Stories about escape and survival can act as an inspiration. People are able to survive natural disasters, accidents, attacks, health issues, and mental health issues. But not everyone is so lucky.
There are a million ways to die, but how many people die a day? What are the major causes of death and how do we improve our chances for a long life?
It is not uncommon to wonder about this. People want to know exactly when their time is up. However, knowing all the statistics about mortality rates won’t give us a definitive answer. All we can do is steer clear from dangerous situations and make lifestyle choices that promote our health and wellbeing.
Here is where the numbers can help. You can take a look at the statistics and ascertain all the main reasons causes of death. By doing so, you can learn what changes you need to make in your everyday life.
Crunching The Numbers: How Many People Die A Day Worldwide
More than 150,000 people die each day worldwide, while the daily birthrate is approximately 360,000. This means that for every death that is recorded, more than two births are recorded alongside it. If you feel ever feel stricken by grief or fear, remembering those births can be a source of comfort.
Knowing how many people die a day lets researchers estimate population growth. It also helps experts pinpoint the factors necessary to sustain all these extra lives coming into the world.
Main Cause Of Deaths Around The World
Sometimes, we need to see the numbers in order to realize that we need to make better choices. The top 10 causes of deaths around the world are the following:
1. Ischaemic Heart Disease
At the top of the list, being responsible for nearly 9 million deaths per year is ischaemic heart disease, which is the narrowing of the arteries. It is usually caused by excess fat accumulating in the blood vessels. This causes blood flow and oxygen to be restricted to the heart, resulting in a heart attack.
Although this may happen to anyone, the main risk factors are obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. To avoid becoming one of this statistic, make sure to control your weight.
2. Stroke
The second cause of death worldwide is a stroke. This happens when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing the death of brain cells, which in turn may lead to disability, brain damage, or even death. People who had a stroke can suffer paralysis in their face or on one side of their body. This may be temporary or permanent.
Genes play a factor in your chances of having a stroke. But the odds are also influenced by lifestyle choices such as smoking or inactivity.
3. Lower Respiratory Infections
The third health condition on the list is also the most frequent cause of death in infants. It includes the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Timely vaccination can reduce the risk of these infections.
4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
One of the leading causes of death among smokers is COPD, which includes the disease emphysema. This disease is not exclusive to smokers, but affects them in the largest part.
Emphysema commonly occurs in males and can be hereditary. But choosing a smoke-free lifestyle will lower your chances of developing this condition.
5. Lung Cancer
Another disease largely claiming the lives of smokers, is lung cancer. This disease accounts for over 1.6 million deaths each year, of which more than 80% are smokers.
6. Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects many people, and it claims slightly less than 1.6 million lives each year. Many of its symptoms can be treated, and lifestyle changes can help people avoid type 2 diabetes. It is strongly linked with obesity.
7. Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Causing a gradual loss of cognitive function, these neurodegenerative diseases claim more than one and a half million lives each year. Prevention is still being researched, but there are a few ways you can mitigate the risk of developing these conditions.
A healthy diet and regular exercise are the best places to start. It’s also important to stimulate the mind and stay socially active when you get older. Since the conditions are often connected to head trauma, people of every age should be careful to avoid head injuries.
8. Cholera
A disease which first-world countries rarely have to worry about, cholera is very common in Africa. This disease takes the lives of nearly 1.4 million people each year, of which more than a third are children. But many of these deaths can be prevented by improving the quality of drinking water and sanitation in a region.
9. Tuberculosis (TB)
Although TB has been treated well since the early 1400s, a third of the world’s population is still affected by it, and the disease kills nearly 1.3 million people each year. It is highly contagious, and TB patients need to avoid contact with crowds. Vaccinations can help prevent this dangerous illness.
10. Road Accidents
Unfortunately, even when you are in good health, the unforeseen event of a road accident may occur. Road accidents account for approximately 1.4 million deaths worldwide. This is one of the reasons why countries spend so much money on road safety campaigns. While you can’t always prevent trouble, avoiding drunk driving is a must, and you should also take care to rest enough during long trips.
In Conclusion
Thousands of people die each day for reasons that could have been avoided. Most daily deaths are attributed to health issues. The lives we lead impact our life expectancy in many ways.
We need to choose a healthy lifestyle to improve our chances. Healthier living also means a more balanced and fulfilled life, so don’t delay making changes in your habits.
If it helps you stay optimistic, think of it this way. Lives are lost to create space for the lives gained. Whilst 150,000 people lose their lives on a daily basis, the world gains more than 360,000 new residents each day.
References:
https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/index2.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
https://www.ecology.com/birth-death-rates/
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/prevention
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