Overview of Medicine and Disease

• Medicine encompasses practices that aim to maintain and restore health via prevention and treatment of illness.
• Disease is any condition impairing an organism's normal function.

Fields of Medicine

• Cardiology focuses on heart and blood vessel disorders.
• Dermatology addresses skin conditions.
• Endocrinology deals with the endocrine system and its hormones.
• Gastroenterology studies the digestive system and its diseases.
• Hematology focuses on blood and blood disorders.
• Neurology involves the nervous system.
• Oncology specializes in cancer.
• Pediatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with children.
• Psychiatry studies, diagnoses, prevents, and treats mental disorders.
• Pulmonology specializes in the respiratory system.
• Rheumatology is devoted to joint diseases and autoimmune conditions.
• Urology focuses on the urinary tract and the male reproductive system.

Disease Classification

• Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
• Genetic diseases result from gene or chromosome abnormalities.
• Environmental diseases result from exposure to harmful environmental substances.
• Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions that often cannot be completely cured, such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system attacks its tissues.

Diagnostic Methods

• Physical exams involve a doctor's observation and assessment of a patient's body.
• Imaging techniques like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs provide visual representations of internal body structures.
• Blood tests analyze blood samples to detect abnormalities.
• Biopsies involve removing tissue samples for laboratory examination.
• Endoscopies use cameras to view internal organs.

Treatment Approaches

• Pharmacotherapy uses medications to manage or cure diseases.
• Surgery involves physical intervention to repair or remove damaged tissues or organs.
• Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
• Physical therapy helps patients recover movement and manage pain through exercise and rehabilitation.
• Psychotherapy treats mental disorders through counseling and therapy techniques.

Preventive Medicine

• Vaccinations prevent infectious diseases by stimulating the immune system.
• Screening programs detect diseases early, when they are more treatable.
• Lifestyle modifications, like diet and exercise, can prevent chronic diseases.
• Public health initiatives aim to improve community health through education and policy.

Pharmacology

• Pharmacokinetics describes how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs.
• Pharmacodynamics studies the effects of drugs on the body at cellular and molecular levels.
• Drug interactions occur when one drug affects the action of another drug.
• Adverse drug reactions are unintended and harmful drug effects.

Immunology

• The immune system protects the body against pathogens and foreign substances.
• Innate immunity provides immediate, non-specific defense.
• Adaptive immunity develops over time and targets specific pathogens.
• Antibodies are proteins that recognize and bind to antigens.
• Vaccines stimulate the immune system to develop immunity to specific diseases.

Medical Ethics

• Beneficence involves acting in the patient's best interest.
• Non-maleficence means "do no harm".
• Autonomy respects the patient's right to make their own decisions.
• Justice ensures fair and equitable treatment for all patients.

Epidemiology

• Epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations.
• Incidence measures the number of new cases of a disease in a population over time.
• Prevalence measures the total number of cases of a disease in a population at a particular time.
• Risk factors are factors that increase the likelihood of developing a disease.

Public Health

• Public health focuses on preventing disease and promoting community health.
• Sanitation involves maintaining clean and safe environments.
• Health education provides information to help people make healthy choices.
• Disease surveillance monitors the spread of diseases in populations.
• Public health policies aim to improve community health through regulations and interventions.

Developments in Medicine

• Gene therapy involves altering a patient's genes to treat or prevent disease.
• Immunotherapy harnesses the immune system to fight cancer.
• Personalized medicine tailors treatment to an individual's genetic profile.
• Minimally invasive surgery uses small incisions and advanced technology to reduce pain and recovery time.
• Telemedicine uses technology to provide healthcare remotely.