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Youth is often considered to be a picture-perfect phase
for health. Unfortunately, that is not true according to statistics. Lifestyle
choices, stress, food habits and general quality of the air we breathe is not
ideal leading to an increase in ailments even among young adults.
20 Common Ailments among Young Adults
It is common knowledge that chronic conditions begin to develop as you age, but
it also doesn’t mean that the youth age exempt from them. Medical research shows
that age-related diseases are showing up even among younger age groups and
proving more fatal.
There are some common problems which can be managed easily don’t require much
attention. These medical conditions include seasonal allergies and inflammatory
issues which can be easily treated with
Avil and need not make a doctor
appointment.
These are the serious health concerns even people aged 20-something must be
aware of
1. Colorectal Cancer
According to the research of the American National Cancer Institute, people born
in 1990’s have a greater chance of developing colon and rectal cancer than those
born in the 1950’s. The main reason for this is the lifestyle and environment
changes over time. Genetic factors too have little role to play in colorectal
cancer. Bad lifestyle choices like smoking, excess alcohol consumption,
sedentary lifestyle, and a following a diet high in red, processed meat.
Although screening for colorectal cancer only begins date 50, ask your doctor to
perform an earlier screening or avail of free doctor consultation if:
- Any of your close family members had the condition.
- You experience changes in bowel habits.
- You see blood in stools.
- You experience abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea.
2. Heart Disease
If you are in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s, you have a 20% chance of developing a
heart condition or heart attack. Around 15% of strokes caused due to blocked
arteries hit before 45 years of age. This is again due to the erratic lifestyle
choices. The American psychological association found that millennials that is
people born between 1980 and 2000 suffer from far more stress than any other
generation. Moreover, diabetes or pre-diabetes also increases the chances of
developing cardiovascular diseases among young adults.
The only way to maintain a healthy heart is to keep the blood pressure and
cholesterol under allowable levels by working with your doctor.
Autoimmune Diseases
More and more young adults, even celebrities of the west are becoming victims of
the auto-immune disease. Autoimmune disease is one where the body’s immune
system attacks and destroys even healthy body tissues. The most commonly
occurring autoimmune diseases occurring among young adults are
3. Type 1 Diabetes
This condition usually manifests in early childhood where the patient becomes
unable to metabolize glucose, relying on insulin injections for the rest of
their life. Continuous blood tests and monitoring is required to avoid
complications. Unfortunately, this disease has increased over 20% in the last
ten years among young adults.
4. Lupus
It is an alarming fact that more than 5 million people between 15-44 years of
age around the world are diagnosed with Lupus where women constitute 90%. Lupus
manifests itself in different ways with symptoms such as joint pain, kidney
sensitivity, and sensitivity to sunlight. Because of the commonality of the
symptoms and the unpredictability of the disease, many suffer for years until a
diagnosis is reached. A rheumatologist will guide you on the treatment of Lupus.
5. Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder that affects the entire
digestive tract. This is a chronic disease that is very painful. This disease
exhibits various symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and gut pain. These may
suddenly go into remission or flare up.
6. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological condition that affects the central nervous
system. It is the most common neurological dysfunction in younger adults. Mist
common symptoms of MS are fatigue, numbness, tremors, vision loss, and
depression. Treatments are offered by a neurologist to control the symptoms.
7. Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition where red, scaly skin develops instead of normal
skin replacement. Although psoriasis can occur at any age, it is known to peak
between teens to 30’s or 50’s to 60’s.
8. Grave’s Disease in Thyroid
Graves’ disease of the thyroid causes the thyroid glands to produce excess
thyroid hormone affecting body’s natural metabolism. Younger patients experience
symptoms like fatigue, muscle weakness, insomnia, nervousness, and an irregular
heartbeat.
9. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammation that affects organs and joints. It is
more common among women of younger age, and they start showing symptoms between
30 and 60.
Causes of autoimmune diseases
There are various theories on the causes of autoimmune disorders, but the
following are some of the factors:
- Genetic disposition
- Autoimmune diseases can run genetically in the family or shared genes.
- Environmental factors
- Infection from virus, bacteria, food, and stress constitute the environmental
factors for autoimmune disease.
