HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASE

• Health, for a long time, was considered as a state of body and mind where there was a balance of certain ‘humors’
• Humors


  Balance of bodily fluids thought to affect health
• This idea was arrived at by pure reflective thought
• The discovery of blood circulation by William Harvey using experimental method disproved the ‘good humor’ hypothesis of health
• Mind influences health


  Through neural system and endocrine system
• Factors affecting health


  • Genetic disorders
  • Infections
  • Lifestyle
• Genetic disorders


  Deficiencies with which a child is born and deficiencies/defects inherited from parents
• Infections


  Diseases caused by pathogens
• Lifestyle


  Includes food and water intake, rest, exercise, and habits
• Health does not simply mean ‘absence of disease’ or ‘physical fitness’
• Health definition


  A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
• When people are healthy, they are more efficient at work
• Health increases productivity and brings economic prosperity
• Health increases longevity of people and reduces infant and maternal mortality
• Important factors to maintain good health

  • Balanced diet
  • Personal hygiene
  • Regular exercise
• Yoga has been practised since time immemorial to achieve physical and mental health
• Awareness about diseases and their effects is necessary for achieving good health
• Vaccination (immunisation) against infectious diseases is necessary for achieving good health
• Proper disposal of wastes is necessary for achieving good health
• Control of vectors and maintenance of hygienic food and water resources are necessary for achieving good health
• When the functioning of one or more organs or systems of the body is adversely affected, we say that we have a disease
• Types of diseases


  • Infectious diseases
  • Non-infectious diseases
• Infectious diseases


  Diseases easily transmitted from one person to another
• Some infectious diseases like AIDS are fatal
• Non-infectious diseases


  Diseases not transmitted from person to person
• Cancer is a major cause of death among non-infectious diseases
• Drug and alcohol abuse affect health adversely
• Pathogens


  • Bacteria
  • Viruses
  • Fungi
  • Protozoans
  • Helminths
• Pathogens


  Organisms that cause diseases in humans
• Salmonella typhi is a pathogenic bacterium which causes typhoid fever in human beings
• Typhoid fever could be confirmed by Widal test
• Symptoms of typhoid fever include sustained high fever, weakness, stomach pain, constipation, headache, and loss of appetite
• Intestinal perforation and death may occur in severe cases of typhoid fever
• Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae

  Bacteria responsible for pneumonia in humans
• Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, chills, cough, and headache
• In severe cases of pneumonia, lips and fingernails may turn gray to bluish in color
• Rhino viruses cause the common cold
• The common cold is characterised by nasal congestion, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, headache, and tiredness
• The common cold usually lasts for 3-7 days
• Plasmodium


  Protozoan responsible for malaria