Medical Professionals

Diseases are the archenemy of medical professionals everywhere. Whether the diseases are contracted genetically, infectiously, or developed, disease can affect any body at any time. A disease is a condition of an organism, out of the ordinary, that negatively affects bodily functions. Symptoms and signs are the common indicators.

Disease can be caused by external factors or internal dysfunctions. Infectious diseases are caused by external factors, usually from pathogenic microbial agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or prions. These different pathogens are responsible for causing diseases in animals and plants. Infectious diseases are called infectious because of their tendency to be highly contagious.

Internal dysfunctions, such as auto-immune diseases. An auto-immune disease is a disease cause by an overactive immune response of the body. Auto-immune disease causes the body to attack itself, and requires immunosuppression medication that decreases the immune response.

When specifically used regarding human beings, the word disease often refers to any condition that causes pain, distress, social problems, or death. In other words, diseases are harmful conditions to the body.

There are many terms that are strongly associated with diseases, whether that is a disorder, infection, or illness. The rest of this article will aim to list and define these different disease terms to, hopefully, clear up confusion or misuse.

1. Infection

The word infection is used when a disease is an abnormal condition that impairs normal function of the body. For example, infectious diseases are the most common type of infection. An infection is usually the result of a pathogenic agent such as a virus, bacteria, or other pathogen. Non-infectious diseases are all diseases that are not infectious. Cancer, heart disease, and genetic disease are good examples of diseases considered non-infectious.

2. Illness

The term illness, or sickness, is often referred to the patient’s experience of his or her disease. While it is often used interchangeably with disease, an illness does not necessarily require the presence of a disease. Conversely, a disease does not necessarily require the patient to be ill. A patient can feel ill, or sick, for a multitude of other reasons.

3. Disorder

Disorder is defined as an abnormality or disturbance in function. There are many different medical disorders, usually separated into the categories of: mental disorders, physical disorders, genetic disorders, and functional disorders. The word disorder is both less stigmatizing and broad than the word disease and, therefore, is used often.

4. Medical Condition

The term medical condition describes all diseases and disorders, and also includes injuries and normal health situations that affect a person’s overall health. It is the most broad term associated with disease, and can refer to almost anything. Often times, the term is used to describe all diseases and disorders that are not mental. The term “medical” can then be seen as the flip side of the term “mental.” It can also be used to describe the medical state of a patient.

5. Morbidity

Morbidity usually refers to poor health due to any cause. It describes the existence of disease or the degree that the condition affects the patient.

Zoonotic Diseases

There are many different types of diseases in the world, ranging from infectious disease to auto-immune disease. Diseases are defined as an abnormality or complication to an organism’s functionality. Also known as disorders, illnesses, or medical conditions, diseases can be debilitating problems that severely affect the quality of life for an individual.

One of these many types of diseases may be caused by man’s best friend, the dog. These types of diseases are called zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are defined as any disease of an animal that is transmitted to a human being. Any human that is in contact with an infected animal or disease carrier is susceptible to zoonotic disease.

Some humans are more susceptible to zoonotic diseases, for many different reasons. For example, small children have undeveloped immune systems and poor hygiene. Pregnant women and the elderly have weaker immune systems as well. Zoo workers, veterinarians, and others who deal with animals are more susceptible for obvious reasons.

Veterinarians, specifically, are the most responsible for information about zoonotic diseases. When owners bring their pets in for a check-up, it is the responsibility of the veterinarian to inform the owners about the possible spread of disease from their pets. They are not responsible for a diagnosis, however, and so you should, after recommendation of your veterinarian, see your general health doctor to see if you have contracted a zoonotic disease.

Zoonotic diseases have been around for a long time, dating back to the Bible and the Plague. There are many other diseases such as rabies, which has become infamous due to its fatality, even though as a disease, it is extremely rare. Ringworm and lyme disease can also be considered zoonotic diseases, caused by parasites. The rest of this article will list a few zoonotic diseases and their descriptions.

1. Plague

Plague is a very deadly zoonotic disease carried primarily by rodents (such as rats) spread to humans by fleas. It has historically been one of the most deadly diseases around the world. Stories of the bubonic plague and the many pandemics it caused have been well-noted throughout history. It is a quick killer, possibly being fatal within a week of infection. If untreated, the mortality rate is 100%.

2. Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacterium. Also known as TB, tuberculosis attacks all parts of the body, particularly the kidney, spine, and brain. It was once the leading cause of death in the United States, and is transmitted through the air.

3. Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a disease caused by bites and feces of rodents. It was once used as a potential biological weapon before it was scrapped. With an incubation time of 2-4 weeks in humans, hantavirus produces frightening symptoms. Such symptoms include fever, chills, explosive diarrhea, respiratory problems, and more seriously tachycardia and hypoxemia.

4. Cat Scratch Fever

Cat scratch fever is exactly what it sounds like. Often contracted through the bite or scratch of a cat and subsequent infection, cat scratch fever causes a swelling of lymph nodes, leading to fever, headache, and fatigue. 40% of cats carry the Bartonella henselae disease which causes cat scratch fever.

Infectious Disease

Everyone, at some point in their life, have experienced getting sick from another human being. Whether it was contracting chicken pox playing kickball in elementary school or kissing a significant other, it is not uncommon to contract an infectious disease from another person.

A disease is defined as an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, usually indicated by specific symptoms and signs. Infectious diseases, in particular, are caused by external factors such as viruses, bacteria, and other harmful pathogens. It may be as simple as the coughing of co-worker or carelessness in the hospital that can cause you to contract an infectious disease. These diseases range from the common cold to deadly sexually transmitted diseases.

Infectious diseases may seem like an omnipresent part of human life, but there are definitely steps that you can take to avoid contracting such infectious diseases. Being careful and conscious of your safety, along with knowing your surrounding environment can help you avoid contract an infectious disease. Your skin is the main defensive mechanism against infectious diseases, but some diseases will find other ways to enter your body.

The rest of this article will give you tips on how to avoid contracting infectious diseases. Follow these tips to change your behavior and avoid the spread and contraction of these diseases.

1. Wash your hands

To best way to avoid infectious disease is by constantly washing your hands. Harmful microbes can live on any surface up to several months. Think about how many different things you hands touch in the course of a day. If your eye suddenly itches, and you decide to scratch it, there is little difference between rubbing your cornea all over your germ-infested keyboard. Washing your hands should take no less than 20 seconds and should be followed with hand-drying. As a timer, sing “Happy Birthday” in your brain. When you finish the song, it’s safe to stop!

2. Avoid sharing hygienic items

For personal hygienic items such as toothbrushes, towels, razors, or handkerchiefs, it is smarter to avoid sharing with others. Harmful pathogens that cause disease can be living all over these items. Do whatever you can to keep these items to yourself, and avoid using others’ items as well.

3. Get vaccinated

Your immune system is designed to be more resistant to previous infections. If you do not feel like contracting a disease just to teach your immune system new tricks, getting a vaccination from your doctor can do it for you. Many vaccines will implant a mock microbe that teaches your immune system to enhance its defense against infectious diseases such as the flu.

4. Practice safe sex

Use condoms when having sex to avoid contracting and spreading sexually-transmitted diseases. It is just that simple. A sexually-transmitted disease is often permanent and life-changing. Avoid being careless and you can avoid contracting these diseases!

5. Do not pick your nose, eyes, ears, or mouth

Do not give the disease an open invitation to the most susceptible areas on your body! Microbes prefer the warmness and mucous of these body parts. Avoiding infectious disease includes using tissues and not dirty fingers to clean your sinuses!

fear of disease

Diseases can be a scary thought. Most people have an overpowering fear that affects the way that they function on a daily basis. The fear of contracting an infectious disease may cause panic in some people, especially when they hear about a foreign disease with fatal symptoms. Pathophobia, or the fear of disease, is just one of many different types of phobias, or fears, that people around the world experience on a daily basis. Disease is certainly frightening in its own right, as it is associated with illness and death.

Infectious disease can be caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, prions, or other pathogens, and can be contracted through something as simple as a cough from a stranger walking by. For that reason, many people will be fearful of infectious diseases in general.

Overcoming fears usually requires an honest, brave outlook on the fear inducing element. In this case, overcoming the fear of disease requires a few steps. The rest of this article will hopefully better inform you of a few steps that you can take to overcome your fear of disease.

1. Educate yourself

It is important to first realize that contracting a fatal disease is very rare. It usually requires an instance of bad luck or ignorance to contract a fatal disease. Your chances of contracting such diseases is much lower than you probably think. It may be hard to understand fully, so sit down with a paper and pencil and start writing a list. Write down the diseases you are afraid of, and how one contracts them. Research each disease so that you understand each disease and remove the element of mystery associated with the fear. Doing so can help you understand the reality of fatal diseases: they just are not that common.

2. Take a vacation

Stressful situations may increase fear levels, especially associated with disease. Talk with a travel agent or do online research to find a location where you can relax and not worry about diseases. Avoid a destination with significant health risks. Doing so can take your mind off of diseases and give you time to consider your fear of disease.

