Jacob Royston
Public Health 100
I attempted many times to contact a
public health professional in my home town/state but have been
unsuccessful. Each time I called I was transferred to someone else
who could “answer my question” and told by this this person that
they would call me back (only to never receive a call back). Thus, I
decided to take the assignment into my own hands and searched on the
Virginia Department of Health website for the top five trends in
cause of death. I have identified these trends as the following:
heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, and
unintentional injury.
Heart disease is the leading cause of
death in the entire United States. This disease is caused by a
buildup of plaque in the arteries that compromises the blood flow to
the heart tissues. Factors that play into this disease include diet
and exercise (or lack thereof). Thus, areas where obesity is
prevalent, heart disease will be also. Tobacco usage can also
increase the risk of heart disease.
Cancer is the great unsolved disease
of our time. We have yet to discover an effective cure for this
disease. Cancer comes in many forms but in general is the
uncontrolled growth/mutation of cells within the body. These cells
form tumors. If such cells are capable of reaching the bloodstream
they are considered to be malignant tumors. There are many factors
that are suspected/known to cause cancer. By eliminating
environmental hazards, the occurrence of this disease can be
lessened.
Strokes are a form of atherosclerosis
that effects the brain. It is very closely linked with heart disease
in this respect, as it is caused by the buildup of plaque in the
arteries that supply blood to the brain. Again, this condition is
linked with diets high in saturated fat and hypertension. By
developing a strong and healthy blood pressure and by maintaining a
healthy diet, this disease can also be avoided.
Chronic lower respiratory disease is a
general term for a variety of different diseases that effect the
lungs. These include emphysema and bronchitis. The majority of such
diseases are caused by smoking cigarettes. By raising awareness of
the effects of cigarette smoke the prevalence of these diseases can
be reduced. Also, health promotion tactics to reduce the appeal of
cigarettes to teenagers will help to reduce this greatly because the
majority of addicted cigarette smokers began tobacco use at a young
age.
Unintentional injury is the fifth
leading cause of death in the United States. This is a broad category
that includes all random injuries that lead to death. Given the
health care technology that we are provided with today, it is very
sad to see that this is still a leading cause of death. Measures to
reduce such deaths include traffic safety regulations, and work
environment safety regulations. Hopefully by carefully planning such
regulations, these deaths can be reduced.
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