Introduction
Human health is a very important aspect of human development from birth till his/her death. From research carried out in North America, it has been found out that the health statuses of various people vary and are dependent on aspects such as economic well being, social aspects and gender (Corbin et al, 2009, p.2). It is found that most death occurring arise from health related issues and thus proper maintaining of body fitness and wellness assists to a greater extent in maintaining good health. Human health is greatly affected by environmental factors as well as personal control and interactions. This essay seeks to briefly describe how to avoid destructive behaviours that affect human health in the short term or long term. The following issues are discussed in this essay: stress, tobacco use, drugs use, diabetes and cancer.
Avoiding destructive behaviours
People should take precautionary measures and learn how to live in a healthy manner. The following sections discuss some of the behaviours which are considered to be destructive to human health.
Stress
Stress is common in human life and may be expressed in terms of pressure from inside or outside the human life with the main stressors arising from major daily events, daily hassles and the environment. These stressors are categorized into two main groups which are physiological response and cognitive response. The presence of stress in a person can be expressed in various ways. Some have emotional outcomes such as depression and anxiety while the physical outcomes may be muscle tension, immune suppression or even diseases (Corbin et al, 2009, p.349). The main responses of stress include physical and physiological signs and it has been found that there has been an increase in stress in the previous years.
Stress is not only experienced by the old only but also it is experienced by the young such as college students. There has been a change in the operation of college in that students do not spend their entire life studying but have a portion of it being spent at work. As they undertake their duties at their workplace, they experience life hassles and events that act acts as the source of their stress. This is expressed by the increase in the number of mental health problems and psychiatric medications (Corbin et al, 2009, p.350).
Stress does not have negative effects but also have positive effects. It may force us to do certain things which in the long run would make our lives better. On the other hand, stress has adverse effects on our lifespan and immune systems (Corbin et al, 2009, p.353). Personal control of stress is very essential. The control measures can be external or internal. To lower the effect of stress, regular exercising, sufficient sleep and recreation activities are used. Physical exercise usually reduces depression. Time management which allocates time for all necessary activities is usually very useful.
Tobacco
Tobacco is one of the addictive drugs and causes preventable death. It also causes chronic situations and thus there has been continuous awareness of its effects which has resulted in reduced smoking. One of the substances harmful to human health in tobacco includes Nicotine which gets into the body through inhalation (Corbin et al, 2009, p.384).
Nicotine sometimes stimulates the brain, makes us feel relaxed. On the other hand, it can increase blood pressure. These are some of the indications that cigarette smoking adversely affects our health. It is one of the leading causing activities. This is from research that has shown that there are so many diseases such as lung cancer resulting from smoking. Although it is not that easy to stop smoking, the best solution is to stop although a reduction in smoking also boosts one health (Corbin et al, 2009, p.385). Due to the addictive nature of tobacco, smokers must always buy cigarettes. Despite all these challenges in stopping smoking, there have been technological advancements that have resulted in the production of drugs to aid smokers in stopping smoking (Corbin et al, 2009, p.392). This has a big influence on the economy as a lot of money flows in this industry. It also affects the health sector due to the diseases associated with it. The sick usually get the medication from health centres and this usually affects the economy.
Smoking can either be firsthand smoking or second-hand smoking. Cigarette smokers are usually viewed to be at risk of taking other drugs. In students, smoking is usually integrated with the taking of alcohol. Smoking can be stopped by exercising. This usually minimises the number of health risks associated with smoking (Corbin et al, 2009, p.391).
Alcohol
Alcohol is used by a very big number of people across the globe. It usually causes death as well as facilitates the continuous deterioration of our culture. It also alters the person’s mood and the person may act unexpectedly. The amount of alcohol consumed varies from person to person and is dependent on various factors such as body size and gender among others. Women are found to be affected too much by alcohol as compared to men (Corbin et al, 2009, p.397).
The use of alcohol is found to adversely affect human health. It usually results in diseases such as liver disease. Most liver problems arise from alcohol consumption. It usually makes the liver swell and the problem is reversible depending on the level of alcohol consumed in the body. At extreme alcohol consumption, there is tissue destruction. Some of the main risks associated with alcohol consumption include liver, cardiovascular and brain damages (Corbin et al, 2009, p.399). Numerous accidents are arising from careless driving by drunk drivers. This has led to the loss of many lives which is a big blow in economic as well as social life.
