1 Why do we fall ill?

INTRODUCION:
In any living body, there be any defect or abnormal functioning of the body systems occurs. A person should have health for
his/her energetic and happy life.
In this chapter, we will study about health, its failures, disease, its causes, its types, infectious disease, how it spreads,
preventions, manifestation and treatment etc.

HEALTH
It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It increases the longevity (life-span) of a person and also
increases the rate of body functioning.
Definition of Health by W.H.O.: World Health Organization also defined health as a state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of any disease.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH:
1. Social and physical environment.
2. Public cleanliness.
3. Good economic condition and job
4. Social equality and harmony.
ADVANTAGES OF HEALTH:
1. A person with good health will be energetic and able to do his work effectively.
2. A healthy person will be able to live a happy and cheerful life.
TYPES OF HEALTH:
1. Personal Health- This included the health of an organism personally. Cleanliness of body organs, exercise, rest or
sleep, clothes, balanced diet, medical checkup etc are some of the principles of personal health.
2. Community Health- This includes he protection and improvement of health of all over the community. It is not personal
for an individual.
Measures to maintain community health:
a. Providing health education.
b. Establishment of health care centers.
c. Maintenance of proper sanitation.
d. Regular vaccination etc.
e. Proper disposal of garbage.
f. Safe drinking water.
g. Prevention of food adulteration.

HEALTHY: A person is healthy is healthy, when he has the following conditions;

1. Physically fit.
2. Proper diet.
3. Peaceful and hygienic environment.
4. No physical deformity.
5. No hereditary defect (defect passed to them from their parents).
6. No tension, depression or any mental problem.
**These are the conditions essential for good health.

DISEASE-FREE: If we call a person disease-free, we are saying only about his physical and mental well- being. No
matter about his social or environment well-being.

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Differentiate between Healthy and Disease-free

Healthy

Disease-free

State of physical, mental and social well-being.

Healthy person is always disease-free.

When we think about health, we think about an

individual, societies and community.

State of physical and mental well-being.

He is only free from disease, may or may not be

healthy.

When we think about disease, we think about

individual sufferers only.

DISEASE
{Dis-ease = disturbed ease}
Disease is an abnormal condition of an organism or a body part leading discomfort. In other words, it is a state of
departure from good health. Any variation in the body functioning could mean disease.
Definition- Any condition which interferes with the normal functioning of the body and causes disorder of
body and mind is called disease.
All activities carried by an organism are interconnected to one another. If one system is in an abnormal state or
condition, it also affects other systems or other organs, leading to abnormalities in the body.

SYMPTOMS: The change in the functioning or appearance of a body that indicates that there is a disease in the
body, such indicators are called Symptoms.

SIGNS: The definite indications of the presence of a particular disease are known as Signs of that disease.

Differentiate between Symptoms and Signs

Symptoms

Signs

It indicates there may be a disease in the body.

Symptoms of disease are the things which we as being
wrong.

It indicates the presence of a particular disease.

Confirms what type of disease it is.

Common for many diseases.

Specific for a particular disease.

For example; fever, cough, pus-filled worm, etc may be

the symptoms of some diseases but it does not
confirms what type of disease it is.

For example; sweat at night, excessive weight loss,

memory loss are the symptoms of specific disease i.e.
AIDS.

Signs and Symptoms are the resultants of an abnormal state or abnormal condition i.e. disease.
TYPES OF DISEASE:
On the basis of the duration of disease1. Acute Disease
2. Chronic Disease

Based on whether they spread or not1. Infectious Disease

2. Non-infectious Disease
Acute Disease:-

These are the diseases that remain in body for short duration of time and cause very less effect on body. Such type of
diseases is called acute diseases.
In this, patients body recovers in a short time. For Example; Common cold, cough, fever, loose motions etc.
Chronic Disease:Disease that remains in the body for long time and cause severe effect on patients body is called chronic disease.
For examples; AIDS, cancer, hepatitis, diabetes, tuberculosis (TB) etc.
Infectious Disease:A disease that spread from an infected person to a healthy person or cause infect the healthy person is called
infectious disease. It is also known as Communicable Disease. In this personal and public hygiene can reduce the
probability of disease. These are mainly caused by micro-organisms or pathogens.
For example; TB, AIDS, cholera, typhoid, malaria etc.
Non-infectious Disease:Disease that do not spread or cause infection to a healthy person by an infected person is called non-infectious
disease. These are also called Non-communicable Disease. Personal and public hygiene are ineffective. These are
mainly caused by deficiency of some nutrients, malfunctioning of certain organs, lack of exercise etc.
For example; Cancer, diabetes, asthma etc.
***Infectious and Non-infectious disease develop in humans after birth, that means they are Acquired Diseases/Noncongenital Diseases. They do not pass from one generation to another generation. These are Non-inheritable
Diseases.
***Congenital Diseases are those that person has by birth that means the disease, a body has, passed to them from
their parents i.e. passed from one generation to next. In this, defect of genes occurs. For examples; color blindness etc.
CAUSES OF DISEASE:
Causes of disease are divided into three levels; level I, level II and level III. Let us take an example of a baby
suffering from typhoid. Immediately, we think about its cause which is virus and it comes by drinking uncleaned
water. So, virus is the immediate cause of the disease of that baby. Secondly, why this virus infect this baby only,
why not others? The answer for this is that the baby is not nourished properly that results in the poor health of that
baby or other reason should be that the baby has some genetic difference. So, poor nourishment and genetic
difference will alone are not capable to cause typhoid, virus was necessary, so these are the contributory causes of
babys disease. Thirdly, why baby is not nourished properly? The reason for this may be that the baby belongs to a
poor family or lives in an area where public services are very poor.
Through above example we can understand about the three levels;
LEVEL I: includes biological agents which come from social (unhealthy) environment.
LEVEL II: poor nourishment of a persons body that results in low resistance (poor health) or it may be any genetic
disorder.
LEVEL III: includes poverty, lack of public services. This is the reason why nourishment is not proper.
a. Biological Agents- These are the harmful micro-organisms that make the person abnormal or in the diseased
state. These microbes are virus, bacteria, protozoans, worms and fungus.
b. Social factors- Some diseases caused by the lack of clean environment, good and sanitary facilities etc, such
as Diarrhea.
c. Poor nourishment poor nourishment of a person results in nutritional deficiency. Deficiency of some
nutrients may be the cause of disease such as deficiency of vitamin A leads night-blindness.
d. Genetic factors- In this, hereditary disease are include where defect or disorder of genes occurs. For example;
Hemophilia, color-blandness etc.
e. Physiological factors- This includes the disease caused by tension or stress, depression etc.

