non-communicable diseases

• Types of diseases

  • Communicable
  • Non-communicable
• Communicable diseases


  • Spread between organisms, often caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi
• Communicable diseases


  • Measles
  • Salmonella
  • Malaria
  • Covid-19
  • Chicken-pox
  • Flu
• Non-communicable diseases


  • Do not spread from person to person, typically progress slowly
• Non-communicable diseases


  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Asthma
  • Depression
  • Arthritis
• Lack of balanced diet leads to health issues like obesity, malnutrition, and mental health struggles due to deficiencies in essential nutrients
• Carcinogens


  Substances that may increase your risk of developing cancer.
• Cancer


  Condition characterised by uncontrolled cell growth and division, leading to the formation of tumours
• Benign tumors


  Growth of abnormal cells which are contained in one area, usually within a membrane, not cancerous
• Malignant tumors


  Cancerous, invade neighbouring tissues and spread to different parts of the body
• Risk factors for cancer

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • UV exposure
  • Viral infections
  • Age
  • Diet
  • Body weight
  • Alcohol
• Chemotherapy


  Drugs are used to destroy cancer cells, can also be healthy cells, used to control and ease symptoms.
• Radiotherapy


  High energy radiation is used to shrink tumours and kill cancer cells by damaging their cells.
• Cryosurgery


  Used on external tumours, retina, cervix and early stage prostate cancer, liquid nitrogen, dissolves and forms a scab, can affect fertility and can cause scarring.
• • Normally cells grow and divide by mitosis, but when a cell becomes cancerous, it begins to divide uncontrollably
  • New cells are produced even though the body doesn't need them.
  • The extra cells form a growth called a tumour, which are solid.
• Reasons why survival rates for cancer has increased

  • Improved treatment/Drugs
  • Earlier Diagnosis
  • Improved patient knowledge
  • More cancer screening
• Stress


  A silent contributor to many health problems like:

  • hypertension
  • heart disease
  • weakened immune system
• Tumours may spread to other parts of the body by the blood/circulatory system.
• How diseases interact

  • someone with a defected immune system, would suffer from infectious disease
  • viruses living in cells, trigger for cancer
  • immune reactions by a pathogen can trigger allergies - skin rashes, asthma
  • mental health affected by physical health issues, influences a person's overall well-being
• • Poor diet leads to Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease
  • Alcohol & smoking leads to cancer, heart disease
  • exercise prevents heart disease, diabetes, obesity