Chronic degenerative diseases are becoming more prevalent in our society. As the median age of the population goes up and individual life expectancy increases, these diseases, which are most often found in the elderly, are becoming more commonplace. Medical science, in its pursuit of finding a cure for these conditions, is discovering more about their causes and their effects.
The Facts
Chronic degenerative diseases are lifelong diseases in which the body's tissues and organs deteriorate over time. This deterioration hinders their ability to perform the tasks they normally do, leading them to function poorly or, in some types of chronic degenerative diseases, stop functioning at all. As opposed to infectious diseases, wherein a foreign infection enters into and attacks the body, chronic degenerative diseases result in the body's own organs and tissues wasting away.
Types
The term "chronic degenerative disease" is a broad one covering a wide variety of different diseases. A few of the better-known chronic degenerative diseases are: Alzheimer's disease, which causes a loss of neurons in the brain resulting in memory loss; osteoporosis, which reduces bone density leading to easily broken bones; and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, which affects the cells of the central nervous system and can lead to the loss of all voluntary muscle movement.
Features
The wide variety of chronic degenerative diseases makes it difficult to find similar features among them; however, there are a few qualities that most chronic degenerative diseases share. On a cellular level, chronic degenerative diseases involve the destruction of specific types of cells depending on what type of disease it is. They are also incurable, though recent advancements have provided a number of treatment options for some chronic degenerative diseases.
Effects
Chronic degenerative diseases have a strong impact on the lives of those they affect. Quality of life is greatly diminished with all type of chronic degenerative disease; however, some can be much more devastating than others. Some degenerative diseases that attack the body can cause bones to break, joints to stiffen up, organ failure and paralysis. Others, which attack the mind, can cause memory loss so severe that it leaves the affected person unable to care for himself.
Prevention/Solution
Most chronic degenerative diseases have no known causes and no known cures. There are, however, a number of hypotheses dealing with what may cause many of these diseases. Most have some hereditary or gene element to them, while others, such as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be caused by exposure to heavy metals. Though most chronic degenerative diseases cannot be cured, there are a number of medication options to help reduce the effects of the diseases.
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