3. Consult with your doctor

Talking with a doctor can help you alleviate fear associated with disease. As it was with the first step, educating yourself can help you remove mystery associated with your fear, and who better to assist you in such a thing than a medical professional? Your doctor can help you understand the risks in your life and your chances of contracting certain diseases.

4. Contact a therapist

If consulting your doctor did not help your fear of diseases, you should consider seeing a therapist. Therapists focus on relieving fears such as yours, and will have the education and resources to help you overcome your fear of diseases. With your therapist, you can develop a relationship where you can share about your fears. If you focus on educating yourself about diseases, relaxing, and facing your fears, your fear of disease should be gone in a second!

Children

Disease can make a big impact on those who contract it. They can cause an impairment in the functioning of the body, and can even affect the mind. Auto-immune diseases can cause a body’s defense mechanism to fight against itself. Infectious diseases can be dangerous to the people around those afflicted with a disease, as many infectious diseases are highly contagious.

Keeping your child healthy can be the biggest responsibility of a new parent. It is not a simple task, however. Children have different bodies and significantly different immune systems than adults and, therefore, require different treatment. Pediatricians, or doctors who focus on children, must go through at least 3 additional years of schooling after graduating medical school to obtain a pediatric license. Hospitals do not have the right pediatric supplies to offer proper care for children, and so children’s hospitals exist. The specialized care that your child may need requires more effort on your part as a parent, as the child is also unable to take care of him or herself. It is important, then, that you educate yourself as a parent, in order to offer your child the best health care and ensure that he or she grows up to be the health adult that you are hoping for.

Certain diseases are more prone to affect children. In addition, some diseases affect children in different ways than they would in adults. Diseases in your child can be a very stressful thing, as their immune systems are often weaker, leaving them more susceptible to the symptoms that come with certain diseases.

The rest of this article will focus on a few common diseases in children. Each disease will be described in terms of symptoms, treatment, and incubation/infectious period.

1. Chicken Pox

Chicken pox may be the most infamous disease as a child. It is one of the most contagious diseases common in children, and causes symptoms of itchy red spots or blisters accompanied with a moderate fever. The disease of chicken pox gives the child a lifetime immunity, which is why each child can only have chicken pox once. For those who have experienced the disease already, there is no risk of contracting it again.

It is treated with a lotion to reduce itching, and occasionally antiviral medicine. The incubation period of the disease is usually 2-3 weeks after being exposed where children begin to show symptoms. Chicken pox is highly contagious beginning from the few days before the disease breaks out until up to 6 days after the itchy spots appear.

2. Whooping cough

Whooping cough disease is usually accompanied by long fits of coughing, wheezing, and vomiting. The best treatment available for whooping cough is fresh air. Control your child’s diet to avoid instigating additional vomiting. The disease’s incubation period begins 7 days after exposure and remains contagious for the firs week.

3. Scarlet fever

Symptoms of a scarlet fever include a slight to moderate fever, sore throat, and a rash. The child’s skin may peel and he or she may develop a coarse pink tongue. The child is severely uncomfortable during scarlet fever, and will require antibiotics to cure the disease. Scarlet fever’s symptoms show 3 to 8 days after being infected and is contagious for only the first few days following antibiotic treatment.

Diseases Are Affecting Citizens

Disease seems to be looming around every corner these days. If you turn on the television and watch any news channel or show, you are bound to hear about the latest diseases that are razing villages and kidnapping everyone’s children. It is important that you understand two things when you are listening, watching, or reading news media. The first is that the media exaggerates. If it was up to them, they would tell you that you and your family will be in immediate danger if you stop watching their programs at any time. The other thing is that disease does exist, and there are thousands of people being diagnosed every day. Just because the media sensationalizes things, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t some validity to what they are saying. Many people do not know this, but the number of people infected by diseases like rabies each year can usually be counted on one hand. Just so you know what disease is lurking around you, here are the most prevalent ones that are affecting people every day.

1. Cancer – As far as we know at this point, many forms of this disease are unpreventable. This doesn’t meant that there aren’t some forms that can be prevented. Diseases like lung cancer are caused primarily by smoking. A very large percentage of this disease is directly related to smoking cigarettes, yet people remain smoking as if it was going out of style. It’s depressing to see people suffering from diseases that are so easily preventable.

2. Heart Disease – The many different diseases that fall under this category have some type of preventative measures available. A healthy diet and exercise can help to prevent heart disease. High cholesterol is a cause of several heart related diseases, so staying away from junk food is a good idea if you want to keep your cholesterol down.

