Top 10 Most Deadly Diseases Worldwide

Diseases are referred to as conditions where body parts function abnormally. It is a medical condition, which is usually linked to some kind of signs and symptoms. Some diseases are dangerous and can cause death while some are easily curable. Millions of people die around the world from different types of deadly diseases throughout the year. We should always take precautions to prevent ourselves from getting sick.

Deadly diseases are defined as any diseases that are capable of causing death to a person. As of today cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide.

1. Ischemic Heart Disease

Ischemic heart disease or Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most deadly heart disease in the world. It is also the most common type of cardiovascular disease. This disease occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is reduced due to the presence of plaque or the deposit of fat in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. The common symptom of ischemic heart disease is chest pain which progresses to the shoulder, neck, back, and arm. It can also cause heart attack which is the first sign of coronary heart disease.

Ischemic heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America and in most European countries. However, over the past decade, the death rate from ischemic heart disease in these countries are declining due to improved health facilities and changes in lifestyle.

Symptoms of Ischemic Heart Disease

• Neck or jaw pain
• Shoulder or arm pain
• A fast heartbeat
• Shortness of breath when physically active
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sweating
• Fatigue

2. Stroke

About 140,000 Americans die due to stroke every year, which means one person dies every four minutes in the USA. Stroke is a deadly disease that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain damages and causes bleeding which is known as hemorrhagic. It is also caused when the blood supply to the brain is blocked which is known as ischemic. This damage or blockage prevents the blood and oxygen to reach the brain which causes various parts of the brain to stop working. The symptoms of stroke include the inability to move or feel usually on one side of the body, vertigo, problems in vision and speaking, severe headache, and confusion. The risk factors of stroke increases with an unhealthy diet, lack of physical exercise, too much alcohol consumption, smoking, and family background of stroke or also called hereditary.

3. Lower Respiratory Infection

This disease on average causes about 2.7 million deaths worldwide. Lower respiratory infection is a term used for airway and lung diseases which includes pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, and bronchitis. These diseases are usually caused by viruses. The symptoms may include coughing, tiredness, fever, breathing problems, sore throat, and headache. The conditions of the environment have a significant impact on the causing of lower respiratory lung infections. These conditions include dust, chemicals, air pollution, allergens, and smoking. The risk factor of this disease may include a fragile immune system, people who are more than 65 years of age, and children who are less than 5 can become the victim of lower respiratory lung diseases.

4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) disease is a bunch of chronic lung diseases which include bronchitis and emphysema. Patients with COPD are usually affected by both bronchitis and emphysema at the same time. Emphysema gradually defects the air sacs in the lungs which interrupts the airflow coming outward, while bronchitis causes inflammation in the bronchial tubes, which is responsible for carrying air to the lungs.

5. Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is colloquially known as diabetes. It is a group of metabolic diseases that contain a high ratio of sugar in the blood. The symptoms of Diabetes mellitus include frequent urination, intensify appetite, and thirst. Diabetes may be prevented by eating a healthy diet and doing regular physical exercises.

6. Trachea, Bronchus and Lung Cancers

Diabetes risk factors are hereditary, obesity, abnormal blood pressure, and age. The lack of physical exercise can also increase the risk of diabetes.

Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers are respiratory cancers. They are inborn disease that usually shows no symptoms in its early stages in some persons. However, some patients may experience pneumonia and bronchiectasis as early symptoms. Always check with your doctor when you first notice symptoms. Your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, and treatment is more likely to be effective. Risk factors may include smoking and air pollution.

Around 4 million people die annually from Respiratory cancer, and it is on the rise due to environmental pollution.

7. Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease occurs slowly but it becomes worse as time goes on. It damages the brain cells and usually causes dementia, which decreases the ability to think and remember. Initially, a person faces difficulties in remembering recent conversations or activities but as the disease starts to worsen, it results in complete memory loss and the patient is unable to carry out routine activities. There is no concrete way to prevent Alzheimer’s.

8. Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the condition of irregular loose or watery stools. Diarrhea can range from innocuous to severely dangerous and even life-threatening. It is usually caused by viruses and bacteria and it can result in dangerous health complications. Risk factors include poor living conditions, no access to hygienic water, and a fragile immune system. Diarrhea can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Diarrhea can be fatal especially for children which are below 5. Around 800,000 children die annually due to diarrhea.

9. Tuberculosis

It is an infectious disease that is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Tuberculosis generally attacks the lungs as well as other body parts. Tuberculosis shows no symptoms majority of the time, while some patients may show symptoms of cough, fever, sweating, and reduction in weight. It is a contagious disease that can be transferred from one person to another by coughing or sneezing. It caused havoc in previous decades but it is now under control due to improved health facilities and better treatments.

10. Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is also called hepatic cirrhosis. Cirrhosis damages the liver, which causes it to function abnormally. This starts slowly and usually takes years to show any potential symptoms.

According to mayoclinic.org, patients suffering from cirrhosis may experience symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Easily bleeding or bruising
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Swelling in your legs, feet or ankles or edema
• Weight loss
• Itchy skin
• Yellow discoloration in the skin and eyes or jaundice
• Fluid accumulation in your abdomen or ascites
• Spiderlike blood vessels on your skin
• Redness in the palms of the hands
• Absent or loss of periods not related to menopause in women
• Loss of sex drive, breast enlargement also known as gynecomastia or testicular atrophy in men
• Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech  or hepatic encephalopathy

Causes of Cirrhosis

• Chronic alcohol abuse
• Chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B, C and D)
• Fat accumulating in the liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease)
• Iron buildup in the body
• Cystic fibrosis
• Copper buildup in the liver
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (also causes lung disease)
• Inherited disorders of sugar metabolism
• Genetic digestive disorder
• Liver disease caused by your body’s immune system or autoimmune hepatitis
• Poorly formed, destruction, hardening or scarring of the bile ducts
• Infection, such as syphilis or brucellosis
• Medications, including methotrexate or isoniazid

Deadly diseases are present all around us. It is our responsibility to adopt healthy lifestyles to avoid these deadly diseases in the first place. However, if someone has this deadly disease, it does not mean that he will surely die. Although these diseases are deadly, some of them are curable.