Non - Communicable Diseases: Almost is Close Enough

Health check-up is more important than you think. It is the correct way to keep those unwanted health conditions away, especially non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that result from years of bad habits and manifest as severe health conditions in the future. 

Although NCDs may not quite show up on your annual health check-up, but if it shows borderline risk of NCDs, it should not be ignored. Continuous monitoring is the heart of reducing the risk of NCDs. 

What are NCDs?

NCDs are a group of non-infectious conditions that cannot be pass from one person to another. Rather, they are caused by chronic, unhealthy behaviors that collectively contribute to and manifest as NCDs. If left untreated, your health may deteriorate quickly and leave unwanted mark on your quality of life in the long run.

The Faces of NCDs 

NCDs comprise of various conditions as follows:

• Diabetes is caused by continuous high blood sugar level due to too little insulin production or insulin resistance. In normal people, the blood sugar level is less than 100 mg/dl. If higher than that, there is a risk of diabetes. Patients may experience frequent urination, increase appetite in conjunction with weight loss. If left untreated, neurological complications may ensue to the point of losing an organ.
• High Blood Pressure is a condition where blood pressure continually rises above 140/90 mmHg for quite some time. This may lead to vein damages, hardening, clogging, and rupture, which then progress to complications, such as heart attack, paralysis, brain deterioration, etc. Thus, controlling blood pressure within range is important.
• High Blood Cholesterol is caused by many factors including eating too much fatty food, or genetic disorders, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc. Normal blood cholesterol level should not exceed 200 mg/dl and triglycerides should not exceed 150 mg/dl. Chronic high blood cholesterol leads to deposits of cholesterol plaques along the blood vessel leading to hardening or narrowing of those vessels. Worst case scenario tends to involve brain hypoxia, myocardial infarction and heart attack in the end.
• Obesity, especially belly fat, can lead to too much fat collection in the abdomen as a result of abnormal metabolism. This can lead to other comorbidity, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, fatty liver, cancer, etc.
• Strokes and Cardiovascular Disease are caused by plaques along the blood vessel walls leading to rigidity and increased risk of occlusion. In turn, this will affect the heart function, such as myocardial infarction, acute heart attack, paralysis, etc. 
• Cancer is caused by abnormal cell growth in any organ which can start from one place and spread to other organs as well. The most common types of cancer include liver, lung, breast, colon, and cervical cancer, etc.
• Emphysema is caused by ruptured air sacs or chronic inflammation. As a result, the lungs have less capacity to exchange oxygen and the body will not receive enough oxygen. Patients tend to have shortness of breath, shallow breaths, or chronic coughs. The main cause is cigarette smoking.

How Bad are NCDs?

Although NCDs are not contagious, chronic conditions can lead to other complications that have negative health effects and become a leading cause of deaths for Thais. Unfortunately, the number of patients diagnosed with NCDs tend to increase annually, especially among working population who do not properly take care of themselves and have risky health behaviors that will land them in one of these groups more and more.

How to Prevent NCDs?

NCDs can be prevented by eating healthy food among the 5 food groups. Avoid food with high sodium, sugar or fat contents. Exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Get enough sleep, refrain from cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Keep stress level at a minimal. Get an annual health check-up and follow doctor’s recommendations. 

How Can Annual Health Check-up Reduces the Risk of NCDs?

Annual health check-up is important because it helps to discover signs and treatment can begin in a timely manner and future risks can be prevented. Furthermore, even if the results do not reveal NCDs, but borderline risk of NCDs, continual follow up is detriment to reduce the risk, especially diabetes and high blood cholesterol, which can lead to mortality. 

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