3. Hepatitis – There are several different types of this disease, but hepatitis is one of the more prevalent diseases in general. Several forms of this disease are vaccinated for during childhood. Hepatitis is one of several diseases that affect the liver, specifically causing inflamed cells in the liver’s tissues.

There are many diseases out there affecting people on a daily basis. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with these illnesses and know what you might be in store for at some point in the future. The media will provide you with informative stories, there is no doubt about that, but they also need ratings. A disease with a very small chance of occurring can be made to seem like Armageddon at times. If you make yourself aware of what’s around the corner, and then you take the proper precautions to attempt to prevent it, you are saving yourself a whole lot of trouble in the end. There are many legitimate resources that can be found on the web, so if you feel the urge, open up a search engine and help yourself become a centenarian.

Physical Activity

Everybody knows the usual benefits from being active. The main reasons why people choose to exercise these days is so they can burn energy and look better. Our society values healthy, trim bodies more, it is a fact. Studies have shown that overweight people on average make less money than their slim colleagues, and many also have admitted that they judge people at first glance based on their looks, and mainly their weight. Looking good in other people’s eyes is one reason to stay fit, but for those of you out there that are proud of your Buddha belly, there are some other reasons why you may want to shed some of those pounds. Being active helps protect the human body from a variety of different diseases. All around the board, it has been proven that having a healthy lifestyle will decrease your risk for diseases, which will in turn will prolong your life. Here are just a few of the diseases that some exercise will help to fend off.

1. Heart Disease – There are several diseases that fall under this term. Heart disease could mean that the heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body, it could mean that cholesterol has built up in the arteries and is interrupting bloodflow, and a variety of other diseases. The heart is like a muscle, and if you exercise, it will work that muscle out. A healthy heart will reduce the chance of heart disease.

2. Diabetes – There are a couple types of this disease. Type 1 diabetes is more likely to be genetic. Type 2 diabetes on the other hand, is regularly caused by obesity. This disease is causing a great deal of suffering, but many of the cases could have been prevented. It is always sad to see somebody needlessly suffering from diseases that they could have avoided.

3. High Blood Pressure – This is not a disease in itself, but it is the cause of several heart diseases. Medically known as hypertension, high blood pressure is one of the primary causes of both hypertensive heart disease and cardiovascular disease, just to name two.

4. Types of Cancer – Studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce the risks of both colon and breast cancer. It does not even need to be intense exercise, it can be recreational. Jogging, biking, swimming, and sports can all be enough to have some preventative effects on these diseases.

There are many more diseases that exercise can have a hand in preventing. Whether it is heart disease or a stubbed toe, if exercise can help you to better your health, then there is no reason not to put in the effort. More and more people are living until the age of 100, and that is because of all the research being done to provide us with information about how to live in a healthier way. Soon, disease can be a thing of the past.

Stop Smoking

Different heart diseases are claiming the lives of hundred of thousands of people every single year. Nearly half a million citizens in the United States alone die from coronaries annually. The most depressing part about these statistics is that these diseases are preventable, and it will not take much effort either. Little things that we can do (or not do) every day could mean the difference between life and death, and health and disease. What you have to ask yourself is, are those doughnuts really worth dying over? Here are some quick and easy tips for you to prevent yourself from falling to the strong grasp of any of the heart diseases.

1. Quit Smoking! – This can be very difficult to do because of nicotine’s extremely addictive properties, but it is vital if you want to prevent disease. That is why there is help out there for you to use, and it comes in many different forms. There is the nicotine patch which you wear on your body that slowly puts nicotine into your bloodstream, there is nicotine gum that has the same use but is chewed instead of worn, and then there are advice hotlines too. You can call these toll-free numbers any time you have a craving and they will help you to stay away from cigarettes, which will then help you prevent heart disease. Addiction itself is one of the horrible diseases you should be worried about, but it is important that you take steps to curb your addiction. Heart disease rates increase significantly for smokers.

2. Exercise – Your heart is essentially a muscle, and like the other muscles in your body, it needs a workout to stay healthy and free from diseases. Exercising will not only make your heart stronger but it will also increase bloodflow throughout your body and can increase the amount of oxygen in your blood as well. Some heart diseases are caused by an insufficient amount of blood being pumped from the heart, but exercise can help to keep that from happening.

3. Diet – This is a very important factor to address. Heart diseases are more prevalent in the United States by more than four times the amount as the United Kingdom. It is no coincidence that Americans also have abnormally high rates of obesity and heart disease. Saturated fats and cholesterol filled foods need to be thrown right into the garbage. High cholesterol is a cause of nearly every heart disease that exists. Replace the junk with highly nutritious foods and you will see your chance of getting one of the heart diseases plummet. Just like nicotine addiction can be a disease, food addiction can be a disease as well. That is why diet needs to be controlled.

