Non-infectious Diseases

Non – Infectious Disease Non-infectious diseases (also called Non- communicable diseases ) are those diseases that are not caused by a pathogen and cannot be shared from one person to another. Although some kinds can be passed down genetically to the children of a carrier. Non-infectious diseases may be caused by either the  environment,  nutritional deficiencies,  lifestyle choices, or  genetic inheritances.

Infectious vs. Non-Infectious Historically, infectious diseases were the main cause of death in the world and, indeed, in some developing regions this may still be the case. With the development of antibiotics and vaccination programs, infectious disease is no longer the leading cause of death in the western world. Non-infectious disease is now responsible for the leading causes of death in both developed and some developing countries.

Causes of Non-Infectious Disease Causes of non-infectious disease are categorized into 2 major categories, genetically inherited diseases and environmental diseases. Non- infectious diseases that are not genetic disorders are environmental diseases, although many diseases are affected by both genetic and environmental factors.

Inherited Diseases Genetic disorders are caused by errors in genetic information that produce diseases in the affected people. These errors may include: A change in the chromosome numbers, such as Down syndrome A defect in a single gene caused by mutation, such as Cystic Fibrosis. Fs&list=TLEpSuPVA3MWo

Environmental Diseases Environmental disease is a very broad category. It includes avoidable and unavoidable conditions caused by external factors, such as sunlight, food, pollution, and lifestyle choices. The diseases of affluence are non- infectious diseases with environmental causes. Examples include: Many types of cardiovascular disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by smoking tobacco Type 2 Diabetes Malnutrition caused by too little food, or eating the wrong kinds of food (e.g. scurvy from lack of Vitamin C) Skin cancer caused by radiation from the sun

Cancer Cancer is a non-infectious disease that affects millions of people. The National Cancer Institute reports the most common cancer type as non-melanoma skin cancer, with about one million cases a year. Lung cancer is the second-most common, with about 219,440 new cases and 159,390 deaths. Other common cancers include bladder, breast, leukemia, pancreatic, prostate, thyroid, colorectal, endometrial and kidney cancer. Nicole Graham the-prom-teen-faced-death-several-times-during-battle-with- leukemia/

Heart Disease Mayo Clinic reports heart disease, a non- infectious disease, as the number-one killer in the United States. Heart or cardiovascular disease refers to a variety of conditions that involve the circulatory system. List 4 of the following: Heart attacks, strokes, chest pain, tachycardia, high cholesterol, heart valve disease, high blood pressure, palpitations and congenital heart disease are some of the non- infectious heart diseases.

ALS or Lou Gehrigs’ Disease Progressive degenerative disease Affects cells in the brain and spinal cord Causes loss of muscle movement Can cause paralysis & death 3-5 year life expectancy after diagnosis Statistically more men, than women Cause still unknown: environmental &/or genetic Though some soldiers from Gulf War affected Famous: Lou Gehrig, Stephen Hawking

Diabetes When carbohydrates are eaten, they get converted to glucose which is blood sugar. To stabilize blood sugar levels, the pancreas releases insulin. In people that have diabetes, a noninfectious disease, the pancreas does not release insulin properly or at all in the most severe cases. This can cause kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage and heart problems.