8 Most Dangerous Lifestyle Diseases To Be Cautious

What are lifestyle diseases?

Lifestyle diseases are the ones that are caused due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Several harmful lifestyle choices like alcoholism, smoking, lack of proper exercise, unhealthy dietary habits, chronic stress, lack of sleep, and certain occupations can lead to the development of several life-threatening lifestyle diseases.

These diseases are non-communicable, meaning that they cannot be transmitted from one person to another. These are gradually developed and aggravated as the person continues to live an unhealthful life. In today's world, lifestyle diseases are a major public health challenge and account for more than 60% of mortality every year.

Yep! Lifestyle diseases account for such a huge number of deaths every year. Hope you might have understood how alarming these are. There are numerous lifestyle diseases out there, in this article, let us take a glance at the 8 most detrimental lifestyle diseases. So, let's begin!

Which are some of the most dangerous lifestyle diseases?

1. Type 2 diabetes

We get energy from the glucose present in the food we eat. After a meal, the food is digested and glucose gets released into the bloodstream. This is detected by the pancreas and it subsequently releases insulin, which helps all our cells to uptake the glucose in the blood and utilize it for energy production.

In the case of type 2 diabetes, there is an impaired production of insulin that disables the cells to use the blood glucose, and thus the levels of glucose in the blood increase abnormally. In the long run, it will damage your circulatory, nervous and immune systems. Immunity shall be preserved by taking some good immune support supplements. It may also cause heart problems, eye damage, kidney issues, skin infections, delayed healing, and sleep disorders.

2. Obesity

Obesity is caused when there is abnormally increased body fat in the body. There are several factors responsible for obesity like heredity, lack of sleep, certain medications, age, stress, pregnancy, gut microbes, etc, with dietary habits and physical activity being the predominant ones. The prevalence of obesity is rapidly increasing in the population especially, abdominal obesity which is a silent killer.

It has some detrimental complications associated with it like increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, and osteoarthritis. It can cause digestive problems and sleep apnea. Individuals with obesity have been seen to have severe Covid 19 symptoms as well.

3. Hypertension

Hypertension is elevated levels of blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force exerted by the flowing blood onto the blood vessels. Thus in this condition, this force is increased. It is one of the main culprits for premature deaths worldwide.

It puts you at an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, brain ailments, and kidney disorders. Sedentary lifestyle, stress, certain medications like beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, a diet with high salt and fat, and alcohol are the main grounds for hypertension. It can sometimes be hereditary as well.

4. Heart diseases

Several cardiovascular diseases are caused due to poor lifestyles. Consumption of high sugar, high salt, and high unsaturated fat foods along with excess stress, alcohol, smoking, and lack of physical workout will lead to the development of several cardiovascular diseases. Pre-existing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity will increase your risk of heart diseases several times.

Due to all the above-mentioned detrimental factors, there occurs the development of plaques in the blood vessels. Plaque is a sticky substance caused by fats like cholesterol, triglycerides, and some minerals. This narrows the artery, limiting the amount of nutrients and oxygen reaching the heart. This leads to the development of several cardiovascular diseases like cardiomyopathy, heart attacks, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis. Detox supplements may help to clean the plaque buildup.

5. Stroke

Our brain needs plenty of oxygen to function normally. When there is a rupture or blockage of blood vessels that carry blood to our brain, the brain cells are damaged and start to die immediately. This is what we call a stroke. Consumption of an unhealthy diet with a high quantity of saturated fats, a sedentary lifestyle, overconsumption of alcohol, and tobacco smoking puts you at an increased risk of stroke.

Stroke can be fatal and has complications like lack of coordination, confusion, speaking problems, double vision, walking problem, dizziness, paralysis, and in severe cases, coma and death may also occur.

6. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This condition is caused due to inflammation in the respiratory system, which results in obstructed airflow to the lungs. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two main chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The former is caused due to the damage of alveoli from harmful gasses of tobacco smoking, or from occupational exposure to smoke and dust.

The latter is due to the inflammation of the air pipe that carries air to the lungs. It is primarily caused due to tobacco smoking. Other factors like sedentary life, poor nutrition, alcoholism, occupational exposure to dust or smoke, and air pollutants can also contribute to its development.

7. Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the damage of the liver cells and the subsequent formation of scar tissues. This severely impacts liver function and leads to several metabolic abnormalities. The main reason for liver cirrhosis is the overconsumption of alcohol, hepatitis, and fatty liver caused due to excess deposition of fat in the liver. It is aggravated in obesity and diabetic conditions. Toxic injury to the liver can also be a cause, taking detox supplements like herbal detox cleanses the liver and can be beneficial to maintain liver health.

8. Cancer

Cancer is another dreadful lifestyle disease that accounts for high mortality and morbidity all over the globe. It's the uncontrolled growth of cells in the body and the exact reason behind it is still uncertain. Lifestyle choices have a great impact on the development of several cancers. Factors like smoking, alcoholism, stress, poor dietary habits, occupational exposure to carcinogens, obesity, and metabolic syndrome can contribute to it. Consume foods with high antioxidants and phytonutrients to counteract carcinogenesis. Taking a good immune support supplement will also help.

How to prevent lifestyle diseases?

After developing these conditions, most of them are irreversible and can only be controlled adequately. But the good news is, most of these diseases can be prevented by making some healthy lifestyle modifications. For effective prevention and controlling of these diseases:

● Be physically active and Do regular exercises.

● Consume a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Cut down the consumption of high sugar and salt food. Limit the intake of fats, especially saturated fat.

● Increase the consumption of functional foods and superfoods

● Have detox supplements to cleanse your system once in a while. Herbal detox cleanses the body from harmful toxins.

● Limit the intake of alcohol

● Avoid smoking

● Manage your stress levels

● Get proper rest and sleep

● Take proper precautions at your workplace if you are exposed to some risk factors.

Lifestyle diseases have become a real threat to our health nowadays. Most of us tend to follow an unhealthy lifestyle which puts us at risk of such dangerous diseases. Lifestyle diseases are indeed very menacing but can't we appreciate the fact that they are totally preventable?

We will have to put some purposeful efforts to modify our lifestyles and get everything on a healthier path. We have been so accustomed to our already existing life that making modifications to it may be challenging.

Instead of making huge lifestyle changes all of a sudden, try to set smaller, easily achievable milestones. In this way, you can take small steps and gradually achieve your goals. That's all guys. Don't let your unhealthy choices steal your health away. Which part of your life are you planning to modify right away? Comment below!