Hay fever, emphysema, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome. Unlike cancer and heart disease, they’re not the maladies that capture a lot of publicity. But chronic conditions can cause a substantial amount of pain, suffering and disability. These diseases and disorders are not transferred by bacteria or viruses, nor can you get them from person-to-person contact. They usually develop over a long period of time. And although most are not fatal, they can wreak havoc with your body. Fortunately, many of these modern maladies can be avoided or controlled through good health habits. For those with a genetic origin, medical breakthroughs offer new hope. And for others that as yet have no cure, research continues. Do you know anyone who is living with a chronic, noninfectious condition? To help you comprehend the scope of the most common noninfectious diseases and conditions, it’s useful to assign each to one of six major categories, respiratory disorders, neurological disorders, gender-related disorders, digestion-related disorders, musculoskeletal diseases, and other maladies like chronic fatigue and carpal tunnel syndromes. A sneeze may just be a reflex when something tickles your nose. But for people with allergies, it can be the first sign of a miserable bout of hay fever. Hay fever is probably the most common chronic respiratory disease. As most people know it, it causes sneezing and itching and watery eyes and nose. It’s suffered worldwide and is usually most prevalent during the season when ragweed and flowers are blooming. How does something as seemingly innocent as grains of pollen or dust or mold or animal dander wreak so much havoc on a person’s life? When you’re exposed to an antigen or allergen, the body responds by producing antibodies to destroy the invader. In some people, for reasons that are not understood, the immune system goes into overdrive and produces excessive numbers of antibodies. These antibodies, in turn, trigger the release of histamines, chemical substances that dilate blood vessels, increase mucus secretions and cause tissues to swell, the symptoms that allergy sufferers know only too well. The only way for many people to find relief is to avoid the source of their allergy. But when this isn’t possible, help can come in the form of injections or histamine suppresses known as antihistamines. Asthma is another chronic respiratory disease with which you are probably familiar. It’s characterized by attacks of wheezing, breathing difficulty and coughing spasms. Sometimes exposure to allergens, like the ones that cause allergies, can trigger an episode of asthma. But anxiety and stress can also cause an attack. For relief, asthma sufferers must determine what triggers an attack and be equipped with prescription medicines, most often in the form of inhalers, just in case. One type of asthma has become well known among athletes. It’s a condition known as exercise-induced asthma. Fortunately, athletes, or even the average person, doesn’t have to stop working out. Many successful athletes with the EIA find relief by keeping their lungs moist, warming up thoroughly, and breathing through the nose. Like many chronic diseases, asthma requires that the sufferer manage the disease by avoiding triggers or things that can cause an attack. One of the more devastating of the respiratory disorders is emphysema. Although its exact cause is uncertain, there’s a strong indication that the development of emphysema is related to long-term cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. When a person has emphysema, the alveoli, or tiny air sacs of the lungs, are gradually destroyed. The result is a greater and greater struggle to breathe and, eventually, death. In fact, emphysema is classified as one of several chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases which are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. What are some things you could do that might help reduce your risk of developing a respiratory disorder? Is there anyone who was never had a headache? Headaches can range from mild discomfort to pain so intense that it causes nausea or dizziness. If you’re lucky, an over-the-counter-pain relief or even a relaxing bath can bring relief. But for people who suffer from severe headaches like migraines, the piercing pain can become so debilitating that they can’t work, study or socialize. For many migraine sufferers, a visual disturbance, or aura, precedes the development of a migraine. The aura is followed by pulsating pain on one side of the head, usually accompanied by dizziness, nausea and intolerance for light and noise. Many scientists blame migraines on either electrical disturbance on the surface of the cortex of the brain or disturbances in the brain’s pain regulating chemistry. But whatever the physiology, many people find they can avoid most migraines by avoiding certain triggers like caffeine or red wine. Others find relief only in strong prescription drugs. Other common kinds of headaches include tension headaches, which can be triggered by lack of sleep or by stress. Secondary headaches can be caused by underlying conditions that need to be treated such as sinus blockage, hypertension or problems with eyesight, and psychological headaches, which stem from anxiety, depression and another emotional factors. All headaches can affect your mood and outlook on life. If they become chronic or persistent see your doctor. What events or conditions trigger headaches in you? Epilepsy is a neurological disorder caused by abnormal brain activity. It’s generally characterized by loss of control of muscle activity, mental confusion and loss of consciousness. Ancient peoples thought that epileptic seizures were caused by evil spirits. And although much of the mystery surrounding epilepsy has been solved in modern times, the stigma of the disorder still remains. The truth is, that today, people with epilepsy can lead normal seizure-free lives with proper medication. Yet epileptics are often still perceived as lacking intelligence or mentally unstable, and are discriminated against in hiring. It used to be called “female troubles,” but today it’s known as PMS, or premenstrual syndrome. And although PMS began to get clinical attention in the 1980s, it’s still considered a controversial topic. Is it a legitimate malady? PMS is actually a complex of symptoms that occur prior to menstruation in some women, depression, irritability, backache, abdominal cramps, and fatigue. It’s believed to be caused by a hormonal imbalance relating to the rise in estrogen levels preceding menstruation. Treatments include hormone therapy, pain relievers, increasing complex carbohydrates in the diet, stress reduction and exercise. Unfortunately, PMS has become a catch-all phrase that stigmatizes women as being hard to get along with, moody and irrational. And some women feel that men in the workforce use PMS as an excuse to keep women from attaining positions of authority, implying that they may not be fit psychologically to hold important positions. […]