Throughout the year, we keep on suffering from a variety of ailments and diseases that affect our daily routine and overall wellbeing. Many of these common diseases are caused due to environmental factors, such as pollution and rains, and others are caused due to unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits, such as eating junk food or leading a sedentary life, or not maintaining proper hygiene in the home, workplaces, and surroundings.
A November 2015 poll by Gallup, an analytics and advisory company, came up with the below data about common health diseases and conditions in Americans.
- Obesity: 15%
- Cancer: 14%
- Drug & alcohol abuse: 2%
- Diabetes: 2%
- Flu: 1%
- Heart diseases: 1%
- AIDS: 1%
- Mental illnesses: 1%
Some more health conditions and diseases that people suffer from are described below in brief.
Asthma: This chronic lung disease results in difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. During an asthma attack, the sideways of the airways in the lungs shrink and swell, that make it increasingly harder for the patient to breath.
Influenza: This communicable disease is a highly infectious and contagious viral respiratory illness. Influenza can ultimately develop into other medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart diseases. To get protection from influenza, the flu shot each year is recommended.
Overweight and obesity: This condition, which largely occurs due to unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, coronary heart diseases, hypertension or high blood pressure, and breast, prostate and colon cancers.
Cancer: The condition arises when there is an abnormal growth in the cells and their division. Cancer-infected cells are unable to repair their damaged DNA, and also infect the healthy cells. Cancer can occur in the blood, mouth, breasts, prostate gland in men, throat, and other body parts.
Tuberculosis: This infectious disease of the lungs is spread through the air when the infected person coughs or sneezes. The disease can also spread if someone shares water or food with the infected individual. TB can be treated if prompt medical attention is received.
Allergies: This happens when your immune system overreacts to allergens such as pollen, foods, mold and latex, that are ordinarily not harmful. Allergens can cause eye irritation, stuffy or runny nose, puffy and watery eyes, and inflamed, itchy throat.
Diarrhea: Symptoms of diarrhea include watery, loose stool, frequent bowel movements, and cramping pain in the abdomen. The condition is caused due to bacterial or viral infection, parasites, food intolerance, menstruation cramps, and overuse of alcohol. One should avoid high sugar drinks, greasy and fiber-based food, and caffeine to prevent to diarrhea.
Headache: Every one of us suffers from occasional headaches. A cluster-headache affects a specific point of the head, often the eyes, and results in piercing pain. Migraine and tension-type headaches not only cause stress but also poor posture and depression. Some of the common causes of headaches include emotional and physical stress, irregular sleep habits, menstruation, eating food with nitrates, such as hot dog, skipping meals, fatigue and changes in weather. Mild headache can be treated by placing an ice pack over the eyes and forehead, taking a break from stressful situations, and occasional use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
Safeguard yourself from common illnesses and other diseases with health insurance To safeguard your family and your employees from these common illnesses and other chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) medical conditions, it makes sense to have health insurance. However, with so many health insurance plans available in the markets, it may become difficult for one to choose the right and customized health insurance plan. PrudentRx Program can help you in choosing the right health insurance plan for your employees. The experts at PrudentRx will also advise you about the medications that will be covered under PrudentRx drug list, and also help you with CVS copay optimization and other means to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses. In PrudentRX FAQs, you will find answers to most of your common queries and concerns related to coverage, benefits,and other details related to health insurance plans.