Heart diseases can still be looming, but following these simple rules will reduce the risks of these diseases significantly. Just keep in mind that heart disease is preventable every time you hit a wall.

Heart Disease

Many people refer to heart disease as though it were a specific illness. The fact is, many different diseases fall under the term ‘heart disease’. The only common factor between these diseases is that they happen to involve the heart. The heart diseases that fall under this umbrella can be very serious, and are frequently fatal. Here are some of the diseases that are included in the term ‘heart disease’ so that you can become more familiar with them.

1. Coronary Heart Disease – Nearly half a million Americans die from this every year. This is when plaque builds up inside the arteries, obstructing proper circulation to the cardiac muscle. This will cause chest pain and then usually heart attacks in the sufferer. Compared to other nations, the number of cases involving coronaries is shockingly high. In the United Kingdom, citizens suffer from coronaries almost a fourth of the amount in the United States. This may directly correlate to the number of overweight and obese individuals in both countries.

2. Cardiomyopathy – This is actually an umbrella term itself and encompasses a number of diseases. Falling under this term are alcoholic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy. Those that have been diagnosed with one of the diseases that fall under cardiomyopathy are at risk of weakness of the heart, irregular heartbeat, and sudden cardiac death.

3. Cardiovascular Disease – This is yet another term that encompasses a number of diseases. These diseases that are considered cardiovascular mainly affect the veins and arteries, and all other parts of the blood vessel system. It is believed that the main causes are diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

4. Ischaemic Heart Disease – This condition is characterized by a lack of blood flowing to the heart itself. The causes are similar to the other heart diseases, they include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, but chances are also increased due to old age and smoking. This can cause chest pain and heart failure if not treated. Treatments for this condition are antianginal drugs, exercise, and a healthy diet. Also the intake of cholesterol should be lowered and smokers should quit immediately.

5. Congestive Cardiac Failure – Cardiac failure occurs when the heart is unable to either fill with blood or pump it throughout the body. Many of the other diseases listed are attributed as causes to cardiac failure. The symptoms that come along with this illness include shortness of breath, swelling, and coughing. The symptoms that somebody with cardiac failure experiences will differ depending on whether the left or right ventricle has been affected. The majority of heart failures are due to Ischaemic heart issues, with smoking being a far second.

Heart disease could mean any one of these things and many of them come with completely different causes and symptoms. It is important to know the difference so that each situation can be handled accordingly.

Diseases

There is always at least one disease that wreaks havoc on the human population. For our generation, the diseases that we need to worry about most are the various forms of cancer and the AIDS virus, but in the past, many diseases have come and gone. Scientists and health researchers work around the clock on all parts of the globe trying to cure disease, and it has been done several times before. For you younger ones out there, it may seem like the disease that you see around you and read about at school will be around forever, but thankfully that is not true. Our species is making huge medical advances, as well as using smarter techniques, such as quarantines to prevent the spread of disease. Here are some of the diseases that have been eradicated in the past in different parts of the world, after causing the human race to suffer for many years.

1. Poliomyelitis – Informally referred to as polio, was a viral disease that was first recognized in 1840. Polio affected many children during the 19th century and was one of the most feared diseases at the time. It caused several people to become crippled, most famously or paralyzed. The most famous case was one of our very own United States presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who lost the use of his legs because of the disease. A vaccine was finally developed in 1952 by Jonas Salk, followed by an attempt to eradicate the disease around the world. The only countries that still suffer from polio are Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

2. Smallpox – Another of the diseases that has faced eradication. Thought to be one of the oldest diseases, smallpox surfaced somewhere around the year of 10,000 B.C., and did some heavy damage since then. In the eighteenth century, smallpox was responsible for the deaths of five European royal figures and also an estimated 400,000 deaths per year. In the nineteenth century, nearly over 300 million deaths were attributed to the disease. Luckily, during the 18 and 1900′s there was a large amount of the vaccine to go around, and it was officially considered eradicated in 1979.

3. Bubonic plague – The grand daddy of horrible diseases. The plague, also referred to as the “Black Death”, was responsible for the deaths of over one-third of the entire European population in the 1400′s. Diseases usually claim plenty of lives, but in this case, the entire continent of Europe may have been minus humans. Four out of five people that contracted this disease were dead within eight days. Afterward, the plague resurfaced in China and India during the 1800′s killing millions of citizens. These days, there are several types of antibiotics that can deal with diseases like the plague sufficiently.

These are just a few that have been (for the most part) eradicated, but it seems like every time a disease is dealt with, another one takes its place.