Introduction of health

• Health State of perfect functioning of body and mind, unhindered by diseases.

• Disease. Malfunctioning of the organism or a part of it.( Due to infection, inherent weakness or environmental stress that upsets the normal physiological functioning of the organism.

Lifestyle andHabits

Surroundings

Diet & Nutrition

Health

• Rely heavily on convenience or manufactured foods.(Do not support good health).

• Eat not enough vegetables and fruits.

• Consume an extremely high amount of fat, animal products, and refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar.

THE HUMAN BODY IS MEANT TO

BE ACTIVE MOST OF THE TIME.

• Average people watch about 6 hours of television per day.

• Physical movement and exercise are necessary for the lymphatic system to operate properly.

• Bad habits like smoking excessive alcohol and drugs with some times irreversible damage is.

• Surroundings play an important role in our health & life.

• Stagnant water and garbage pits in our surroundings lead to spread of dangerous diseases like malaria ,chickun guinea etc.

Illness : Reasons

• Lack of nutrition.• Polluted water.• Unhygienic surroundings.• Polluted air.

Types OF Diseases

Communicable diseases

(Infectious)  Non-communicable diseases

(Non-infectious)  

Communicable Diseases . Caused by the entry and

development of living organisms such as virus, bacteria, protozoan, worms or fungi into the body.

. The organism causing the disease may be transmitted from one person to another by means of air, water, food, physical contact or insects (vectors).

EXAMPLES : communicable diseases ( symptoms, preventions and control)

Malaria

This insect-borne disease is caused by a parasitic protozoan, plasmodium

Transmitted from person to person by the bite of an insect vector, the female anopheles mosquito. Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases.

Quinine which is an extract from the cinchona tree is used to manufacture chloroquinine. This is the drug for the treatment of malaria.

Symptoms • High fever, headache, body ache,

nausea and violent shivering (rigours).

• Each malarial attack lasts for 6-10 hours and consists of the cold stage (shivering), hot stage (fever) and sweating stage (temperature goes down to normal).

• The fever is repeated on the third or fourth day. This leads to general weakness in the patient.

Prevention • Use wire mesh on doors and windows to

prevent entry of mosquitoes into the house  

• Use mosquito repellents to prevent mosquito bites

• Spray kerosene on stagnant water bodies or introduce fishes that feed on mosquito larva

• Do not allow rain water to collect and stagnate in the garden

Influenza (flu)

• This is an air borne disease caused by a virus called myxovirus influenzae.

• Being viral there is no known control for influenza. Fortunately it is self limiting. Relief can be given to the patient by administering a paracetemol (like crocin) but this by itself it is not a cure.

Symptoms

Running nose, sneezing, coughing, body ache and fever are some of the symptoms of this disease.

Prevention Avoid physical contact with patients

suffering with flu.

Jaundice (Hepatitis)

Jaundice is the disease that effects the liver which is caused by viral infection. The types of hepatitis are A, B, C, D, E and G.

Symptoms • There is loss of appetite, eyes and

skin turn yellow.• Urine is dark yellow and stools are

light yellow.• The other symptoms are headache,

temperature and pain in the joints.

Prevention 

Use potable water that is chlorinated, boiled, filtered and ozonised 

Prevent infection through physical contact by washing hands thoroughly after handling any article used by the patient 

Hepatitis-B vaccine should be taken to prevent the disease 

Rabies (Hydrophobia)

• The patient develops severe headache, high fever, painful contractions of the throat muscles and chest.

• Hydrophobia (fear of water) sets in as the virus selectively attacks the brain i.e., the nervous system.

• Damage to the central nervous system causes paralysis and painful death.

Prevention  Wash the wound with carbolic soap, and clean water without delay soon after the bite.

Apply an antiseptic and consult the doctor for anti rabies vaccine. 

Pet dogs or cats should be immunized by getting them vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine 

A rabid dog can be easily identified because it will show excessive salivation and try to seek isolation after biting.

Non-communicable Diseases

• Diseases which do not spread from an infectious person to a healthy person.

• These are non-infectious diseases e.g., diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

• Many non-communicable diseases are caused by nutritional deficiency.

Nutritional Disorders

• For the healthy growth of the individual, a nourishing, well balanced diet is required.

• A diet with nutrients in the right proportion ensures proper growth and development of both body and mind.

