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• Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.
• Disease is a departure from normal health through structural and functional disorders of the body.
• Communicable or infectious diseases are those diseases which spread from an infected person to a healthy person by the entry of microorganisms / pathogens.
• Non-communicable or non-infectious diseases are not caused by any germ, therefore these diseases cannot spread from an infected person to a healthy person (i.e., they are non-transmissible). These may be caused due to improper functioning of the body organs.

  Examples: Diabetes mellitus, heart attack, etc.
• Spread of communicable diseases:

  • Direct method
  • Indirect method
• Spread of communicable diseases by -

  • Direct method: Diseases like measles, chicken pox and fungal infections are spread through direct contact with an infected person.
• Spread of communicable diseases by - Indirect method:

  • Touching and sharing items used by the infected person.
  • Contaminated food and water or drink.
  • Vectors / Intermediate hosts
  • Droplet infection
• Some communicable diseases in brief -

  1. Diseases caused by viruses:

  • Influenza
  • Measles
  • AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome)

  2. Diseases caused by vectors:

  • Malaria
  • Dengue
  • Chikungunya
• Preventive Measures for Diseases:

  1. Public Hygiene - Public hygiene is as important as personal hygiene. It involves proper disposal of human excreta and domestic wastes.
  2. Healthy Environment
• The idea of vaccination was conceived by Edward Jenner (1749-1823)
• Vaccination is the practice of artificially introducing germs or germ substances into the body for developing resistance to particular diseases.

  Scientifically, this practice is called prophylaxis and the material introduced into the body is called the vaccine.
• Methods of preparing a vaccine -

  1. Using killed germs: TAB vaccine for typhoid, Salk's vaccine for poliomyelitis, vaccine for rabies.
  2. Using living weakened germs: Vaccine for measles and the freeze-dried BCG vaccine for tuberculosis.
  3. Using fully virulent living germs: Vaccine for smallpox.
  4. Using Toxoids: Vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus.
• Immunization is a generalised term used for introducing any kind of dead or weakened germs into the body of a living being for developing resistance (immunity) against the disease.
• First Aid is the immediate care or help given to a patient at the time of medical emergency before he or she is taken to a doctor. Eg., during accidents, heart attacks, snake bites, burns, etc. :

  1. Burns
  2. Bleeding
  3. Fractures
  4. Eye
  5. Unconsciousness
  6. Swallowing poison
  7. Snake bite
  8. Sting
  9. Fever
• Bad Habits to be Avoided:

  1. Harmful effects of consuming tobacco
  2. Harmful effects of drinking alcohol
  3. Harmful effects of drugs