A number of the most serious health problems can develop without giving you any loud alerts or obvious symptoms. These diseases are normally called, “silent killers.” Silent killer diseases may develop without you ever knowing until the damage is already done. Because of this, they are significant threats to global public health and often go undetected until the damage is already done. What are Silent Diseases?
Silent diseases are diseases that evolve slowly and silently, without showing early symptoms. They can do irreparable damage to your internal organs and create life-threatening problems if left undetected. Silent diseases are considered “silent” because there are no visible signs indicating illness during the very early stages of the disease. It is essential to become educated about silent killer diseases and visit your primary care physician for regular screenings and examinations top Silent Killers to Look Out for
1.Hypertension
(high blood pressure) Hypertension is often referred to as the “silent killer.” Hypertension can develop silently with great damage to the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Many people suffer from elevated blood pressure and are unaware they are at risk for heart attacks, strokes, or kidney failure.
2.Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes may have serious damage to your body before other symptoms present, including fatigue, increased urination, or vision alterations. When uncontrolled, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, nerve damage, or vision loss
3.High Cholesterol
elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) can accumulate in arteries and narrow these arteries and heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke. Similar to hypertension, high cholesterol does not present any symptoms until there is already damage present.
4.Osteoporosis
This osteoporosis weakens your bones and increases fractures. Bones lose density slowly and it may go undiagnosed since there is no pain until there is a fracture.
5.hepatitis B and C
can live quietly in your body for years without any symptoms. The damage from these viral infections occur slowly and can lead to liver failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer with chronic infections.
6.Colon Cancer
Colon cancer does not have any symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Blood in the stool or changes in bowel habits usually occur far along into the progression of the disease. Screening for colon cancer should begin at age 45.
7.Sleep Apnea
Many individuals suffering from sleep apnea may not be aware that the condition causes them to repeatedly stop breathing while sleeping. If left untreated, untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. what makes these diseases so dangerous? the major risk presented by silent killers is that there is often a delayed diagnosis. When individuals do not have symptoms to alert them to a potentially serious advancing disease, they will not seek medical attention until the disease is advanced. This contributes to the difficulty in providing treatment of the affected condition and the risk of complications rises significantly. Sometimes early detection and diagnosis can make a remarkable difference in the treatment outcomes, allowing for lifestyle adjustments and/or medications to manage and possibly even reverse the affected conditions.
Prevention and awareness
The good news is that many silent killer diseases are preventable or manageable. Here are some steps to take:
. Regular health screenings – Check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar should be done routinely.
. Healthy lifestyle – Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco and reduce if not eliminate your alcoholic beverages.
. Know your family history – Some conditions are genetic. Speak to your doctor about any risks regarding family history of potential diseases.
. Listen to your body – Sometimes even minor indications like fatigue, changes in your vision, and excessive thirst should not be ignored.
Conclusion
Silent killer diseases are considered a threat to public health because they often strike without warning and symptoms often present advanced stages of the disease. To combat silent killer diseases the focus must include prevention, awareness, and regular health check-ups; staying informed and aware means we will catch these based conditions early and reduce the effects silent killers have; in more cases turning a potential silent killer condition into a manageable condition.