• If the nutrients are inadequate or not in the right proportion nutritional disorders may occur.

Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM)

Protein energy malnutrition leads to two types of diseases. 

• Marasmus  • Kwashiorkor

Marasmus• This is due to protein deficiency and not food calories intake.

• In developing countries like India it is common in infants below one year of age.

• The common factor may be due to early replacement of mother's milk by other foods of low protein and calorific value. This may happen if the mother has a second pregnancy when the older infant is still too young.

Symptoms  As the stored fats and tissue proteins are used up for the production of energy, the infant develops a shriveled look  

Ribs become prominent and limbs become very thin as the fat layer beneath the skin disappears 

Retarded physical and mental growth 

Severe diarrhoea and other digestive disorders

Prevention / Control A protein rich diet such as a combination of wheat, gram, peanut, soyabean and jaggery or a diet with animal protein like mutton, chicken and fish, will help the patient to return back to health. 

Kwashiorkor Children between 1-3 years of age must consume 1g protein/kg body weight. If they consume below this quantity they can suffer from this protein deficiency disease.

Symptoms Growth is stunted, appetite is poor 

Stomach gets distended 

The eyes are bulging 

The patient develops match stick legs- legs become thin, long and curved

  Skin may become dark and start peeling off and hair may become dull and loose its lusture  

Prevention / Control  By including food rich in protein into the diet, the disease can be cured. Wheat, gram, peanut, soyabean and jaggery are recommended.  

Mineral Deficiency• Minerals are elements which are required by the body in small quantities along with food.

• They regulate various metabolic functions in our body. 

Anaemia• Iron deficiency causes Anaemia.

• Iron is required by the body to form the protein haemoglobin present in the red blood cells in our body.

• The main function of haemoglobin is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the various parts of the body. 

SymptomsPatients suffering from anaemia become pale, lose appetite and feel exhausted.

 Prevention / Control • The diet should be supplemented with liver, egg, molasses, cereal, pulses, leafy vegetables, brinjal, apple, banana, and guava which are rich in iron.

• The daily requirement of iron is 25mg. Care should be taken to maintain this level by including vegetables and fruit rich in iron.  

GoitreIodine deficiency leads to this disease. Iodine is essential for the body in very small quantities for the preparation of thyroid hormone thyroxine.

Symptoms  • Iodine deficiency causes abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland which is situated in the neck region.

• In childhood, iodine deficiency causes reduced thyroid functioning which results in retarded physical and mental growth. 

Prevention / Control • The government has made it mandatory to iodise the salt consumed by the public.

• Besides sea food, green leafy vegetables etc are rich in iodine and if included generously in the diet will restore the normal functioning of the gland.  

Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins are organic compounds which are taken along with food in small quantities. They are essential for life as they are responsible for certain metabolic activities in the body.

Vitamins are of two kindsWater Soluble  (A and C vitamins) Fat soluble (B and D vitamins)

Xerophthalmia 

This disease is caused by vitamin A deficiency. 

Symptoms•  In a mild form this disease causes night blindness. i.e., difficulty to see in a dim light.

• In severe cases it may lead to permanent blindness.

• The symptoms are non functioning of lachrymal glands, dryness, Keratinisation of conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes.  

Prevention and Control

 Fish, cod liver oil, milk, butter, carrots, tomato, green leafy vegetables, papaya, guava, yellow fruits containing carotene and vegetables such as pumpkin are rich in vitamin A and if included in the diet will help prevent or control the disease.

RicketsThis disease is caused by vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is synthesized naturally in the presence of sunlight. 

Symptoms • Deficiency of vitamin D leads to loss of Ca++ in the urine. Due to this, no Ca++ gets deposited in the bone. The result is deformities in the bones of the legs and ribs.

• This condition is called rickets and occurs in children. The patient has restricted movement of the limbs and the ribs get pigeon chested.

• A condition called knock knee may also occur. In adults vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalcia. This disease occurs in people who live in conditions where there is no exposure to sunlight.

Prevention / Control Cod liver oil, fish, milk are rich in vitamin D. If included in the diet, it prevents the disease and / or controls it.     

I take this opportunity to request you all to take small precautions which can prevent the spread of harmful and infectious diseases killing hundreds of innocent people .

I also recommend to think of poor and needy people before splurging money on useless things and instead donate the same either for their treatment or food for them.