The
nature of health problems in the industrialized nations has changed dramatically
during the 1900's. Until then, most people died from infectious diseases,
such as diphtheria or pneumonia. Today, however, infectious diseases are
no longer the main killers. Improved sanitation, immunization programmes,
and the development of antibiotic drugs have brought these diseases under
control. Today, health specialists are concerned chiefly with diseases related
to the aging process, unhealthy lifestyles, and environmental hazards.
Tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. Cigarette smoking is a principal cause of unnecessary and preventable illness and early death. Heart disease and lung cancer and other lung diseases occur at a much higher rate among smokers than among nonsmokers.
Many individuals use various drugs in an effort to solve their problems or to improve their alertness, mood, or self-confidence. However, the regular use of alcohol, narcotics, or sedatives can lead to addiction and also serious damage to the body. People may become psychologically dependent on a wide variety of other drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and tranquillizers. These individuals may harm themselves further by neglecting their health and nutrition. In addition, drugs can distort a person's judgment and so increase the risk of accidents.
Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in the western world. About a tenth of all drinkers become alcoholics. There is no cure for alcoholism, but the condition can be treated. An alcoholic who gives up drinking can return to a healthy, productive life.
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Environmental health hazards caused by modern technology can produce serious problems. Air pollution can worsen the condition of people who suffer such respiratory diseases as asthma and bronchitis. It may even help cause some diseases, including cancer and emphysema. In some areas, insecticides and industrial wastes contaminate food and water supplies. Excessive noise can also threaten people's health. Noise coming from aeroplanes, construction projects, and industrial plants can cause hearing loss as well as emotional damage.
Occupational health hazards threaten the health of many workers. In some cases, substances involved in a person's job may cause long-term damage that appears only after many years. For example, many coal miners develop a lung disease called pneumoconiosis from inhaling coal dust. Dust also causes lung diseases among workers in the asbestos and cotton industries. Some industrial chemicals, including arsenic and vinyl chloride, cause cancer. People who work with X rays and other forms of radiation also face a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken.
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