your diet is poor, change it so that you’re eating low-fat food, and make sure your sodium – salt – intake is lowered too. Although it may be hard at first, you’ll soon get used to your new dietary regime, and your body will thank you for it.
Cancer
Cancer is a huge issue, despite billions of dollars going into research on how to prevent and treat it. We’ll get there one day, but in the meantime, cancer is responsible for many thousands of deaths each year. Lung cancer is the most prevalent type, followed by breast cancer and colon cancer. However, there are many different types of cancer, and they all need to be treated.
Reduce your risk of cancer by quitting your smoking habit and drinking less alcohol. If you are overweight, consider dieting and exercising more – the more you weigh, the higher your chances of having cancer. Always use sunscreen; a tan is not worth the risk of developing this terrible disease. Plus, whenever you are offered cancer screening, make sure you attend the appointment; picking cancer up early is the surest way to prevent it from becoming fatal. If you have cancer and need support, look online for assistance. For example, you can check out mesotheliomaveterans.org for information.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes isn’t just a disease that means you can’t eat certain foods, and you have to inject yourself with insulin each day. It’s much more serious than that. Untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney damage, and even blindness. Although it can be managed, it’s best to try to reduce your chance of getting it at all by losing any extra weight you might have, eating healthily, and exercising more.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder which means that the brain stops functioning as it should. If you have no experience of this illness, it’s possible to think it’s just an issue with memory loss that gets worse over time, but Alzheimer’s is actually fatal. The brain ‘forgets’ to tell the organs to do their job, so everything shuts down.
Research is ongoing into what actually causes Alzheimer’s, and although there is no conclusive answer, it is thought that some head injuries, as well as heart disease and obesity, can be triggers. The key, as with anything, is to keep to a healthy lifestyle and to keep active – engaging the brain as often as possible with puzzles and questions, and even work is said to reduce the chances of developing this.
