The word “disease” comes from the Latin term “dolentia,” which means “to feel or cause pain, suffering, distress.” The World Health Organization classifies the disease as a “disease”. There are many definitions of the term, but in general, experts consider diseases to be disorders that alter the proper functioning of an organ or even our entire body, usually causing unpleasant signs and symptoms. Pfizer’s Curious health literacy project brings attention to four diseases that affect millions of people around the world. Know your body!
Alopecia: when hair loss is a disease
Each of us loses on average about 100 hairs per day. Although hair loss is normal, there are times when it gets worse: hair becomes thinner and hair density decreases. This phenomenon is known as alopecia and can take several forms.
Androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss, also called common baldness, can affect up to 80% of men and 40% of women. Other types may include, for example, telogen effluvium, which is general hair loss; Traction alopecia, where hair loss is associated with repetitive movements such as very tight hairstyles, braids or ponytails; or trichotillomania, which is an obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the sufferer pulls out hair or hair from any part of the body. Alopecia areata, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that involves localized patches of hair or fur loss, that is, bare patches, with the scalp being the most affected area. In its most aggressive forms, the eyebrows and eyelashes can be affected, and in extreme cases the disease can lead to complete hair loss or even body hair growth. Watch the video:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Learn How to Control Symptoms
Inflammatory bowel diseases are incurable chronic diseases of the digestive tract that result from dysregulation of the immune system. They are divided into three types: Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and unclassified colitis, when it is impossible to distinguish between the first two. In our country, from 7 to 15 thousand people are infected. You are interested? Find out more in this video:
Psoriasis: on the surface
It is estimated that more than 400 thousand people suffer from this chronic inflammatory disease in Portugal. The inflammation causes red, firm lesions that lead to peeling skin, especially on the elbows, knees, lower back, scalp and nails. These wounds also cause itching and burning. Although there are different types of psoriasis, the most common is plaque psoriasis, accounting for about 80% of cases. Still surrounded by myths, it is important to understand that psoriasis is not a contagious disease! Learn to identify symptoms and discover available treatments by watching this video:
Vitiligo: spots and loss of color
Do you know what singer Michael Jackson, model Winnie Harlow and actor Jon Hamm have in common? Besides being famous, everyone has vitiligo, a disease characterized by white patches on the skin due to the loss of the substance that gives our skin its color: melanin. More than 100 million people in the world suffer from this chronic disease, which can appear at any age, but mainly before the age of 20. Learn everything about vitiligo in this video:
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.