Health issues

• • Health is the state of physical and mental wellbeing
• • Diseases are a major cause of ill health
• Communicable diseases:

  • Spread physically
  • Caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
  • Infectious
  • E.g measles, malaria
• Non-communicable diseases:

  • Cannot spread physically
  • Last long
  • E.g asthma, cancer, CHD
• Different types of diseases can interact:

  • Defects in the immune system can increase chance of suffering from communicable diseases - body less likely to defend against pathogen
  • Viruses living in cells can be trigger for cancers - HPV can cause cervical cancer
  • Immune reactions caused by pathogens can trigger allergies like skin rashes, asthma
  • Severe physical ill health can lead to mental illness
• Other factors can affect health:

  • Diet - balanced
  • Stress
  • Life situation - access to prevent illness or medicines