Health Organization of America
Click here to edit subtitle
Communicable diseases are ones that can be contracted from human to human, whereas non-communicable diseases are ones that cannot be contracted from human contact.
Communicable
Non-Communicable
HIV/AIDS
Definition: a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy
Symptoms: abdominal pain, mouth ulcers, and sore
Treatment: No cure exists for AIDS, but strict adherence to anti-retroviral regimens (ARVs) can dramatically slow the disease's progress as well as prevent secondary infections and complications.
How Common: In the US, 1.7 million people have been diagnosed with AIDS since 1981.
SYPHILIS
Definition: a chronic bacterial disease that is contracted chiefly by infection during sexual intercourse, but also congenitally by infection of a developing fetus.
Symptoms: Ulcers, rashes, fatigue
Treatment: Penicillin
How Common: In 2014, 63,450 new cases had been reported.
CHLAMYDIA
Definition: a very small parasitic bacterium that, like a virus, requires the biochemical mechanisms of another cell in order to reproduce.
Symptoms: vaginal bleeding, eye spots, discharge from penis
Treatment: Antibiotic therapy
How Common: 2 million people in the US have chlamydia.
GONORRHEA
Definition: a venereal disease involving inflammatory discharge from the urethra or vagina
Symptoms: fever, stomach pain, discharge
Treatment: ceftriaxone, azithromycin, and doxycycline.
How Common: In the US each year, there are 700,000 new cases only half of which are reported.
AUTISM
Definition: a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts
Symptoms:
Behavioral: inappropriate social interaction, poor eye contact, compulsive behavior, impulsivity, repetitive movements, self-harm, or persistent repetition of words or actions
Treatment: Therapy
How Common: 1 in 68 American children are autistic.
ALZHEIMER'S
Definition: progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain
Symptoms: difficulty recognizing common things, difficulty thinking or understanding
Treatment: No cure exists.
How Common: 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's.
ADHD
Definition: chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity.
Symptoms: limited attention and hyperactivity
Treatment: meditation and talk therapy
How Common; 11 percent of children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD
ANOREXIA
Definition: an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat.
Symptoms: trying to maintain a below-normal weight through starvation or too much exercise
Treatment: talk therapy
How Common: It is the third-most common long-term illness among teens.
