No 1. Give your ideas about a healthy way of life. Speculate on the laws of health. Prove that prevention is better than cure.

Topics for Discussion

(state examination)

No 1. Give your ideas about a healthy way of life. Speculate on the laws of health. Prove that prevention is better than cure.

A HEALTHY WAY OF LIFE

A healthy way of life is not just some exercises done now and then. Good eating habits, regular sleeping habits and plenty of fresh air and exercise kept up during the week are all important parts of the way to keep fit. These "laws of health" seem to be so simple that even a child can learn them. However, many people nowadays are not fit at all. They have already lost the energy and happiness that comes from the feeling really well.

Their immune system is weak, resistance to infections is low and constant aches and pains lead to irritation, exhaustion and nervous breakdowns. They might have forgotten the old proverb "Prevention is better than cure." But the good news is that "cure" is in the case quite simple.

First of all, to keep in a good shape everyone needs a certain amount of exercise and, unfortunately, people are leading sedentary way of life nowadays. But the man or woman who takes regular exercise will stay physically fit, build up stamina and keep youthful shape. Besides regular exercise lowers blood pressure, reducing the strain on the heart.

Secondly, be sensible about your diet. That does not mean you should be obsessed with counting calories. Just remember that our body is constantly wasting and requires to be regained by foot. Thus you should be healthy, rich in vitamins and fibre. Cut down a fatty products, sausages and cakes. Avoid chemical preservatives and artificial flavoring as they are toxic and may lead allergies. And finally be moderate in eating, do not overeat.

Thirdly remember that late hours are very harmful to the health as they exhaust the nervous system. Our body needs at least a 7-hour sleep to restore.

Fourthly, smoking, drugs and alcohol is something you must give up for good if you want to keep fit, as these bad habits may cause many dangerous chronic and even fetal diseases (such as heart problems, cancer, AIDS) and shorten lifespan.

And finally, search for positive emotions. Find a hobby, meet with friends, travel, go the theatre, do anything that makes you feel happy. When, you are full of pleasant feelings you can cope with any problem.

There's nothing new in all this. The key word to all laws of health is ‘everything’. You should work on everything at once – exercise, diet, healthy habits. These are basic principles.

No 2. Give account of the maladies of the 21^st century. Describe their symptoms and factors that course them. Give your ideas on their prevention.

Some centuries ago people died of cholera, smallpox, plague. With the discovery of new methods of treatment, doctors now are able to control these dangerous diseases. However this does not mean that we can all expect to live a hundred. We entered the 21^st century with a great number of other diseases. Some of them are infectious, some are environmental and some are even caused by genetic factors.

Among infectious diseases the most dangerous are AIDS, hepatitis, bird's flu, and so called swine flu. AIDS and hepatitis B are transmitted through blood and other bodily liquids. So, those who take injectable drugs and have hit-and-miss affairs are in great danger of contracting these diseases. The symptoms of hepatitis are fever and yellow colour in skin. It damages the liver.

I can't describe the symptoms of AIDS, as this disease attacks the immune system. So AIDS itself doesn't kill, but because the body's defense system is damaged, the patient may die of a common cold. To prevent from AIDS and hepatitis B people shouldn't take drugs and have stable relationship with one partner.

Hepatitis A, bird’s flu and swine flu are passed on by air or through infected food or water. The symptoms of bird’s flu and swine flu are similar to those of common flu, as they are said to be its mutated types. They are a high fever, sneezing, coughing and muscle aches. Prevention of these diseases is quite simple. You are just to strengthen the immune system and to avoid contacts with infected people or animals. To make your immune system stronger you should eat food rich in vitamins, take regular exercises and avoid bad habits.

Environmental diseases include heart and vascular system diseases, allergy, asthma and cancer. The main symptom of heart problems is a deep muscular ache in the left side of the chest. Heart disease mortality is very high in the world. And although heart disease doesn't always cause heart attacks, it has a huge impact on the quality of life, often involving years of pain and discomfort.

Allergy is an unfavorable reaction to certain substances like food, drinks, medicines or insect bites. The symptoms of allergy are usually rash, itching, sneezing, sore eyes. But in serious cases a person may suffer from an allergic shock, which leads to heart and lungs problems and may cause death.

Asthma is the result of poor air quality. The symptoms are a dry cough and suffocation.

Various types of cancer can occur, but stomach cancer is the most common type worldwide. Lung cancer closely follows it. Malignant tumours cause a severe pain and can be treated by surgery and chemotherapy.

The risk factors causing environmental diseases are poor environment, constant stress and bad habits, sedentary way of life and overweight.

Actually, stress is a natural reaction of a person's body to pressure, either from the outside world or from the inner world of emotions and physical organs. Under stress, the pulse rate is increased and there is a rise in the blood pressure and the level of adrenaline in blood. It helps to make the most of the hidden reserves of our body by improving the reaction or soothing the pain. So, if stress is short-termed, it is useful and won't do any harm. But if you are constantly under stress, you become worn out. Constant irritation, lack of concentration, insomnia and loss of appetite are the most common symptoms of stress.

All bad habits are caused by addiction to certain substances. The reasons for this addiction include poverty, peer pressure, stress. People take addictive substances to relieve tension, calm down or to find some extra energy. In some cases, addiction will be life-long, in others it may be a temporary phase. But any type of addiction damages people's health and shortens their lifespan.

Smoking increases your blood pressure and pulse rate. That contributes to heart disease. Tar in cigarette smoke is a major factor for causing cancer. A heavy smoker is always short of breath and has a bad cough in the mornings. Pregnant women who smoke run a risk of damage to their unborn babies.

Alcohol damages the brain and the liver. If you overdrink, you may suffer from double vision and loss of balance. If you drive under the influence, you are a potential killer to other drivers and pedestrians.

Depending on the type and strength of the drug, all drugs abusers are in danger of developing side effects, such as mental disorders, heartbeat irregularities and even sudden death. Besides needing money to pay for drugs leads to crime.

In order to prevent environmental diseases people should: get rid of bad habits, be sensible about their weight, eat food rich in vitamins and fiber, avoid food preservations and artificial flavorings, go in for sports, to keep fit, have regular check-ups.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14