A comprehensive guide to disease and general wellness impairments

Is your loved one currently suffering from an illness? Health issues on an obvious and comprehensive scale can be frustrating and exceedingly stressful. These stressors seemingly compound overnight with the ever-transcending mainstream illness-related jargon pumped through the pipelines on a near daily basis. It’s almost impossible not to worry.

You have a family and children to take care of – staying proactive and health conscious is a full-time job, in addition to your other full-time job. It’s imperative to validate resources in order to fully understand wellness and critical components that may affect long-term health. Let’s discuss a few here today.

Mold-related illness. What is it?

There are noticeable debates running rampant within the scientific community in regards to whether or not any adverse reactions are actually being caused by indoor mold. However, we can all agree on the fact that there are various mold classifications, and for the sake of argument here, we’ll focus that.

Mold-related illnesses are derivative of mold spores that are found in the air. These spores can cause a myriad of health problems including allergies, asthma, eye, throat and nose irritations, respiratory issues and sinus congestion. In the case an asthma reaction flares up, the mold spores will not typically be the cause of the issue, but can unquestionably worsen the individual’s current asthmatic condition.

Normal aging vs. Alzheimer’s vs. Cognitive impairment

Normal aging comes with its apparent disadvantages, oftentimes including a series of less than desirable ‘side effects.’ Aside from the lack of skin elasticity, vision degeneration, auditory diminishment and overall change in appearance, other affects can negatively impact your overall health that aren’t often a part of the progression.

A decline or negative alteration in the cardiovascular system can result in heart failure. Bones, muscles and joints may also weaken. In respect to the digestive system, constipation may result from normal aging. The urinary tract and the bladder can become damaged.

In regard to cognitive capacity, there may be some memory loss that is representative and to be expected in the majority of aging individuals.

On that note, let’s briefly discuss Alzheimer’s as it relates to generalized cognitive impairment, a disease long studied and one that continues to elude medical scholars in countless ways and on varying degrees.

There is a difference between the two. It’s important to note that cognitive impairment on its own accord can cause Alzheimer’s disease. Almost 20% of people aged 65 or older have mild cognitive impairment. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease, however, is the death of brain cells. This is considered to be a neurodegenerative disease, meaning that there is a gradual cell expiry over a certain period of time.

Some symptoms of cognitive impairment include misperception, impaired judgement, identity confusion, short-term and long-term memory loss, and poor motor coordination. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are similar to those of cognitive impairment. These include memory loss greatly affecting daily life, heightened complexity when solving general problems, comprehensive confusion where none previously existed, problems writing or speaking, and personality or mood fluctuations.

Roughly 2-3% of the world’s population may possess a genetic predisposition, increasing their chances of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 60%. This statistic is in direct comparison to the other 10-15% of the population who will also develop the disease.

Diabetes – a brief synopsis

Diabetes is a chronic condition that involves surges in glucose levels, or blood sugar. Glucose is primarily used for energy and directly sourced from the foods you consume every day. Typically, the glucose is shuttled into your cells by way of insulin (a hormone naturally produced in the body). In an individual with diabetes, insulin is lacking, thus resulting in the previously mentioned spike in blood sugar levels.

Diabetes can lead to health complications affecting numerous parts of the body. In the brain, strokes and cognitive impairment can occur. In regard to the heart, diabetes can result in heart attacks and/or heart failure.

A person can also be affected with peripheral neuropathy, resulting in nerve damage. As in many other illnesses, preventive measures can be implemented and these initiatives often include, exercise and a conscious change in the individual’s diet.

The two different types

Type 1 diabetes can be treated with insulin and is typically early onset. Type 2 diabetes can be treated with certain medications including thiazolidinediones, biguanides and meglitinides, and is generally delayed on-set.

The solution: How do you choose to live? Healthy vs. Non-healthy living

Healthy living and non-healthy living can be categorized by breaking down how efficiently an individual performs on the following two predominant factors: exercise and diet.

You know the saying, ‘if you don’t move it, you lose it.’

A sedentary lifestyle should be avoided at all costs. Physical activity is vital to the general well-being of a person’s most basic forms of functionality. Start off slow. Attempt to implement a workout regime just three times each week for at least thirty minutes. You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your overall mood increases.

While conscious eating and an active lifestyle can’t be the cure-all, they can certainly help manage and even negate some forms of illness and other negative health-related issues. Taking control of your lifestyle by putting forth the effort to be proactive could mean the difference between enjoying the rest of your life, or surviving the rest of your life.