Human health and disease
“Human Health and Disease” is a broad topic that encompasses various aspects of human well-being, the factors influencing health, the understanding of diseases, their prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management. Here, we’ll cover an overview of these aspects:
- Health and Wellness:
- Health refers to a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Wellness is an active process of becoming aware and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.
- Factors Influencing Health:
- Determinants of health include individual behaviors, genetics, social and economic factors, physical environment, and access to healthcare. Lifestyle choices, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and avoiding harmful substances significantly impact health.
- Disease and Its Types:
- Disease is a pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, environmental stress, lifestyle factors, or unknown etiology. Types of diseases include infectious, non-infectious, communicable, non-communicable, chronic, acute, genetic, lifestyle-related, and more.
- Infectious Diseases:
- Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and can spread from person to person. Common examples include influenza, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and COVID-19.
- Non-Infectious Diseases:
- Non-infectious diseases are not caused by microorganisms and typically result from factors such as genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and aging. Examples include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and mental health disorders.