Lou-Ann Jordan

Healthcare Made Simple: Non-communicable Diseases

diabetes-burnout

There are some aspects of healthcare that can seem daunting and difficult to comprehend.  It is important that we know about healthcare issues that impact our lives and well being.  Find Yello Healthcare Made Simple is a new series that aims to offer a straightforward explanation of otherwise dense health topics.

The four types of non-communicable diseases we will demystify in the series are diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer.

We begin with an exploration of non-communicable diseases (NCD).  Don’t let the term intimidate you, our goal is to keep it simple. We will look at what are NCDs and their risk factors.

Non-communicable diseases

These are diseases that develop slowly and occur for a long period of time.  They are not passed from person to person.  But in some instances, NCDs result from lifestyle choices.

Non-communicable diseases share common risk factors:

NCDs should be taken seriously because they are the leading cause of death in the world.

According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases kill more than 36 million people each year.  Also, people with NCDs suffer long, require much care, and amount costly medical bills.

For non-communicable diseases, prevention is better than cure.  The good news is you can work to reduce risk factors.  The best way to do this is to stay educated on recent developments and new discoveries, but even more importantly, practice healthy lifestyle habits.

Consult your doctor for more information of NCDs.

Stay healthy.

 

Sources: World Health OrganizationPopulation Services International