SEVEN (7) THINGS THAT CAUSE ILL HEALTH

BY: Godday O. Aghedo

One’s state of health is always a serious concern of any serious individual. This is so because, it directly impacts on the one’s plans, events, activities and even focus. A sick man won’t be able to pursue his dream fully. A seek man won’t be able to attend important functions be it social or religious. A sick man does not think about education or academic laurels. A sick man does not have the pleasure and comfort of effectively running his business or attending to office responsibilities. Invariably, ill health reduces a man’s financial worth rather than adding to it. It costs much more to regain one’s health than to regain it; this is why it is paramount to as often as the opportunity presents itself, talk about personal and communal health.

Considering the prevalent global environmental and climatic changes, the health of most people has continued to deteriorate. Several conditions are culpable for this negative modification; ranging from massive industrialization across the globe, deforestation, devastating exploration and excavation of natural resources, increasing degree of poverty in many countries, laziness, illiteracy and poor leadership leading to poor and unpatriotic health policies. Let’s examine the aforementioned, one after another.

Þ    Due to the industrialization of most of the cities of the world, the amount of toxic gaseous chemicals released into the atmosphere has continued to rise. Gases such as Carbon (II) Oxide, Sulphur (IV) Oxide (SO₂), Carbon (IV) Oxide (CO₂), amongst other dangerous gases are constantly emitted by industrial plants.

Þ    Deforestation does not only increase the leeway of land erosion, it also limits the availability of Oxygen (O₂) and increases the atmospheric CO₂. Note that plants exhale O₂ (which is used up by animals) and inhales CO₂ (a respiratory waste from animals). Both industrialization and deforestation are major causes of global warming due to the destruction of the ozone layers.

Þ    Searches and mining activities pollute the land, waters and the air. As the pollution continues to accumulate, it launches diverse health complications on the inhabitants of the region. Agricultural activities and products (both those on land and water alike) are adversely affected. The aquatic lives and other food substances in such a region may carry some of the contents of the pollutants.

Þ    Poverty makes people unable to take good care of themselves or at least access routine medical checkup and counselling services. They are unable to afford decent and healthy food, wears and accommodations. Due to high cost of housing, poor people settle for unhygienic houses in the slums as well as purchasing already contaminated old farm products instead of the expensive but fresh ones.

Þ    Some people are too lazy to embark on exercises which will eventually improve their health status.

Þ    Where there is poor health literacy or public health education, inhabitants are prone to indulging in anti-health practices such as smoking, excessive drinking and self-medication etc.

Þ    Poor leadership may affect the kind of laws made in a particular nation. Therefore, health policies that will help the populace live aright are inadvertently absent in many nations. It is the duty of any good leadership to install policies that will promote a health of the people. This should cut across every community of people, including the workplace.

Bye and large, it is safely logical to state categorically that, the quality of the life one lives, is dependent on some salient factors, some of which are food intake, lifestyle, environment, work life, friends or companies and purpose. See TIPS FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH for details.