The Most Common Health Conditions Worldwide

Diseases and other health conditions will never give up distracting human lives. They are always everywhere and we are always at risk of acquiring them. What are the most common health conditions experienced by people around the globe? First is Diabetes mellitus and followed by hypertension. As time progresses, victims also increased in number. This is because the type of lifestyle today is totally different than several years ago. As you finish reading this topic you will be able to gain necessary information about diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The knowledge you learned will aid you in taking decisions with regards to diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Learning basic information from this topic will make a good help for your friends or relatives having these health conditions.

What is diabetes mellitus? This is a disease in which the body is unable to produce or use insulin. In this case, the sugar level in the circulating blood will increase, this is called hyperglycemia. In a normal individual, the insulin produced by the pancreas will facilitate the transfer of sugar from the blood to the cells. In diabetes mellitus, there is a decrease level of insulin or the body is not using the insulin properly. Aside from transferring sugar the insulin also stimulates protein synthesis and fatty acid storage in the adipose tissues. The human cell will be in a state of starvation when sugar transport is limited. Diabetes mellitus is subdivided into two types, the type 1 and the type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, there is a limited or no insulin produced in the pancreas. This type of diabetes will manifest extreme thirst, increase ketone body in the urine, increase appetite, fruity breath odor, frequent urination, rapid breathing, and drowsiness. Client with type 1 diabetes will need to have a lifetime insulin dose. This type is common to children and manifests stomach ache, headache, and behavioral problems.

In type 2 diabetes, there is a production of insulin, but it is inadequate or the cell resists the use of insulin. Hyperglycemia is also evident in this condition. This is common to adults, and it is accelerated by gaining weight and having a sedentary lifestyle. Clients with type 2 diabetes will manifest frequent urination, excessive thirst, dry skin, mouth sores, dehydration, extreme hunger, visual changes, fatigue, numbness in extremities, and unusual weight loss. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes would include obesity, old age, family history, race, and prediabetes status. Always remember that diabetes mellitus is different from diabetes insipidus.

The next health condition is hypertension. As we all know this is considered as one of the most common health problems among individuals worldwide.  Hypertension is a health condition wherein there is a sustained or intermittent elevation of blood pressure. A client with a systolic pressure of 139 mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 89 mmHg is considered hypertensive. Hypertension may be essential or secondary. Essential hypertension will occur with no underlying condition while the secondary hypertension will occur because of the underlying condition. What to look for in hypertensive clients? First you need to check his or her blood pressure, check for dizziness, confusion, fatigue, edema, and blurred vision. What are the risk factors for primary hypertension? It is clients with diabetes mellitus, family history of hypertension, obesity, old age, smoking, stress, high intake of alcohol, and sedentary lifestyle. Individuals with higher age will have a greater risk of having hypertension. This is because the blood vessel’s elasticity decreases, which is not supposed to be the case. A normal individual’s blood vessel will stretch when pressure on its wall increases. This adaptation will help in decreasing the blood pressure.

How to manage hypertension? First you need to visit your physician. The next thing you will do is to modify the lifestyle which includes the limitations in the diet and performing regular exercises. Your diet should contain low sodium and low fat. Avoid processing foods, since they are rich in sodium. A maintenance medication will be prescribed for you by your physician. Take the medication religiously since this will really help in lowering your blood pressure. If you have a sphygmomanometer at home you may us, it to monitor your blood pressure. Remember to hold the maintenance dose if your blood pressure decreases below normal since this can result into a reversed condition which is hypotension. Always remember that the earlier you are diagnosed the better the management. If you are in doubt of your health condition visit your doctor immediately.