The 10 most common and frequent diseases

These are the pathologies that affect the greatest number of people year after year.

Health is sometimes terribly fragile. The human body is prepared to face the most complicated situations, but it is also highly vulnerable to external agents and to its own biological mechanisms.

In this article we have made a list of the most common diseases and pathologies that affect the greatest number of people.

The most common genetic diseases

Below you can find the main genetic diseases.

1. Cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases, those that affect the heart and blood vessels, are, in many cases, silent killers. In fact, these diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the world.

Factors such as high cholesterol or triglycerides over a prolonged period of time can deteriorate our cardiovascular system and cause or trigger these types of diseases. Bad habits (e.g. smoking) and obesity also contribute to the development of these diseases. Angina pectoris or hypertension are some of the conditions that fall into this group..

2. Obesity

Obesity is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a disease and an epidemic.. This condition is associated with a multitude of health complications, and scientific data show that it is on the rise, especially in developed countries. Poor eating habits and sedentary life are some of the causes that influence its development; however, there may be other origins, such as genetic factors.

• To learn more about this topic, you can read our article: "Types of obesity: characteristics and risks".

3. Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease with a high prevalence worldwide.In 2015, approximately 400 million cases had been diagnosed worldwide. It is characterized by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar concentration, i.e. glucose) and problems that derive from it: cardiovascular, renal, etc. problems. There are different types of diabetes, for example, type I diabetes, type II diabetes, gestational diabetes, etc. (you can learn more about the types of diabetes by clicking on this link).

• To find out if you suffer from this disease, see our article "How do I know if I have diabetes? Main symptoms that warn us" you will find very useful information.

4. Cancer

Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about cancer, since it is one of the most frequent diseases of our times.. According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), 220,000 new cases were diagnosed in Spain last year. Scientific data, moreover, estimate that this figure will increase in the future.

Cancer is characterized by the abnormal growth of malignant cells in the body. Cancer can be benign or malignant, and can occur in different parts of the body: lung, colon, prostate, kidney, etc.

• There are different types of classification for this disease. You can learn more in our article: "Types of cancer: definition, risks and how they are classified".

5. Asthma

This disease can have different degrees, and is of a chronic type.. It occurs in the lungs, when the bronchial tubes become inflamed and make breathing difficult. In severe cases it can be fatal, but many people live a normal life with this disease. The causes of Asthma are not clear and there is no cure. According to WHO, it affects 235 million people worldwide.

6. Caries

Dental cavities are very frequent among the population, so they are included in this list of diseases because they are a very common condition.They are included in this list of diseases because they are a very common condition. Cavities occur because the tissues of the teeth are damaged by the presence of bacteria and demineralization. Its main cause is poor oral hygiene, although hereditary factors also seem to play a role.

7. COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory pathology that causes progressive damage to the respiratory system, and differs from other diseases. in the respiratory system, and makes it difficult and diminishes the capacity to inhale air. It can lead to chronic bronchitis or emphysema, and its main cause is smoking. More than 18,000 people die each year in Spain, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics.

8. Influenza

All of us, at some point in our lives, have suffered from the flu.. A disease that, in most cases, does not represent major complications, except for vulnerable people, such as the elderly. Headache, vomiting, fever and malaise are some of the symptoms that appear when the disease manifests itself.

9. Liver diseases

There are many liver diseases, and all of them have different causes.. For example, by virus, in the case of hepatitis; by medication or toxic substances such as alcohol, in the case of cirrhosis... Many of these disorders can have serious consequences if not treated correctly and can even cause death.

10. Stress

Stress has been baptized as the disease of the 21st century, and although it affects our emotional and psychological health, it has serious physical consequences.It has serious physical consequences. Millions of people around the world suffer from stress, which can have many causes. A very common form of stress is the one that occurs at work, among which stand out work stress and burnout.

This last phenomenon occurs when stress is prolonged over time and causes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of fulfillment (decrease in personal self-esteem, frustration of expectations, motivation and manifestations of stress at physiological, cognitive and behavioral levels).

• You can learn more about this condition in our article: "Burnout (Burnout Syndrome): how to detect it and take action".