Prevent disability with lifestyle changes

When it comes to our health, the lifestyle that we choose can cause certain diseases to develop, diseases that may lead to disability.

What is a disability?

A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements (physical disability), senses, intellect or activities. Some illnesses in themselves are considered disabilities, while others may lead to a specific handicap, disablement, incapacity, impairment, infirmity, defect or abnormality.

What are lifestyle diseases?

Worldwide economic development led to a high rate of lifestyle changes. With these changes came a variety of diseases. These diseases were dubbed “lifestyle diseases” or “diseases of civilisation”.

Most people don’t even know they are creating platforms for the development of these diseases through their day-to-day activities. It is important to note, however, that in many of the diseases there may be other causes as well and/or the lifestyle factor may contribute or exacerbate the condition.

Some of these lifestyle diseases may lead to the development of disabilities. In many cases the disabilities could have been prevented if only the sufferer had changed his or her lifestyle in time! Below are examples of lifestyle diseases and the disabilities that may result from the condition:

Heart disease, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome, with symptoms such as pain in the chest and legs, numbness and weakness, which may lead to physical disability. Difficulty speaking or slurred speech may lead to social and emotional disability.

Diabetes, with symptoms such as weakness or paralysis on one side of the body or an inability to speak, read, write or think clearly, affected sight (even blindness), loss of hearing (deafness) and the loss of all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Diabetes can therefore lead to physical, intellectual or activity disability as well as disability of the senses.

Obesity, with symptoms that include breathlessness, the inability to cope with sudden physical activity, feeling very tired every day and debilitating back and joint pains. Depression and low self-esteem can affect an individual’s quality of life, mental health, educational achievement and employment prospects. Physical movement, senses, emotional wellbeing and activities become restricted.

Liver disease, with symptoms such as abdominal pain and swelling, swelling in the legs and ankles and chronic fatigue. The result may be restriction in the sufferer’s movement and activities, even making some occupations inaccessible to the sufferer.

Lung cancer, with symptoms that include persistent breathlessness, weakness, persistent tiredness or lack of energy. As the condition progresses, the sufferer will become more disabled and his or her quality of life will deteriorate.

Neuropathy, with sharp, jabbing or burning pain, extreme sensitivity to touch, lack of coordination, falling and muscle weakness or paralysis (if motor nerves are affected) as symptoms. In time the sufferer will become disabled regarding movement, activity and senses, making it impossible to live a normal life.

Change your lifestyle and prevent disability

Cigarette smoking, abuse of alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercising are contributing factors to so many lifestyle diseases. The good thing about lifestyle diseases is that when we do something about them, it is possible to reverse the condition. Avoiding tobacco and alcohol, increasing physical activity and eating healthier could significantly reduce disabilities. Listed below are some things that we can do to prevent lifestyle diseases.

The secret is to start out slowly and try adding changes in small increments over time.

Step 1
Start walking. This type of exercise will help strengthen your heart and lungs and can help you shed kilograms over time. Try squeezing in a walk on your lunch break, before or after work.

Step 2
Cut your sugar intake to 10% or less of your total daily kilojoule intake. Try cutting out fizzy drinks, but also remember that fruit juice and fruit-sweetened snacks and foods can also contain loads of sugar; learn to read labels. Make a commitment never to abuse alcohol as it affects virtually every system of the body. Make a similar commitment to drug abuse.

Step 3
Cut out trans fats and processed foods. Trans fats raise your risk of “bad” cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease or heart attacks. You will often find those fats in margarine, hydrogenated oils, battered and fried foods and packaged desserts.

Step 4
Track your kilojoule intake. Obesity is linked to numerous diseases and reducing your weight by even a few kilograms may reduce the risks. Use an online kilojoule-tracking app for your smartphone that allows you to enter in your food and the exercises you’ve done. This can help you track what you’re eating over time and may help you set goals to eat healthier.

Step 5
Add strength training to your routine once your cardiovascular routine is firmly established. Strength training not only builds muscle, but also strengthens bones, meaning you will be less susceptible to falling and less likely to break a bone if you do fall.

Step 6
Practice mind-body relaxation techniques to relieve stress and strengthen your immune system − which can help you prevent diseases in the future. Another benefit to techniques that include movement, such as yoga, is that they will help you maintain and improve your balance, coordination and flexibility.

Step 7
Plan activities that get your whole family off the couch and into nature or active in some other way.

Step 8
Limit your exposure to sun and UV rays as it will lower your risk for skin cancer. When out in the sun, protect your skin with clothing, a hat, sunglasses and broad spectrum sunscreen. Seek shade, especially between 10am and 4pm. And avoid indoor tanning.

Step 9
South Africa still has the highest number of new HIV infections worldwide. Stop risky sexual behaviour immediately to protect yourself and your partner.

 

Sources
http://www.livestrong.com
http://ntips4u.blogspot.co.nz
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://www.allianz.com.au
http://www.med-health.net
http://www.worldobesity.org/aboutobesity