In the bringing up of children, parental guidance and instruction are very essential. It usually determines the child future behaviour as children usually learn by imitation. In case of excessive use of alcohol, the drunkards are usually out of the control of their minds and can do things that can destroy their reputation or even end up in jail. There are several measures put in place to curb the problem of taking too much alcohol. They include standards for moderate alcohol consumption which are dependent on factors such as gender (Corbin et al, 2009, p.401). Also, there are so many self-help groups that can be of great help to people with alcoholic problems.
Drugs
There has been an increase in the use of drugs mostly among the youths. These have resulted in many people serving jail terms due to participation in the illegal trade. These drugs are divided into various categories such as depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants and they usually make the body react differently. Depressant usually affects the central nervous system and includes drugs like tranquillizers and alcohol. They are found to be addictive. Some depressants such as heroin are illegal. The stimulants usually increase the mood. They can be legal such as coffee or illegal such as cocaine. Hallucinogens usually affect the senses. They change the way we look at the world around us. Examples include inhalants, phencyclidine (PCP) and GD-lysergic acid among others (Corbin et al, 2009, p.413).
The use of these drugs has various consequences. Some such as marijuana usually affect the brain by destroying or altering the functionality of the brain tissues. Inhalants have an almost instantaneous effect on the brain. These drugs always affect other parts of the body and may result in headaches, delusion and irregular heartbeat rates among others. In the economic aspect, these drugs trade usually involves a large amount of cash (Corbin et al, 2009, p.416). A very significant percentage of this money is usually related to drug related crime. The use of these drugs usually affects students adversely in their academic and social life. Their indulgence in the use of drugs is usually from peer influence. The best way to deal with the problem of illicit drugs is by avoiding them. For the case of people already taking them, they should be taken to rehabilitation centres for counselling so that they can revert to their normal life (Corbin et al, 2009, p.419).
Cancer
Cancer is a health problem characterised by abnormal cell growth. It is found to occur on any part of the body (Corbin et al, 2009, p.436). There are various causes which include excess alcohol, excessive sunlight exposure, genetic problems, radiation and viruses. There are various types of cancer affecting different genders. The most common in men include prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon-rectal cancer while breast cancer, colon-Rectal cancer and lung cancer are common in women.
Colon-Rectal cancer is common in both men and women. This cancer is found in the colon. It has various stages of development and can be treated using chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy (Corbin et al, 2009, p.438). Lung cancer is cancer that can be got by working with some cancer causing chemicals. It has different stages of development and can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Breast cancer is cancer that affects the breasts (Corbin et al, 2009, p.440). It is affected by various factors such as age, genes and menstrual cycle among others. The main treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy. There have been numerous researches that have been undertaken on cancerous drugs. This has resulted in the availability of various drugs to treat cancer.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease mainly indicated by high levels of sugar in the blood. This disease can be treated by the application of medication. Insulin is responsible for regulating the glucose in the blood. There are two types of diabetes depending on the quantity of glucose in the blood. When the insulin levels are low, then one is said to have type 1 diabetes while there is a high level of insulin, then one is suffering from type 2 diabetes (Corbin et al, 2009, p.443). Type 2 diabetes is mostly affected by lifestyle and thus can be controlled by adopting a good lifestyle. This involves avoiding fats in diets as well as exercising regularly. (Corbin et al, 2009, p.444). There have been so many deaths caused by diabetes.
Conclusion
It has been shown that there are so many behaviours that are usually destructive to our health. These behaviours affect our social and economic welfare and in extremes cause death. Most of these behaviours are obtained by peer pressure, ignorance environmental influence. Some of these aspects include stress, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, diabetes and cancer. Most of these aspects are directly affected by our lifestyle and thus a change to live a healthy lifestyle would be very efficient to curb the problem.
Reference
Corbin, C., Corbin, W., Welk, G., &Welk, K. (2009). Concepts of fitness and wellness. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill.