Health, Disease, and Illness

Health

• A state of complete accord with surroundings
• There is a range of 'normality' in health, including height, weight, and chemical composition of blood and tissues

Disease

• The opposite of health
• Loss of comfort to the body
• An interruption, cessation, or disorder of a body system or organ structure
• A deviation from the normal structure or function of any part, organ, or system of the body
• Not absolute, but relative to health

Illness

• The reaction of an individual to disease
• Characterized by symptoms (complaints of the patient) and physical signs (elicited by the physician)

Disease vs. Illness

• Disease usually causes illness
• Possible to have a disease without illness, such as Cardiac disease
• Possible to experience an illness without a diagnosed disease, such as Chronic pain

Disease & Illness

• The study of disease is called pathology
• The management of illness occurs in wards and clinics
• Syndromes (meaning running together) are combinations of symptoms caused by altered physiological processes

Pathology

• Focuses on pathological processes with a defined set of signs and symptoms
• Involves the whole body or any of its parts
• Health is a complete state of physical, mental, and social well being

Terminology In Pathology

• Patient: The person affected by disease
• Lesion: Characteristic changes in tissues and cells produced by disease
• Pathologic changes or morphology: Examination of diseased tissues
• Etiology: Causal factors responsible for lesions, including microorganisms, environmental factors, social factors, and personal habits
• Pathogenesis: Mechanism by which lesions are produced, including disrupted homeostasis, damage and anti-damage processes, and reversal of role between cause and result
• Symptoms: Functional implications of the lesion felt by the patient
• Signs: Observable or measurable traits discovered by the clinician
• Diagnosis: Identification of the specific disease
• Therapy: Treatment of the disease to either effect a cure or reduce symptoms
• Prognosis: Prediction of a disease's outcome

Etiological factors

• Extrinsic factors:
  • Biological agents: Bacteria, viruses, parasites
  • Chemical agents: Toxins, pollutants
  • Physical agents: Radiation, trauma
  • Nutritional imbalances: Deficiencies, excesses
• Intrinsic factors:
  • Genetic factors: Inherited predispositions
  • Congenital factors: Abnormalities present at birth
  • Immunological factors: Impaired immune function
  • Psychological factors: Stress, anxiety

Categories of Etiology

• Genetic disease: Result of genes responsible for a structural or functional defect
• Congenital disease: Genetic information is intact, but the intrauterine environment interferes with normal development
• Acquired disease: Disease is caused by factors encountered after birth (biological agents, physical forces, and chemical agents)

Etiological factors

• Predisposing factors: Increase the susceptibility to disease
  • Genetic constitution: Inherited predispositions
  • Physiological diathesis (stress): State of susceptibility to disease due to stress
  • Psychological characteristics: Personality traits that may increase risk
• Precipitating factors: Trigger the onset of disease
  • Natural conditions: Exposure to pathogens, climate changes
  • Physical condition: Trauma, surgery
  • Social condition: Poverty, lack of access to healthcare

Clinical Manifestations

• Symptoms: Unobservable effects of a disease reported by the patient
• Signs: Observable or measurable traits
• Syndrome: A characteristic combination of signs and symptoms associated with a specific disease

Pathogenesis

• The sequence of events in the development of a disease

Terminology in Pathology

• Sequelae: Lesions or impairments resulting from a disease
• Acute conditions: Rapid onset, develop quickly and are usually of short duration
• Chronic conditions: Longer duration, onset may be sudden or insidious

Distribution of lesions

• Local: Confined to one area of the body
• Systemic: Widely distributed throughout the body
• Focal: One or more distinct sites of damage within an organ
• Diffuse: Damage is uniformly distributed within an organ

### Pathophysiology

• Study of abnormal functioning of diseased organs and how it applies to medical treatment and patient care
• Focuses on functional and metabolic alterations and mechanisms
• Also known as: Physiopathology, Physiology of Disease, Physiology of Disordered Function

Why is Pathophysiology important?

• Bridges between basic sciences and diseases
• Helps students, physicians, and other medical practitioners understand how diseases develop, clinical manifestations appear, and the fundamental mechanisms involved.
• Enhances the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of diseases.
• Provides a foundation for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Etiology

• The study of causative agents, including microorganisms, environmental, social factors, and personal habits
• When the etiology is unknown, the disease is called idiopathic.

This quiz explores the concepts of health, disease, and illness, highlighting their definitions, distinctions, and interrelations. It examines how normality in health is defined, the nature of disease, and the individual experience of illness. Understanding these terms is crucial for better comprehension of medical sciences and patient care.