5 Deadliest Diseases in Indonesia

Human’s health is always an important aspect of life, and it is highly dependent with our daily lifestyles.

Although some diseases which eventually disturb our health may be genetically-driven, but it becomes more possible for people to catch diseases as a result of abandoning healthy lifestyles throughout their daily activities.

While death is inevitable, some of these diseases may be deadlier than the other, becoming one major cause of death to a lot of people.

In each country, these diseases considered to be deadly may vary across the world.

Indonesia itself has its own list of deadly diseases which have proven to have higher chances in taking lives.

Here is the list of five deadliest diseases in Indonesia, one of the important things to be aware of in Indonesia.

1. Stroke

Stroke is undoubtedly one severe killer of people’s health.

Causing approximately 29.2% of the total deaths in Indonesia in 2017, no wonder stroke is said to be the number one deadly disease and one of the most common diseases in Indonesia. 

Defined as the condition where there is a sudden interruption or blockage of the arteries which carry the blood supply to the brain.

Stroke may be caused by several risk factors like unhealthy diet high in cholesterol and fats, as well as lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.

People with stroke usually experience symptoms like paralysis, loss of balance, severe headache, and others.

Immediate diagnosis of stroke can increase the possibility of better recovery through various treatments of medications according to the types of stroke.

2. Diabetes Mellitus

Another deadly disease is diabetes mellitus, a disease positioning the 3rd rank for the causes of death in Indonesia in 2017.

Climbing the rank from the 6th position in 2007, diabetes has continued to be increasingly risky for people’s health and becomes one of the major health problems in Indonesia.

Diabetes mellitus is the condition where there is a high sugar concentration in the blood, where the insulin hormone is insufficient to store the sugar as energy.

Several lifestyles may increase the probability of diabetes, like consuming too many portion of sugar in our daily food with high level of cholesterol, as well as other conditions like overweight and high blood pressure.

The symptoms include increased hunger and thirst, more frequent urination, tiredness, and others.

Treatments may include different medications taken by mouth or injections.

3. Tuberculosis (TBC)

Tuberculosis (TBC) has caused about 300 people to die from the disease each day in Indonesia.

Holding the third position of the most TBC patients in the world, this disease is mentioned to be the 4th main cause of death in Indonesia.

TBC is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The disease brings severe impacts to the respiratory system, especially the lungs, and can be spread through talks, breathes, coughs or sneezes.

Infected people usually show symptoms of tiredness, fever, cough, chest pain, and others, and can be diagnosed through chest x-ray, clinical presentation and skin testing.

This disease can be treated using anti-tuberculosis drugs as well as completing a 6-months therapy.

4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

According to Health Data, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is on the 7th rank in the list of deadliest diseases in Indonesia in 2017. This disease caused more than 3 million deaths in 2015.

COPD is referred to a group of progressive lung diseases, commonly are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

While emphysema causes destruction in the air sacs in the lungs, bronchitis causes inflammation and narrows the bronchial tubes.

COPD is mainly caused by the habit of tobacco smoking–one of the bad cultures in Indonesia–as well as overexposure to chemical irritants.

Symptoms may include shortness of breath, mild cough, chest tightness, and others, and this can be diagnosed through spirometry, chest x-ray or CT scan. COPD can be treated through medications, oxygen therapy, surgery, and lifestyle changes.

5. Coronary Heart Disease

Also called the ischemic heart disease, coronary heart disease is the 2nd deadliest disease and so-called silent killer in Indonesia in 2017.

At least 29% of all deaths are caused by this disease, and this occurs not only in Indonesia, but in other countries like Turkmenistan and Kazakhtan.

Coronary heart disease is the damage of the major blood vessels carrying the supply of oxygen and nutrients for the heart.

This condition is usually developed through risky lifestyles and conditions like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and others.

People with this disease may show symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart attack, and may lead to complications like heart failure.

This disease can be treated either by various drugs like aspirin and cholesterol-modifying medications, or more serious procedures like angioplasty and bypass surgery.

These are the five deadliest diseases in Indonesia that you should now be more aware of.

Let us start practicing tips on how to live healthy in Indonesia to diminish the possibility of suffering these diseases as early as possible.