Chronic Disease Essay Example for Free

Chronic Disease Essay Chronic disease is an illness. It can be regulated but not cured. It is in most cases a long-lasting medical condition that can have a long-term variation in the body (Prakash, Porwal, Saxena, 2012). There are many cases of chronic disease around the world but in the United States it is the foremost cause of death. Seven out of 10 deaths amid Americans every year are from chronic diseases. One disease that can be severe, depending on the stage is colon cancer. It is also known as colorectal cancer. It grows in the digestive tract, which ultimately can change into a cancerous polyp. A polyp is a benign growth on the body that sometimes becomes malignant (Prakash, Porwal, Saxena, 2012). This means it can spread throughout the body. The colon is complete with three parts, the ascending, transverse, and descending also known as the sigmoid colon. It lies within the large intestine and is directly above the rectum. The sigmoid is to help digest, process, and eliminate food. If someone were to get colon cancer it would start in the sigmoid and if it is not treated early, it can result in losing his or her colon (Prakash, Porwal, Saxena, 2012). There are quite a few risk factors with this disease; the people who have the highest risk to develop colon cancer are 50 or older, the chances increase with age. Gender also plays a big role; they say men have a higher risk than women because they tend to have more occurrences with adenomas or benign tumors in tissue glands. There are also two types of medical conditions that increase chances of acquiring colon cancer; they are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s. Another name for them is Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They are set off by long-term inflammation. My boyfriend has ulcerative colitis and a friend has crohn’s disease, they have to get regular checkups every six weeks and an infusion. Otherwise they would be sick and probably develop colon cancer. They also get colonoscopies every so often seeing how much of a risk they have. According to Emedicinehealth (2012), â€Å"A colonoscopy is a procedure through which a physician inserts a viewing tube (endoscope) into the rectum for the purpose of inspecting the colon. During a colonoscopy, polyps can be removed, bleeding can be cauterized, and a biopsy can be performed if abnormal areas of the colon are seen† (para.27). To do this procedure they, use an endoscope. It is a medical tool made up of a long tube inserted into the body. It may sound scary to have done or painful, but it could save a life. Some ways to decrease modifiable risk factors for colon cancer are by doing what is best for the body, just like with any other types of disease but there are a few differences. One important thing to do is screening, which is a test for a disease (2002). That way if one does have any polyps it can get removed before becoming cancerous. Another important thing to do is diet, especially if they are obese because obesity is a high risk factor. Fats, alcohol, and too much red meat can also lead to a higher risk. Eating more vegetables, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight, these are good lifestyle choices, and everyone should keep them in mind. (Davies, Batehup, Thomas, 2011). One thing that lowers the risk of most cancers is staying away from smoking; it is a bad habit for anyone, whether they are sick or not (Daniela, Simona, Imola, 2011). So if one starts to have symptoms such as rectal bleeding, dark stools called melena which is began by bleeding into the bowel, passing of solid waste, gas discomfort, backache, and liquid discharge from the rectum, they should go immediately to see a doctor because those are signs of a tumor in the colon and can lead to severe colon cancer. If someone needs help or support when dealing with colon cancer there are quite a few sources of help that he or she may reach out to. The American Cancer Society, the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), and Fight Colorectal Cancer.org. These organizations care about people and their needs. Colon cancer is a very serious disease and can be life threatening. So if you or someone you love has cancer make sure to eat healthy, exercise, avoid unhealthy habits, such as smoking and get daily screenings to protect yourselves. Acquiring a polyp or strange bleeding from your rectum can be life threatening, so a screening and a colonoscopy is crucial. ‘Works Cited Continue colonoscopy screening in stable patients, regardless of age. (2002). Geriatrics, 57(1),23.http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7cc2eb43-5583-4161-b181 f6ccc2c74387%40sessionmgr112vid=3hid=102 Daniela, C., Simona, B., Imola, T., Melania, M., Silvia, S. (2011). Smoking and the