Concepts of Health and Disease

Concept and Perceptions of Health, Illness, and Disease/Healing Systems

• Objectives: Students will be able to describe health, illness, and disease concepts. They will also discuss how social behavior affects health and disease.

Definitions

• Disease: A medical condition marked by pathological abnormality, indicated by signs and symptoms. Recovery is often difficult and chronic. Examples include diabetes mellitus (DM) and myocardial infarction (MI).
• Illness: Primarily a person's feeling of pain, discomfort, and similar sensations. It's possible to feel ill without having a disease, or to have a disease without feeling ill. Examples reflect easily treated/recoverable conditions like the flu. A prognosis is part of the medical definition too.

Classification of Disease

• Acute Disease: Illnesses striking suddenly, leading to significant incapacitation or sometimes death. Short duration. Examples include the common cold (OM) and appendicitis.
• Chronic Disease: Long-term or lifelong illnesses developing gradually (or present from birth,]). Chronic disease treatments are typically more expensive due to the duration of the condition. Examples include diabetes mellitus (DM) and myocardial infarction (MI).

Etiology of Disease

• Biological Agents: Viruses, bacteria, and fungi
• Physical Agents: Heat, cold, humidity
• Genetically Transmitted Diseases
• Stress

Characteristic of Being Healthy

• Complete Well-being: Physical, mental, and social well-being
• Maintaining Normal Roles: Ability to maintain normal roles as a function of a healthy lifestyle.
• Adapting to Environment: Process of adapting to physical and social environments
• Striving for Wellness: Active pursuit of optimal wellness
• Individual Definition: Variation in the definition of health across individuals

Impact of Illness on the Client

• Lifestyle Changes: Alterations in daily habits, diet, activity, and sleep
• Changes in Body Image: Perceptions of one's body size, appearance, and functioning can be affected dramatically. Scarring, loss of body parts and/or crippling.
• Changes in Self-Concept: Individuals' thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about their own value and worth are impacted by illness.
• Loss of Autonomy: Loss of independence, self-direction, and control over one's life due to illness. This may be related to a disruption in social interactions, financial hardships or other factors
• Financial Demands: Economic strain associated with illness
• Nature, Severity, and Duration: The type, intensity, and length of an illness will hugely impact the client

Impact of Illness on the Family

• Illness Involvement: Illness affects not just the individual, but also family members and significant others
• Family Member Illness: The health of the ill family member greatly impacts all aspects of family functioning:
• Severity and Length of Illness: The seriousness and duration of illness influence the level of family impact and resource demands.
• Cultural and Social Customs: Family's traditions and societal norms affect how illness is handled and coping mechanisms utilized

Impact of Illness on the Family Continued

• Role Changes: Shifting responsibilities and expectations within the family dynamic.
• Increased Time Demands: Family members often invest increased time and energy in caring for the ill person.
• Anxiety About Outcomes: Concerns regarding the future health and well-being of the ill family member.
• Conflict About Responsibilities: Potential conflicts between family members regarding tasks and caretaking responsibilities.
• Financial Problems: Strain on family finances.
• Loneliness: Emotional isolation due to the circumstances.
• Change in Social Customs: Adjustment to new norms and customs.

Nursing Interventions

• Explanations about Adjustments: Providing clear information about necessary adjustments for the illness.
• Lifestyle Accommodations: Helping to create the best possible lifestyle arrangement for the patient and family.
• Health Professional Awareness: Ensuring other health professionals are aware of changes and providing support.
• Reinforcing Positive Change: Promoting appropriate behaviors relating to successful recovery

Well-being and Wellness

• Well-being: Subjective experience of a good and satisfactory existence; personal abilities, harmony, and vitality.
• Wellness: Active, seven-dimensional process of awareness, choice-making towards a higher level of well-being.

Dimensions of Wellness

• Physical: Ability to carry out daily tasks, maintain fitness, nutrition, and avoid substance abuse.
• Social: Effective interaction with people and the environment, developing intimacy, tolerance for differing opinions.
• Intellectual: Learning, using information, engaging in continuous growth.
• Emotional: Managing stress, expressing emotions appropriately.
• Environmental: Promoting health by improving standards of living and quality of life
• Occupational: Achieving balance between work and leisure, satisfaction with work, contributing to illness outcomes.
• Spiritual: Belief in higher power or purpose, moral values and ethics.

Explore the various concepts of health, illness, and disease in this quiz. Discover how social behaviors influence health outcomes while differentiating between acute and chronic conditions. Test your understanding of critical definitions and classifications in the field of health.