Communicable & Chronic Diseases
Chronic and communicable diseases, also referred to as infectious diseases, can be easily spread through water, personal contact and air. Some can also be spread through the bites of infected animals or insects or through contaminated water and food. These diseases are caused by infective agents including viruses, parasites, bacteria or fungi. Many chronic and communicable diseases can be managed, but some can cause life-threatening complications. Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are three of the most common chronic and communicable diseases.-
Signs and Symptoms
-
The signs and symptoms will vary depending on which chronic and communicable disease a person has contracted. However, there are a few symptoms present with just about every one of these diseases, including loss of appetite, muscle aches, fever and fatigue. More serious signs and symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, warrant immediate medical attention. These include trouble breathing, persistent cough, swelling or rash and a severe headache accompanied by seizures or fever. If a person is experiencing these symptoms and has been recently bitten by an animal, he should seek immediate medical attention.
Risk Factors
-
Certain risk factors make a person more vulnerable to contracting a chronic and communicable disease. Medical conditions that suppress the immune system, such as autoimmune diseases, increase your risk. Cancer treatment medications, organ transplant antirejection medications and steroids can increase your risk.
Hepatitis C
-
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, approximately 1.6 percent of Americans have hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection that can cause serious complications, including chronic liver disease, liver cancer and liver scarring. Not all patients will need treatment if their liver is only showing minimal abnormalities. If treatment is necessary, antiviral medications help the body fight the virus. Hepatitis C patients with severe liver damage may need a liver transplant.
HIV/AIDS
-
According to Avert (an international AIDS charity), over one million Americans are infected with HIV and of those one million, more than 500,000 have developed the AIDS virus. HIV lowers the body's ability to fight infection; if you have this infection, you can become sick very easily and your risk of death is higher. AIDS is the later stage of HIV. Certain cancers and pneumonia can be life-threatening. Wasting syndrome causes people to literally waste away. Those who develop wasting syndrome will lose at least 10 percent of their weight and will often experience chronic weakness, diarrhea and fever.
HIV/AIDS cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be suppressed. Antiretroviral medications decrease how much of the virus is in the patient's blood. Most patients undergoing retroviral therapy will take three or more different medications. Patients can also elect to participate in clinical trials.
Tuberculosis
-
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 4 percent of Americans have tuberculosis. This infectious disease affects the lungs primarily. Left untreated it is often fatal and at the very least can cause complications, including lung damage. If TB infects the bones, it can cause abscesses, extreme pain and joint destruction.
Tuberculosis patients take antibiotic medications for approximately six to nine months. The length of time taking the medications and the exact antibiotics used will depend on the patient's overall health, age, drug resistance potential, location of infection in the body and whether the patient has a latent or active form of tuberculosis.
Prevention
-
Preventing communicable and chronic diseases takes a multi-faceted approach. The first step is avoiding behaviors that increase your risk, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners, needle sharing for IV drug users and poor hygiene habits.
Healthcare workers should take special precautions when working with blood and other bodily fluids.
Tuberculosis is most often transmitted through coughing so this can be difficult to prevent. Good hygiene and avoiding highly populated public places when sick can help prevent this infection.
-