Chronic diseases are very common, especially among the elderly. Factors such as sedentary lifestyle, irregular diet, smoking and excessive alcohol use; It causes chronic diseases to be seen at younger ages as well.
What are Chronic Diseases?
Chronic diseases are a group of diseases that require treatment for more than 1 year or cause a restriction in the daily life of the patient for more than 1 year. . Characteristics of chronic diseases:
- Complex diseases that develop due to more than one factor
- Diseases that take a long time to develop and progress (asymptomatic) without causing any symptoms in some patients
- Continuing the disease for a long time, causing other health problems in the patient
- It can be counted as causing loss of functionality in the patient.
DiabetesDiabetes is a disease characterized by high blood sugar. While type 1 diabetes occurs in the early years of life as an autoimmune origin; Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, occurs due to reasons such as unhealthy diet, genetic predisposition, and sedentary lifestyle. When diabetes is not treated and blood sugar is not kept under control, many complications can develop due to diabetes. These complications are; infection susceptibility, eye diseases, heart diseases and stroke. In order to avoid all these complications, diabetes treatment should be strictly followed and unhealthy foods should not be consumed.
High Blood Pressure A blood pressure above 140/80 is called high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. High blood pressure may occur spontaneously in the patient, or it may develop due to an underlying disease. Hypertension can progress without causing any symptoms in patients for years and can be detected during routine blood pressure measurement. For this reason, blood pressure should be measured at regular intervals, even though people appear healthy and do not show any signs of blood pressure. Early diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure ; Problems such as heart diseases, kidney disorders, and stroke that may occur due to the disease can be prevented.
Heart DiseasesOne third of deaths in our country are due to cardiovascular diseases. Chronic heart diseases; It covers different types of diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, heart failure. All these diseases cause deterioration in heart function. The inability of the heart to perform its functions also carries the risk of damage to every organ in the body. Chronic heart diseases; It is closely related to other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and COPD. People with these chronic diseases; It is at risk for problems such as heart attack, vascular occlusion.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)COPD is an inflammatory lung disease that causes obstruction of airflow in the lungs. Symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, excessive sputum formation, wheezing are seen in COPD patients. COPD; It arises from the presence of risk factors such as smoking, working in an environment exposed to irritant gases. COPD patients; It is in the risk group in terms of diseases such as heart diseases and lung cancer. Although COPD is a disease that progresses and worsens over time, the patient's symptoms can be controlled with appropriate treatment. The main purpose of treatment; the patient's breathing more easily, less pneumonia (pneumonia) and increasing the quality of life.
Arthritis (Joint Inflammation) Joint inflammation or arthritis; It is a disease that progresses with redness, swelling and pain in the joints. As arthritis progresses, conditions such as limitation of movement and stiffness in the affected joint may also be seen. Although there are many subtypes of arthritis, the most common ones in the society are; osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis. Progression of the disease can be slowed down by catching arthritis at an early stage and making appropriate treatment.
CancerCancer; It is a group of diseases that develop as a result of mutation of the genetic structure in some of the body cells and in which tumor formation is seen with an abnormal cell division. Cancer is responsible for about a quarter of deaths in our country. Hundreds of different cancers There is a type. Each type of cancer may have its own different characteristics. In some types of cancer, tumors can develop rapidly within days, while in some types, a slow progressive growth that takes many years can be seen. Features such as the affected organ of the cancer type, the mutation causing the tumor formation, the spread of the tumor; are effective factors in determining the appropriate treatment. This causes symptoms such as difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing in asthma patients. Although asthma does not pose a serious problem for most people, it can be a problem that significantly affects daily life in some patients. Asthma cannot be completely cured, but symptoms can be controlled with appropriate treatment. In this way, asthma patients can continue their lives normally.
Alzheimer's Disease and Other DementiasDementia; It is a set of diseases in which the memory and thinking skills of the person are affected to such an extent that they affect daily life negatively. In particular, aging is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of dementia. The most common type of dementia, which includes many different subgroups, is Alzheimer's disease. This disease, which initially starts as forgetfulness, may turn into a picture in which the person is completely disconnected from the people and events around him in the future.
Bone LossBone resorption, also known as osteoporosis; causes weakness of bones. This weakening causes the bone to break even under slight stress. Although osteoporosis is primarily seen in postmenopausal women, this problem can also be encountered in older men. With appropriate treatment, healthy diet and regular exercise, osteoporosis can be prevented.
DepressionThe definition of chronic illness includes psychiatric illnesses as well as physical illnesses. Depression is a disorder characterized by a state of constant sadness and loss of interest in the environment. Depression; influences one's emotions, thinking, and behavior. In patients with depression; thoughts such as whether life is worth living or not. The patient finds it difficult to do his daily work UK can survive. Depression patients can regain their old health with long-term treatment.
Can Chronic Diseases Be Prevented?
For the treatment of chronic diseases, it is aimed to alleviate the symptoms related to the disease in general. Reducing disease-related complications is also one of the goals of treatment. Considering that chronic diseases affect many people in the society, it can be considered as a negative situation that these diseases cannot be completely treated. For this reason, it is a targeted situation in terms of public health that chronic diseases affect fewer people. To prevent the development of chronic disease in the person;
- Eating healthy
- Exercising regularly
- Behaviors such as reducing tobacco use and preventing passive smoking are beneficial.
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