CHRONIC DISEASES:
CONTRIBUTING BEHAVIORAL
AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
What is a chronic disease?
• Persistent or long-lasting, opposite
of acute
• Leading cause of mortality
worldwide
• Nearly one in two Americans has a
chronic medical condition
• Most common: high blood
pressure, arthritis, respiratory
diseases and high blood pressure
• Many young people experience
chronic conditions:
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Diabetes
Allergies
Asthma
Epilepsy
*
*A condition of the nervous system – affects 2.5
million Americans. People with epilepsy have
seizures that are a bit like an electrical
brainstorm.
•
A seizure prevents the brain from processing
incoming sensory signals and from controlling
muscles. That is why people with epilepsy may
fall down and twitch.
•
Fairly common – occurs in about 1 in every 100 –
200 people.
*Can epilepsy be prevented?
*Yes and No. Head injuries that result
from sports or other accidents can cause
epilepsy, but they are often preventable.
How?
*Helmets
*Safety belts
*Hard hats
*Safety measures – common sense
*Epilepsy can also occur without injury or
can be hereditary. Researchers are still
exploring the reasons why some people
have epilepsy. At least half of those with
epilepsy never experienced a head injury
*
* Other causes of Epilepsy:
* Brain tumor
* Stroke
* Arteriosclerosis
* Infection (meningitis or
encephalitis)
* What can I do to reduce the risk
of seizures:
* Take prescribed medication
* Get enough sleep
* Avoid unusual stress
* Eat a well-balanced diet
* Maintain correct weight
* See your doctor
* Keep immunizations up to date.
*
Famous People with Epilepsy
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Julius Caesar
George Frederick Handel
Peter the Great
Napoleon Bonaparte
Vincent van Gogh
Lord Byron
Also: Susan Boyle and Prince
Effects of an Allergic Response
•Most of the time your
immune system fights
germs and bacteria to help
you stay healthy.
•If you have allergies,
the immune system
treats allergens (such as
pollen) as if they are
invading the body.
What Causes Allergies?
• Common allergens:
drugs
dust
food
insect bites
mold
pet dander
pollen
What are Symptoms of Allergies?
• Symptoms
•Breathing problems
(coughing, shortness of
breath)
•Burning, tearing, or itchy
eyes
•Headache
•Hives
•Runny nose
•Wheezing
How a Person is
Tested for
Allergies
• Skin testing is the most common method of
allergy testing. One type of skin testing is the
prick test. Skin is pricked with a small amount
of the suspected allergen. The site is closely
monitored to see if a reaction occurs.
• Blood tests are also used to measure levels of
allergy-related substances.
Allergies
• Treatment
– Medications used to treat allergies:
• Antihistamines
• Corticosteroids
• Decongestants
– Allergy shots are sometimes recommended if you
cannot avoid the allergen and your symptoms are
hard to control.
Prevention of Allergies
 Breastfeeding children for
at least 4 months or more
may help prevent a cow’s
milk allergy and wheezing
in early childhood.
 Once allergies have
developed, treating the
allergies and carefully
avoiding allergy triggers can
prevent reactions in the
future.
Asthma and Allergies
People who have certain kinds of allergies
are more likely to have asthma.
 Allergies that affect the nose and eyes –
typically pollen or dust – can also trigger
asthma symptoms.
 Not everyone who has allergies gets asthma.
 Not all asthma happens because of allergies.
 About 3 of 4 kids have asthma symptoms
triggered by an allergy.
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Asthma (continued)
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People with asthma experience problems
with their airways – the breathing tubes in
their lungs. Airways become swollen and full
of mucus.
Asthma is the nation’s fastest-growing
chronic disease. Rates among children
under four have more than doubled in the
last 20 years.
African-American children are five times
more likely to die from asthma than
Caucasians.
Asthma = one of the leading causes of
school absenteeism
Asthma

Triggers
◦ Triggers do not cause asthma, but lead to flare-ups.
◦ People with asthma experience different triggers
◦ What are common triggers?
Air pollution
Smoke (first, second and third-hand smoke)
Exercise
Allergens cause allergic reactions. Examples: mold, dust mites,
cockroaches, pollen, animal dander, feathers
Cold/flu
Weather (wind stirring up mold and pollen)
Asthma

How can asthma be controlled?
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Become an advocate for clean air
Reduce exposure to air pollution
Watch for the weather reports
Keep your room clean and free of dust
Wash your sheets weekly in hot water
Keep any pets out of your room
Stay away from freshly cut grass and leaf piles
Keep your medication with you at all times
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Disease in which there are high levels of sugar
in the blood.
Type I diabetes can occur at any age; most
often diagnosed in children, teens young
adults.
In this disease, the body makes little or no
insulin
Daily injections of insulin are required
The exact cause is unknown

Type 2 diabetes makes up most of the
diabetes cases.
◦ Occurs mostly in adulthood, but teens/young adults
are being diagnosed with it because of high obesity
rates.
◦ Many people with Type 2 diabetes do not know they
have it.
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Symptoms
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Blurry vision
Excessive thirst
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Hunger
Weight loss
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Prognosis
◦ Better control of
 blood sugar
 cholesterol
 blood pressure levels
◦ Helps reduce the risk
of
 kidney disease
 eye disease
 nervous system
disease
 heart attack
 stroke

Complications
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Heart disease and stroke
High blood pressure
Blindness
Kidney disease
Nervous system disease
Amputation
 More than 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb
amputations occur in people with diabetes.
o There is no way to prevent Type 1.
o
Prevention of the onset of Type 2:
o Keep an ideal body weight
o Exercise
Keeping an Ideal Body Weight
• Who is responsible for your
weight?
• Some interesting statistics:
– Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visit
a fast food restaurant.
– You would have to walk for
seven hours to burn off a
Super-Sized Coke, fries and Big
Mac
– 60 percent of all adult
Americans are either
overweight or obese
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When you compare the different diseases we
have discussed today, what are the most
common steps to prevention?