INTRODUCTION

Health can be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.

Health is affected by three factors-

• Genetic disorders- Disorders which the child inherits from parents from birth.
• Infections- Caused due to pathogens.
• Life style- Includes the habits that we have or lack such as intake of food and water, rest and exercise which we give to our body etc.
• When People are healthy they are more efficient to work which increases productivity and brings economic prosperity.

The factors which are responsible for maintaining good health are-

• Balanced diet- the diet which contains all kinds of essential nutrients in a proportionate manner.
• Personal hygiene.
• Regular exercise, meditation, yoga.

Aspects which are needed to be added to achieve good health are-

• Awareness about diseases.
• Proper disposal of wastes.
• Control of vectors.
• Maintenance of hygiene.

DISEASES

• The conditions in which one or more organs of the body are not working properly, characterized by various signs and symptoms are called diseases.
• The organisms which cause diseases are called pathogens

Diseases can be classified into two types-

Infectious diseases: Infectious diseases are those which are transmitted from an infected person to another healthy person.

Viral and bacterial infections are the most common causes of infectious disease. However, fungi and one-celled organisms called protozoa can also be responsible.

Non- infectious diseases: Non-infectious diseases are those which are not transmitted from an infected person to another person.

• Bacterial diseases – caused by bacteria
• Fungal diseases – causes by fungi.
• Viral diseases – caused by virus.
• Protozoan diseases- caused by protozoan.
• Helminth diseases – caused by helminth.

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Typhoid

Caused by Salmonella typhi.

Affects small intestine and then migrates to other parts of the body through blood.

Transmitted by contaminated food and water.

Symptoms- Sustained high fever (39° to 40°C), weakness, stomach pain, constipation, headache and loss of appetite, intestinal perforation and death may occur in severe cases.

Pneumonia

• Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and
• Affects alveoli of lungs.
• Transmitted by dropelts released by infected person, sharing glasses and utensils.
• Common symptoms are fever, chills, cough and headache and in severe cases lips and finger nails turn gray to bluish colour.
  

  VIRAL DISEASE

  Common cold

• ➤ Caused by Rhino virus.
  ➤ Affects nose and respiratory organs.
  ➤ Transmitted by direct inhalation of droplets from cough and sneeze of infected person, through contaminated objects like pen, books, cups etc.
  ➤ Nasal congestion and discharge, sore throat, hoarseness, cough are common symptoms

DENGUE FEVER

It is caused by flavivyrus-

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood. It can’t be spread directly from one person to another person.

There is no vaccine or any specific medicine to treant dengue, people who have dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

• Sudden, high fever
• Severe headaches
• Pain behind the eyes
• Severe joint and muscle pain
• Vomiting
• Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of fever
• Mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)

Chikungunya

• It is caused by an alphavirus called chikungunya virus, It generally spread through bites from A.aegypti mosquitoes.
• Symptoms usually begin 3-7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
• The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.
• Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
• Chikungunya disease does not often result in death, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling. There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus.

Treat the symptoms:

➤Get plenty of rest.
➤ Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.