When people think about being ill and having a disease, they often think about cancer and heart or lung diseases. They don’t acknowledge the other awful illnesses that are spreading throughout one’s body and how severe some diseases actually are.

According to the National Health Council, 133 million Americans have been diagnosed with a chronic disease. A large portion of those people have diabetes, and diabetes isn’t often thought about as a disease. Diabetes causes millions of deaths each year and isn’t completely curable.

Also, there are multiple different diseases that cause dementia that can be rare but very deadly. Some dementia-related diseases include Huntington’s disease which affects one in 10,000 people in the United States and Leukodystrophy disease which affects one in 40,000 people. These diseases cause memory loss and possibly other mental abilities.

There are diseases that affect all organs and sometimes even people’s personalities. Some of them can be genetic and some can be from things people have been exposed to. Often, blood diseases, heart diseases and Alzheimer’s disease are diagnosed as being genetic. Although, there are some that are mainly caused by chemicals. According to the American Lung Association, 90 percent of lung cancers are due to smoking tobacco and the other 10 percent is caused by radon, a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.

A more common disease in the northeastern area of the country is Lyme disease, a disease that is transferred through a tick bite, can be very serious if not treated right away. It can be common for those who hunt, have pets or go in tall grass and wooded areas often. As stated by the Mayo Clinic, Lyme disease can cause arthritis, cognitive defects and neurological disorders if not treated.

Although there are some diseases that can be treated, there are others that are faster and more serious. The deadliest disease in the world is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD can be caused by a number of different things like family history, blood pressure, cholesterol and even weight. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people who die from CAD is over 370,000 each year.

There aren’t always cures for certain diseases like heart disease or cancer. However, there are temporary solutions, but they don’t always work with everyone and they can be extremely risky. If one has cancer, doctors and experts are most likely going to recommend chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery according to the National Cancer Institute. Surgery has its risks along with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. If someone is diagnosed with a heart disease, they are likely going to be told that they need to make healthier lifestyle changes, medications, surgery, or implants to prevent them from having a first or second heart attack.

To get ahead of the game, Cleveland Clinic suggests getting check-ups regularly, exercise, eat healthy, quit all bad habits and keep a healthy schedule. Not all diseases can be prevented due to birth defects or genetics, but there are some that can be. It is also important to be aware of other diseases that aren’t as common but can be very dangerous.