To be sick is to be unwell, mentally and physically. All of us have been physically unwell at one time or other. It is one of the prerequisites of being alive. This is the reason, medication is a billion dollar industry. Some illnesses can be prevented while others are unavoidable.
The air we breathe can make us sick, especially if we live in urban areas. The smog can cause breathing problems as well as asthma and bronchitis. Water bearing parasites cause diarrhea and cholera.
Even the food we eat to keep us alive can make us ill. The germs could be passed by human error during processing or preparation of the food. Some foods themselves are linked to ill health. The eating of excess beef, because of its fatty tissue is linked to cancer of the colon and prostrate. The excessive drinking of alcohol promotes heart disease. Foods which are smoked, cured or pickled have been linked to an increased risk of stomach and esophageal cancers. This seem to be because of the nitrate that is added to impart flavor.
Then there are those people who play Russian Roulette with their lives. They engage in risky behavior which could lead to sickness and death. These are the people who smoke knowing the consequences. Some of them drink alcohol in excess which could lead to cancer, cirrhosis, dementia, impotency or heart disease. They usually drive drunk and have an accident which could leave them paralyze or cause death. Risky sexual behavior could be hazardous to the health. There are the usual sexually transmitted diseases as well as the dreaded AIDS and HIV infections.
Some unfortunate people are born with inherited diseases. This means that they have defective genes. Some of these diseases are cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anemia and Huntington disease. There is also genetic hemophilia which is a bleeding disorder that interferes with the normal clotting of blood. The gene is passed from parent to child.
Cystic fibrosis is a multi-organ disease which affects the lungs and the digestive system. The areas affected become clogged with thick mucus. When the lungs become congested, they are vulnerable to pneumonia and other infections.
In sickle-cell anemia the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. This disease occurs mainly in black people. Normal blood cells are disc-shaped like a doughnut without the hole. When the cells sickle the person is in great pain because the cells cannot pass through the tiny blood vessels. There is no cure.
Huntington disease is caused by the degeneration of brain cells which result in uncontrolled movements affecting the face, arms and trunk. Dementia takes the form of loss of intellect and irate behavior. There is no known cure.
We can come to the conclusion that some diseases are avoidable and some are not.
