Key points
- Individuals with disabilities often report poorer overall health compared to those without disabilities.
- Many secondary conditions, such as pain, depression, and obesity, can arise from disabilities, increasing the risk of preventable health problems.
- Healthy lifestyle choices and regular preventive care reduce the risk of chronic diseases among individuals with disabilities.
Overview
Studies have shown that individuals with disabilities are more likely than people without disabilities to report:
- Poorer overall health.
- Less access to adequate health care.
- Smoking and physical inactivity.
Although a smaller percentage than people without disabilities, most people with disabilities report their health to be good, very good, or excellent. Being healthy means the same thing for all of us—getting and staying well so we can lead full, active lives. That means having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness.
People with disabilities can treat health problems related to their disabilities. These problems, also known as secondary conditions, can cause pain, depression, and increase the risk of certain illnesses.
Secondary Conditions
People with disabilities often face a greater risk of preventable health problems. Having a specific type of disability, such as a spinal cord injury, spina bifida, or multiple sclerosis, can result in other physical or mental health conditions.
Some of these other health conditions, often referred to as secondary conditions, may include:
- Bowel or bladder problems
- Fatigue
- Injury
- Mental health and depression
- Overweight and obesity
- Pain
- Pressure sores or ulcers
Click on the following links to learn more:
Bowel and Bladder
Some disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, can affect how well a person's bladder and bowel works.
Learn about bowel and bladder concerns for people with disabilities
Fatigue
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy. Fatigue can affect the way a person thinks and feels. It can also interfere with a person's activities of daily living.
Injury
Injuries—including unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide—are the leading cause of death for people 1 through 44 years of age. The consequences of injuries can be physical, emotional, and financial. This can affect the lives of individuals, their families, and society.
Mental Health and Depression
People with disabilities report higher rates of stress and depression than people without disabilities. There are different ways to treat depression. Exercise can be effective for some people. Counseling or medication may also be necessary.
Overweight and Obesity
Children and adults with disabilities are less likely to be of healthy weight and more likely to be obese than children and adults without disabilities. Overweight and obesity can have serious health consequences for all people.
Learn about healthy weight
Learn about disability and obesity
Pain
Many people with various types of disabilities commonly report experiencing pain. For some, pain can affect functioning and activities of daily living. You can classify the length of time a person experiences pain as either long-term (also called chronic) or short-term.
Learn about pain associated with specific types of disabilities
Pressure Sores or Ulcers
Pressure ulcers—also known as bed sores, pressure sores, or decubitus ulcers—are wounds caused by constant pressure on the skin. They usually develop on body parts such as the elbow, heel, hip, shoulder, back, and back of the head.
Bedridden individuals or wheelchair users with disabilities risk developing pressure sores.
Other Concerns, Conditions, and Prevention
Prevention strategies can address many related health conditions and chronic diseases. Chronic diseases rank among the most common and costly health problems, despite their preventability.
Living a healthy lifestyle, visiting a health care provider for preventive care and routine screenings, and learning how to manage health issues can prevent some chronic diseases. For more information and tools on other health conditions crucial to living healthy with a disability, the links offer additional resources.
Arthritis
Arthritis—or joint inflammation—is the most common cause of disability among adults residing in the United States. It limits everyday activities for 24 million Americans. People with disabilities can be at greater risk of having arthritis.
Asthma
It is one of the most common long-term diseases among children, but adults can have asthma, too. Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and a leading cause of disability among children.
Learn ways to manage and treat asthma
Cancer
Getting screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers as recommended helps find these diseases at an early, often highly treatable, stage. Research indicates that women with disabilities are less likely to receive screenings for breast and cervical cancer according to recommended guidelines. Some reasons identified by women include encountering inaccessible facilities and equipment and having to focus on other health issues.
Learn about cancer
Learn about breast cancer screening for women with disabilities
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) affects more than one million people in the United States. It is four times more common among females than males. People of both sexes and of every race and ethnicity and age (including adolescents) can develop CFS.
Learn about chronic fatigue syndrome
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease for which care and treatment can help people to live normal and productive lives. However, some people may experience limitations in their everyday activities. People with diabetes, in general, report rates of disability that are significantly higher than those reported by the general U.S. population.
Flu
People with certain types of disability have a higher risk of getting flu-related complications, such as pneumonia. Some physical disabilities can affect how well their body fights off infection. They should discuss their risk of illness with their health care provider.
Heart Disease
Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death in the United States. Around 630,000 Americans die of heart disease each year. It is also a leading cause of disability.
Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are disorders that may affect a person's ability to:
- Understand or use spoken or written language.
- Do mathematical calculations.
- Coordinate movements.
- Direct attention.
Learning disabilities can be lifelong conditions and some people can have several overlapping learning disabilities. Other people can have a single, isolated learning problem that has little effect on their lives.
Learn about learning disabilities
Limb Loss
Limb loss can occur due to trauma, infection, diabetes, vascular disease, cancer, or other diseases. Some children are born with limb loss or differences. Limb loss more often is the result—rather than the cause—of other health problems.
However, loss of a limb can result in:
- Decreased physical activity.
- Skin problems associated with using a prosthesis.
- Phantom pain for the residual limb.
National Limb Loss Information Center
Amputee Coalition of America
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. MRSA most often occurs among people in hospitals and health care facilities, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers, who have weakened immune systems. A person can get MRSA through direct contact with an infected person or by sharing personal items, such as towels or razors that have touched infected skin.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal injuries can cause temporary or even permanent disability, leaving some individuals unable to move around easily. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of disability for people during their working years.
Learn about musculoskeletal disorders
Nutrition (Healthy Eating)
Healthy eating reduces the risk of many diseases. This includes the three leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Oral Health
Good oral health is important and can affect the health and well-being of a person's life. Oral health is more than just having healthy teeth. For example, lifestyle behaviors, such as tobacco use, can affect general and oral health.
Oral diseases and conditions affect other health problems as well. However, safe and effective measures exist to prevent the most common dental diseases.
Respiratory Virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus common in childhood and important among older adults. RSV infects the lungs and breathing passages. Most otherwise healthy people recover from RSV infection in 1 to 2 weeks. However, infection can be severe among some people.
Substance Abuse
Alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications all can be substances of abuse. People with disabilities might have multiple risk factors that can increase their chances for substance abuse.
Learn about alcohol use
Learn about substance abuse and people with disabilities
Learn about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and alcohol use during pregnancy
Violence
Violence is a serious public health problem in the United States. People with disabilities are 4–10 times more likely to become victims of violence, abuse, or neglect than people without disabilities. Children with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be physically or sexually abused as children without disabilities.