Health

Health refers to a condition of comprehensive wellness that encompasses various aspects, including physical, mental, and social well-being, surpassing the absence of sickness or frailty.

Disease Categories

Insufficiency/Deficiency Diseases

Insufficiency diseases manifest when there is an inadequate supply of essential minerals, nutrients, or vitamins. Examples include Night Blindness (Xeropthalmia) due to a lack of Vitamin A, Scurvy resulting from insufficient Vitamin C, and Rickets caused by a scarcity of phosphorus.

Physiological Diseases

Physiological diseases manifest when an organ fails to function properly. Examples comprise Diabetes (impaired pancreatic function) and Kidney Failure.

Pathological/Infectious Diseases

Pathological/infectious diseases arise due to various pathogens. Pathogens consist of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa (such as plasmodium causing Malaria), as well as fungal infections like Ringworm.

Hereditary Diseases

Hereditary diseases are inherited from parents to offspring. These conditions are transmitted through DNA carried in chromosomes. Exemplary cases include Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Anemia.

Question: How does the treatment of Anemia differ from Sickle Cell Anemia?

Anemia is classified as a deficiency disease and can be addressed by rectifying the specific deficiency of minerals or vitamins, such as augmenting iron intake. Conversely, Sickle Cell Anemia is a hereditary disease necessitating alterations to the DNA, making treatment substantially challenging.

Infectious Diseases/ Communicable Diseases

Infectious diseases are capable of spreading from one individual to another. The transmission can occur either through direct contact or via pathogens. Various pathogenic and infectious diseases fall under this category.

Noncommunicable Diseases

Noncommunicable diseases do not have the ability to be transmitted between people. These conditions do not originate from pathogens. Examples of noncommunicable diseases encompass mental health disorders, lifestyle disorders like diabetes, lung and throat cancer, inherited disorders, nutritional diseases, degenerative diseases such as arthritis and dementia, as well as heart disease.

Josiah Renne (PC)