Disease prevention is designed to improve a person’s health, reduce the chance of diseases, and prolong life. This process has several levels, namely primary, secondary, and tertiary. Prevention is essential not only for the individual but also for the country where he or she lives. c For this reason, it is necessary to support preventive measures not only at the personal but also at the state level. Despite the general division of prevention into levels, their content and the envisaged measures differ depending on the disease type.
Some diseases are more dangerous and more often fatal than others. The World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) monitors global trends and has identified ten most common causes of premature death, nine of which are diseases. This post will discuss the levels of diabetes prevention, which is the seventh in the mentioned ranking. This endocrinological disease is associated with a deficiency of the pancreatic hormone insulin in the body and dangerous due to the problematic determination of symptoms (Balakumar et al., 2016). The number of people exposed to this disease is rapidly increasing, although it is non-communicable.
Diabetes can be type 1 and 2; the second is more widespread and studied, and the following measures apply to it. Primary prevention involves a healthy lifestyle – quality and useful food, regular physical activity and body weight control, not smoking. Such an activity will help avoid several causes of the disease – obesity and the lack of exercise. The hereditary tendency to diabetes also plays an important role, thus, it requires a secondary level of prevention, which allows diagnosing the disease early and taking measures. It involves regular screening of diabetes and control of blood glucose and lipid levels. Tertiary prevention is aimed at maintaining a normal lifestyle with the disease and avoiding its complications. At this level, regular screening of diseases arising due to diabetes is necessary, consisting of doctors’ instructions in diet and exercise, therapy, and medication.
The prevention of diseases is more effective than their treatment and not so expensive. Its essence is to care for own health and, accordingly, to take care of the body. The Bible draws our attention to the need to care for our bodies: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (The English Standard Version Bible, n.d., 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Listening to their own bodies, people can prevent stress and disease; for instance, a fatigue signal indicates a need for rest, pain about the problem, and other examples.
Among the ten causes of death identified by WHO, many are preventable. Two of the most dangerous diseases – ischaemic heart disease and stroke are associated with a person’s lifestyle. For this reason, their prevention also depends on a healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress, and establishing a balance between work and rest. The disease of another type such as lower respiratory infections apart from a healthy lifestyle to strengthen immunity requires additional preventive measures. The main ones are vaccination, the order of which depends on state bodies. Since these diseases arise from viruses and infections in the form of microorganisms, such a simple measure as washing hands and maintaining cleanliness at home is also extremely useful.
Thus, the protection against diseases does not begin with their treatment, but with the prevention, which is a more effective and not expensive measure. Taking care of the body includes a healthy lifestyle, adherence to proper nutrition, and regular physical activity. Considering that cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death, it is also crucial to take care of mental health and avoid stress. Such measures are an easy way to stay healthy and prolong life.
References
The English Standard Version Bible (n.d.) Bible. 2020. Web.
Balakumar, P., Maung-U, K., & Jagadeesh, G. (2016). Prevalence and prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Pharmacological research, 113, 600-609. Web.
World Health Organization. (2018). The top 10 causes of death. Web.