Most Dangerous Diseases in India 2024, Factors and Preventions

1. Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD)

This is one of the top 10 most common and dangerous diseases in India. These are heart-related diseases that affect the heart and are among the common causes of death in the country.

Signs of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

• Pain in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Numbness in arms and legs
• Discomfort in the Chest
• Pain in other parts of the body such as the neck, back, jaw, throat as well as upper abdomen, etc.

What Causes Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD)?

• High intake of Tobacco
• Not having enough physical activity
• Improper and meager diet
• Hereditary reasons
• Existing diseases like High BP or Cholesterol
• Being Overweight
• People with a family history of such diseases.

How to Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD)?

• By staying active physically
• By getting regular exercise
• By watching over your weight regularly
• By curbing the habit of smoking
• By keeping a check on your BP and Cholesterol
• And by eating healthy food consisting of fiber, potassium, magnesium etc.

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2. Stroke

Strokes appear if any artery gets blocked in the brain and is one of the top 10 causes of death in India 2024.

Signs of Stroke

• Numbness in arm, leg, or face
• Extreme headache
• Having difficulty in vision (of one eye or both eyes)
• Difficulty in walking
• Trouble in speaking.

Causes of Stroke

• Stroke is common among people with high BP and cholesterol
• People with Diabetes
• Among people who are chain smokers
• People with brain Hemorrhage
• People with Heart diseases

Prevention of Stroke

• The first thing required is to quit smoking
• Keep blood pressure under control
• Follow healthy lifestyle
• Get regular exercise
• Restrict the consumption of alcohol
• Consume food with high fiber and low fat.

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3. Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory infections also cause a large number of deaths in the country every year and are termed one of the most dangerous diseases in India. Lung diseases, pneumonia and severe bronchitis are some such diseases.

Signs of Respiratory Diseases

• Fever
• Cough
• Congestion of the nose
• Sneezing and runny nose
• Shortness of breath that lasts weeks
• Sore throat.

Causes of Respiratory Diseases

• Extreme exposure to toxic substances
• Low immune system
• Smoking
• Dust and air pollution.

Prevention of Respiratory Diseases

• Give up smoking
• Regular exercise
• Being active
• Using masks
• Avoid breathing polluted air
• Eat a protein-rich diet.

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4. Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis infects the lungs as well as other body parts and is a life-threatening disease. However, it is a curable disease.

Signs of Tuberculosis (TB)

• Fatigue
• Blood in cough
• Fever and chills
• Sweats at night
• No or less appetite
• Weight loss without reason.

Causes of Tuberculosis (TB)

• Weak immune
• Living in areas that cause conditions for such disease
• Coughing and sneezing of infected people reach healthy people.

Prevention of Tuberculosis (TB)

• Keep away from close contact with infected people
• Getting Vaccinated
• Eating healthy food.

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5. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is also among the most common diseases in India. This is a lung disease that makes breathing difficult. These diseases take the lives of thousands of people across the world every year.

Signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Wheezing
• Tightness in chest
• Not energetic at all
• Frequent infections of the respiratory system
• Swelling in legs, feet, etc.
• Short breath.

Causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Due to Smoking
• Via chemical fumes
• Hereditary reasons
• History of such infection during childhood.

Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Avoid smoking
• Keep a check on family history of such diseases
• Avoid dust, fumes, etc. at home or at the office
• Stay away from air pollution.

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6. Diabetes

Diabetes is of two types: Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.  It is a life-threatening disease.

Signs of Diabetes

• Hunger of extreme level
• Weight loss without reason
• Fatigue
• Thirsty all the time
• Urinating frequently.

Causes of Diabetes

• Unhealthy eating habits
• Not exercising regularly
• High BP
• Obesity.

Prevention of Diabetes

• Regular exercise
• Avoiding inactive lifestyle
• Eating nutritious food
• Avoid smoking
• Eating fiber-rich diet and cutting sugar

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7. Alzheimer’s 

Alzheimer’s disease is related to loss of memory and it also interrupts reasoning, thinking, etc.

Signs of Alzheimer’s

• Difficulty in doing work
• Forgetting things
• Misplacing articles
• Problem with speaking, writing
• Poor judgment.

Causes of Alzheimer’s

• History in the family
• Old age
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Inherited from family
• Any head trauma.

Prevention of Alzheimer’s

• Eating heart-healthy diet
• Avoiding fatty food items
• Quit smoking
• Controlling risk factors.

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8. Diarrhea

Diarrhea is passing loose stools three or more times a day, thereby leading to a reduction in water and salt, which dehydrates the body.

Signs of Diarrhea

• Loose stool and mucus in stool
• Bloating and nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Blood in the stool
• Uncontrolled bowel urge.

Causes of Diarrhea

• Not using clean water
• Poor sanitation
• Malnourishment
• Weak immunity.

Prevention of Diarrhea

• Avoid drinking alcohol
• regular washing of hands
• Maintaining hygiene
• Avoiding the use of Aspirin, steroids, etc.

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9. Malignant Tumors

These are cancerous cells that grow uncontrollably and spread across the body to make it life-threatening. These are definitely among the most deadly diseases not only in India but across the world.

Signs of Malignant Tumors

No symptoms in the early stages or maybe a painless lump.

Causes of Malignant Tumors

• Exposure to ionising radiation
• Genetically spread
• Presence of pathogens
• Exposure to toxic substances.

Prevention of Malignant Tumors

• Avoid consuming tobacco
• Eat healthy diet
• Getting immunization regularly
• Maintaining weight.

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10. Covid-19

Last but not the least, Covid-19 has emerged as one of the deadliest diseases across the globe in recent times. Originating in China, Coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the WHO in March 2020.

Signs of Covid-19

• Fever
• Cough
• Tiredness
• Loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Difficulty in breathing
• Chills muscle aches
• Chest pain
• Pink eye

Causes of Covid-19

COVID-19 is caused by the infection with the new Coronavirus and spreads from person to person. Coughs, sneezes, breaths, etc. are some ways it spreads. It can also spread via touching, inhaling the droplets in the air, etc.

Prevention of Covid-19

• Avoid close contact with the sick
• Maintain safe distance
• Maintain regular washing of hands
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Use a mask to cover your face when leaving out of the house
• Avoid touching eyes, and nose with dirty hands
• Stay home as much as possible.

Why should you know the reasons people die?
Mortality data is an example that can indicate the number of people dying out for various reasons which can help the authorities in making better decisions about people’s welfare and allocation of resources. It plays an important part in designing healthcare systems as well as improving the data collection systems in countries.

Once the reason and daily counting of death are logged into the statistics systems, the policymakers can begin work towards preventing the deaths and treating severe health conditions such as COVID-19. To standardize the data collection and processing of the statistics, WHO has consolidated the international classification of diseases (ICD-11).

This is an improved data platform that enables timely and accurate data related to the causes of death as well as health information conforming to international standards.