Diseases attack our bodies through several systems: skin, respiratory, digestive, immune, cardiovascular and neurological. Foreign invaders such as bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal agents cause a variety of common illnesses and diseases. Some are treatable with antibiotics or other medical interventions, while other diseases are chronic and life-threatening and have no cure.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases affect the lives of more people in the United States than any other disease, with over 81 million people reporting one or more types of cardiovascular disease in 2006.
The American Heart Association states that high blood pressure accounts for over 73 million; over 8 million had heart attacks; chest pain affected about 10 million; more than 6 million had a stroke; and almost 6 million experienced heart failure.
Foodborne Diseases
Foodborne diseases are the result of consuming food or drink contaminated with a bacterial, viral or parasitic microbe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the most common foodborne diseases include: Campylobacter from undercooked chicken; Salmonella from different animal foods; E. coli 0157:H7 from food or water contaminated with cow feces; and calicivirus from one infected person to another, spread by hand contact with food. Common symptoms of foodborne diseases include vomiting and diarrhea, with or without fever.
Skin Diseases
Skin diseases include symptoms of itching, redness and swelling. According to Medline Plus, skin cancer, which includes basal cell and squamous cell cancer, affects more people in the United States than any other type of cancer. Other skin diseases include acne, a disease of the oil glands; eczema, which is dry, itchy rashes; and impetigo, a bacterial infection on the skin caused by a staphylococcal or streptococcus infection.
Respiratory Diseases
Respiratory diseases affect the lower respiratory tract, including the lungs, bronchi and alveoli, and the upper respiratory tract, which involves the nose, nasal cavity, sinuses, larynx and trachea.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, influenza, a highly contagious respiratory infection, affects 10 to 20 percent of Americans every year. Other common respiratory diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
The World Health Organization estimates that asthma affects 300 million people and is the most common chronic disease in children.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, affect men and women of all socio-economic levels, with almost half of the 19 million new cases each year in people ages 15 to 24, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Prevention Information Network. Common STDs include acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS, chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis, with chlamydia being the most common in the United States.
References
- American Heart Association: Common Cardiovascular Diseases
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Common Foodborne Diseases
- Medline Plus: Skin Cancer and Other Diseases
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Influenza
- National Prevention Information Network: Sexually Transmitted Disease Statistics
