Common Communicable diseases and how YOU can avoid them.

  “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving” What a wonderful saying. But when it comes to communicable diseases this saying doesn’t just feel right.

A communicable disease is a disease that is carried by pathogens and transmitted from one person to the other. Now, you see Communicable diseases includes both contagious and infectious diseases. Contagious diseases are divided into two categories based on their mode of contact. They are direct and indirect contact. Direct contact is when you have direct physical contact with an infected person ,for example shaking hands. Indirect contact is when you contact the pathogen but not through having physical contact with the infected person. For example, touching the same door knob or remote. This diseases could be spread in different ways, they are subtle, silent and deadly. I will be reviewing the most common diseases and infections that spread fast. The list is in no particular order. And was in always, because we care about your health we’ll tell you how to the best possible and practical ways to avoid them. So let’s begin.

 

1. Conjunctivitis

     This is actually a very common disease. It is also known as pink eye or as most Nigerians call it ‘Apolo’.
Conjunctivitis is the redness snd swelling of the eye. It is a viral infection that affects the eye and also the mucous membrane that lines the eye. It is characterised by itchiness, swelling and abnormal redness of the eye. Do you know that staphylococcus and streptococcus also cause pink eye?.
How does it spread? It spreads mainly by direct contact and sometimes from indirect contact.
How can you avoid getting infected? Well if you have conjunctivitis you should refrain from touching or rubbing your eye. It may relive the Itching but it’s only temporary. Wash your hands with soap often, the virus is killed easily. To avoid the infection, don’t share any item with anybody that is infected, examples are mascara and eye lashes. Finally, please if you going to swim, it is safest to wear swimming googles because most transmissions occur in the pool.

 

  Typhoid fever, commonly known as typhoid is an enteric fever that is caused by an insurgent of a bacteria called Salmonella typhi. It is very popular disease among Nigerians. Yes any Nigerian that has typhoid also has malaria… The Symptoms include weakness, abdominal pain, severe fever and vomiting. The symptoms could get severe from seven to thirty days after getting infected.
Transmission is mainly by intake of contaminated food and drinks. The spread is mainly in areas with poor cleanliness and sanitation.
How can you avoid the disease? One is by getting vaccinated. Another is by watching what you eat and drink. Take extra measures to clean and wash any food item. Also remember to keep your surrounding clean.

 

    Human Immunodeficiency Virus isn’t that such a long name for a disease that shortens life. This is a viral disease that cripples the immune system. It’s very common and also fatal.
HIV is transmitted by direct contact of the body fluids. Now see these body fluids range from blood to breast milk. You could get affected by having sex with an infected individual,  Congenitally, that is from birth. From transfusing blood from a HIV carrier and by sharing sharp objects.
How do you prevent yourself from getting HIV? Am sure you might have heard about this lots of times, but trust me you’ll learn something new in this post. First and foremost is by having sex with a single person that does not have HIV. I didn’t say you should avoid unprotected sex, because you will not always be able to do that so do as I say. Second is by not sharing any sharp items with people. These includes getting your clipper. Also avoid blood transfusion from an unknown source. Finally, there is a pill known as PrEP (pre exposure prophylaxis) that is taken once a day. It helps people prevent HIV. Yes that’s something new.

    An influenza or flu for short(…cool name) is any infection that affects the respiratory system. It is usually characterized by sore throat, fever, fatigue and headache.
The funny thing about this infection is that you can pass it on to someone else even before seeing the symptoms. This is because symptoms present six days after infection. That is why it is important to always stay healthy. Transmission is through direct and indirect contact.
You can avoid it by washing your hands regularly, and keeping a clean environment. If you are infected you could be an angel by staying indoors and avoiding contact with people.

Thank you so much for reading. Please comment about what you think.