Common Diseases: Causes and Prevention
Diseases: The appearance of diseases in the systems and organs involved in nutrition is highly variable. They are caused by:
- Inadequate food consumption.
- Consumption of harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
- Lack of moderate physical exercise.
- Emotional stress.
Medicine helps to prolong human life.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Atherosclerosis: Results from the accumulation of cholesterol in blood vessel walls, leading to atheroma. When blood vessels narrow and blood circulation is impaired, it is called an embolism. A thrombus is a blood clot that breaks off and travels through the bloodstream. If this happens in the coronary vessels, it causes a heart attack; if in a brain vessel, it causes a stroke.
Hypertension: Aggravates these problems, causing lesions in the arteries.
Varicose Veins: Occur when veins become inflamed due to difficulty returning blood to the heart.
Arrhythmias: Occur when the sinoatrial node fails, hindering blood flow to certain parts of the body. Pacemakers are used to provide electrical discharges to the myocardium, ensuring regular contractions.
Heart Murmurs: Caused by faults in the atrioventricular valves.
Respiratory Diseases
Infections: Infectious agents can be bacteria or viruses. Diseases caused by viruses include colds and flu.
Pulmonary Emphysema: Results from the destruction of the walls of the pulmonary alveoli. This disease, along with lung cancer, is often caused by tobacco use.
Gastric Diseases
Gastritis: Caused by inflammation of certain parts of the stomach wall, due to various reasons such as excessive acid secretion or stress. Prolonged acidity can lead to infection by the bacteria *Helicobacter pylori*, potentially developing into a gastric ulcer (stomach injury). If gastric juices regularly pass into the esophagus, it can cause a hiatal hernia; if they pass into the duodenum, a duodenal ulcer can develop.
Liver Diseases
Hepatitis: Due to infections caused by various infectious agents (viruses and bacteria).
Cirrhosis: This disease results in a progressive loss of function of liver tissue cells.
Gallstones: The liver produces bile, which is involved in fat digestion. Components of bile may form stones that block the liver or gallbladder, where bile is stored. These are often removed by surgery.
Urinary Tract Diseases
Kidney Stones: Urine contains dissolved mineral salts. These salts can form stones, causing intense pain when expelled through the ureters and urethra. If the stone’s size exceeds the diameter of the urinary tract, injuries can occur.
Renal Failure: The nephrons in the kidneys lose their functionality. Patients with this disease require hemodialysis, where an artificial kidney filters the patient’s blood, to take over the work of their kidneys.
Diseases Caused by Inadequate Diet
Constipation: Results from a low intake of fiber, leading to low intestinal mobility and difficult evacuation of stool.
Obesity: Weight gain that disrupts the normal functioning of the body.
Anorexia: A mental illness characterized by a distorted body image, leading to the rejection of food intake.
Bulimia: The need to eliminate ingested food through vomiting or the use of laxatives.
Deficiency Diseases: Caused by a lack of certain nutrients. Severe malnutrition is caused by an almost total lack of food.