Population Health Problems

Health Problems

Introduction

People living in different countries have different lifestyles. This lifestyle entails both health and illness. Health issues are one of the most common global issues. When it comes to health issues, there are certain diseases which are prevalent only in certain geographical regions and then there are those that are common in both developing and developed countries. Although countries across the globe have tried to overcome the number of diseases that are prevalent in the country, there are certain diseases that need more attention than the others. The paper discusses five health problems that are faced by the societies in US. The five problems selected for this paper are heart disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Blood pressure, and Obesity.

Discussion

Cardiac disease is the most common health issues faced by the two countries. In the US, it is one of the most common causes of mortality. One in every seven women in the US and one in every five men have been found to be affected from the cardiac disease. This is common to both men and women.

On a very broad range, heart disease may be defined as the blockage of blood supply to the heart. This also happens when the fatty acids are contained in the arteries in the heart. When the walls get blocked, the functioning of the heart is effected in a negative way. Heart attack is also called cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction. Among the various treatment methods are surgery, angiography, or others (PHE, 2010, p. 1). However, the most effective treatment is one which is coupled with lifestyle changes. This has also affected the economies and the social strategies of the two countries. The causes of heart disease in the two countries are the same. These include hypertension, obesity, cholesterol and others.

The second most widespread disease in the two countries is diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by a defect in the pancreas' functioning. The pancreas ability to make enough insulin for the body is affected. There are two scenarios in this regard, either the pancreas are not producing insulin or the body fails to use the insulin properly. Insulin is a type of hormone that regulates the level of sugar in the blood. When the level of sugar in blood is uncontrolled, it leads to Hyperglycaemia, which is an abnormal raise in the level of blood in the sugar. If Hyperglycaemia prolongs, it can damage many of the organs in the body. Diabetes is treated through diabetic diet, exercise, medication and self care at home. 16.7% people in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed as diabetic and 4.3% people are diabetic in the UK (Kumosani, 2011, p. 251).

The social life in the US makes more people prone to diabetes than the social life in Saudi Arabia. Though the trend in the past was the opposite, the recent trend in the eating habits shows that the West has shifted their junk food outlets to promising and viable countries in the Middle East ...