Symptoms of chronic diseases can sometimes not be recognized at first. The treatment of chronic diseases is decided and applied by the specialist doctor according to the diagnosis of chronic disease. With the covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world in the last few years and caused major changes in the lives of millions of people, chronic diseases have started to come to the agenda more frequently and an increase in research in this direction has been observed. Covid-19, which especially targets the elderly and those with chronic diseases, has triggered curiosity about chronic diseases.
Chronic diseases are diseases that can occur for many reasons and persist throughout life, thus reducing the quality of life of the individual.
Although these diseases may not show any symptoms at an early age, they may occur later in life. Chronic diseases cannot be cured completely and definitively, but they can be controlled with certain medications and certain treatment methods. These diseases that occur with exacerbations should be treated with early intervention and the individual may need to see a doctor regularly.
When a chronic disease is located in one part of the body system, the organs and tissues in that area may not function sufficiently, resulting in a number of symptoms and signs. These symptoms may take time to appear and vary in severity. In some periods, the disease may be characterized by severe exacerbations, while in other periods it may be less severe.
Long-term chronic illnesses can cause pain, fatigue, psycho-social disorders and mood problems. The person's ability to work in daily life and work functions are disrupted. For this reason, chronic diseases can also lead to loss of workforce.
List of Chronic Diseases
Chronic disease types generally appear as different disease names within themselves. This situation separates chronic diseases according to their types.
-
Heart and Vascular Diseases
Chronic heart diseases include coronary artery disease, heart valve disease and heart failure. These diseases cause impaired heart functionality. When the heart fails to function, other organs in the body may be damaged or unable to function properly. If the process of arterial blockage occurs in the vessels supplying the heart, a heart attack may occur, and if it occurs in the vessels supplying the brain, a stroke may occur.
-
Diabetes
Diabetes, a chronic metabolic disease, is a condition associated with persistently high blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system and occurs at an early age. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, occurs due to reasons such as unhealthy diet, genetic predisposition and sedentary lifestyle. The prevalence of diabetes increases with age. Unhelpful living conditions prepare the ground for it.
When diabetes is not treated and blood sugar is not kept under control, complications such as susceptibility to infection, eye diseases, heart diseases and stroke may occur. To prevent all these complications, diabetes treatment should be followed and unhealthy foods should not be consumed.
-
Obesity
Obesity, which is one of the chronic diseases, is increasing in incidence all over the world and is important because it is a disease that can be prevented with lifestyle changes.
A body mass index above 30 kg/m2 is called obesity. This measurement indicates that there is more fat in the body than normal. The limit values for the waist/hip ratio obtained by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference are 0.95 for men and 0.88 for women. People above this value are considered at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Obesity is considered to be one of today's chronic diseases that pose a risk because it predisposes to diseases related to many different body systems. The likelihood of fatal diseases increases in obese people.
Asthma, which occurs due to the excessive reaction of the airways to various factors, causes symptoms such as difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing. Asthma cannot be completely cured, but symptoms can be controlled with appropriate treatment.
-
Chronic Joint Inflammation (Arthritis)
Arthritis, also known as arthritis, is an inflammatory condition in which swelling, pain, redness and tenderness occur in one or more joints. As the person gets older, joint pain and limitation of movement are observed. Arthritis and rheumatism are the two most common chronic joint inflammations. If arthritis is diagnosed at an early stage and appropriate treatment is applied, the progression of the disease can be slowed down.
-
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
Dementia encompasses a number of diseases in which memory and thinking functions can negatively affect daily life. Aging is one of the biggest risk factors and triggers in the development of dementia. The most common type of dementia, which includes many different subgroups, is Alzheimer's disease. This disease, which initially starts with symptoms of forgetfulness, can evolve into a situation where the person becomes completely independent from the people and events around them.