The symptoms of autoimmune diseases are:
- Sudden weight loss, thirst or hunger for diabetes.
- Repeated abdominal pain and diarrhea is signaling IBD or Crohn’s disease.
- Fatigue or skin rashes are indicating lupus.
- Vision problems or weakness suggesting MS.
10. Hypertension/ High Blood Pressure
If you are a young adult, hypertension may not be on your list of things to
worry about, but according to statistics, one in every five adults suffer from
hypertension or high blood pressure. Hypertension, in turn, triggers heart
attacks and strokes. Heart attack and strokes are the number one cause of sudden
death.
Things you can do to minimize hypertension are maintaining a healthy lifestyle
through diet and exercise, getting good sleep and minimizing stress.
Since hypertension under 40 is the precursor for future health problems, it is
advisable to get it checked at least once a year.
11. Hearing Loss
The main reason for hearing loss at an early age is the incorrect usage of iPods
and earphones, headphones, etc. Using earphones/buds with high volume music
causes hearing loss to kids even at the age of 6 to 19. These earbuds transmit
sound directly into the ear canal causing damage. To avoid the hearing loss at a
young age, switch to headphones, keep the volume lower than 85 decibels and do
not fall asleep with earbuds.
12. Inflammatory Diseases
Inflammatory diseases occur when the body immune system attacks its healthy
tissues in response to an illness or an infection. Symptoms of inflammatory
diseases are swelling, redness and itching in the affected area, stiffness and
so on. These diseases are diagnosed via x-rays and blood tests. Treatment for
inflammatory disease includes medication, rest, and exercise.
13. Obesity
Obesity is an excessive eating disorder usually associated with teenage and
adolescence. Although overweight children usually don’t have any health related
problems, they will continue the tendency of being overweight in adult life
resulting in many health problems.
14. Skin Disorders
Skin problems that can occur in early ages are acne, fungal infections, growth,
injuries, and even skin cancer. To maintain healthy skin, it is important to
follow a balanced diet with lots of water and use sunscreen while exposing the
skin to sunlight for long periods.
15. Allergies
An allergy is a negative response by the body to a foreign substance. The immune
system thinks that the substance is harmful to you and starts responding via
irritating symptoms. Common allergy symptoms are rashes, hives, red eyes,
difficulty in breathing and common allergens are dust, pollen, dust mites, and
weather.
Blood tests and treatments diagnose the reason for allergies through medication
or injections are advised.
16. Sleep Disorders
Due to the current lifestyle involving travel and stress, many young adults are
unable to get enough sleep time. The most common sleep disorders are sleep
apnea, snoring, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome.
The various treatments for the above conditions include weight loss, CPAP mask,
nasal strips, and general lifestyle changes.
17. Other Chronic Medical Conditions
A chronic disease is one that does not go away and keeps coming back. Some are
mild, and some are pretty serious. These conditions can affect people of any
age. Chronic conditions other than allergies, lupus, and diabetes are:
18. Asthma
Asthma is a condition where the airways narrow, swell and make breathing
difficult. This can trigger a cough, wheezing and breathing difficulty. The
symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness of chest and
coughing.
For some people, asthma can be induced by various conditions like weather,
occupational irritants, allergens like pollen, dust and so on.
There are clinics with less or free doctor consultation where you can take
allergy tests if you think you have any of the symptoms.
19. Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is more common in children. If your physician suspects symptoms
of cerebral palsy, he will run a few tests to confirm the diagnosis. There are
several scans to detect the condition like MRI, ultrasound, and ECG.
Once the diagnosis is made, treatment options are laid out based on specific
issues like vision impairment, speech problems, movement and development delays.
20. Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain’s ability to function in a normal
pattern. Seizures are the main side effects of this condition. ECG along with a
series of tests are undertaken to diagnose epilepsy. Based on the results,
medications and sometimes surgery are advised as treatment.
Once the symptoms improve, medications can be discontinued.
No age is exempt from the diseases mentioned above. The only way to reduce their
impact or alleviate the symptoms is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle by
exercising, eating right and getting enough rest. Also, regular medical
check-ups and free doctor consultation must be availed of.
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