f.

Age- The occurrence of diseases varies with the age of a person. For example; Chickenpox, mumps etc are
more prevalent in children while some diseases caused by degradation of tissues, poor metabolism etc are
Parkinsons disease etc are more prevalent in aged persons.

With the help of the example of a diseased baby, we can also conclude that any disease has some immediate causes
and some Contributory causes. These vary with different types of diseases.

Immediate causes of disease: In case of infectious disease, immediate causes are biological agents/infectious
agents (Level I cause) and are infectious causes of disease. The disease in which immediate cause is infectious
agent, are called infectious disease.
In case of non-infectious disease, immediate causes are level II causes of
disease (poor nourishment/nutritional deficiency or genetic disorder or poor health). The disease, in which
immediate cause is non-infectious agent, is called non-infectious disease.
Contributory causes of disease: These are the secondary causes when we think of the immediate causes of a
disease. In infectious disease, contributory causes are level II causes and in non-infectious diseases, contributory
causes are level III causes of disease.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
INFECTIOUS AGENTS: (Pathogens)
a. Bacteria Diseases caused by bacteria are Tuberculosis (TB), Typhoid, Cholera, Anthrax etc.
Bacteria multiply very quickly.
All bacteria make a cell wall to protect themselves in a body.
Antibiotic Penicillin blocks the bacterial process by which they make their cell wall in the body.
Diseases caused by bacteria are called Bacterial Disease.
b. Virus Multiply very quickly.
Causes many disease like common cold, influenza, AIDS, Syphilis, Swine flu, Dengue etc.
They do not make their cell wall to protect themselves and use our (cell of the organism in which they
enter) cell as a host cell.
Diseases caused by virus are called Viral Disease.
c. Fungi Multiply very quickly.
Causes common skin infections like ringworm, athletes foot etc.
Diseases caused by fungi are called Fungal Disease.
d. Protozoa-(single-celled animals)
Multiple quickly.
Causes Malaria, Kala Azar, Sleeping Sickness etc.
Diseases caused by protozoans are called Protozoan Disease.
e. Worms /Helminthes Do not multiply quickly.
Causes intestinal worm infections, elephantiasis etc.
Diseases caused by worms are called Helminthic Disease.
MEANS OF SPREAD:
Direct contact
Indirect Contact

Infected Person

Air

Healthy Person

Water or Food
Vectors
Animals
a. Direct Contact- The direct physical contact can easily communicate a disease to a healthy person through skin
by lungs. Such as kisses, handshakes etc. and the closest contact is sexual contact of a healthy person and an
infected person. Sexual contact may cause Some Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs like AIDS, Syphilis
etc.)
b. Indirect Contact- If a healthy person touches or uses the things of an infected person; there will be chances
that the healthy can also get the disease.
c. Air- When an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks loudly, the droplets of saliva are thrown into the
Vector
Disease spread
1. Mosquito
Malaria (pathogen- Plasmodium)
-Female Anopheles
Dengue (pathogen- Culex fatigans)
-Female Aedes
Plague
2. Flea
Kala Azar
3. Sand Fly
atmosphere up to 5-10m. By this a healthy person can easily be infected. For example; TB, Pneumonia,
Mumps, Diphtheria, Influenza etc.
d. Water- By drinking uncleaned or contaminated water, many diseases may be caused like Cholera, Jaundice,
Typhoid, Polio etc.
e. Vectors- The organisms which carry pathogens from an infected person to a healthy person are called vectors
like mosquitoes, rabid animals, flies etc.
In many species of mosquitoes, the females need highly nutritious food in the form of blood in order to be able
to lay mature eggs. Mosquitoes feed on warm-blooded animals.
AIDS:
Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a Sexually Transmitted Disease caused by a virus named HIV
(Human Immuno-deficiency Virus).
It was first reported in USA in 1981.
Spread of AIDS /Transmission of HIV:
1. By sexual contact with an infected person
2. By sharing infected needles
3. From infected mother to her baby
4. By transfusion of contaminated blood
Symptoms:
1. Sweating at night
2. Excess loss of body weight
3. Regular fever
4. Decrease in platelets count
5. Memory loss; etc
Prevention:
1. Avoid the feeding by infected mother
2. Avoid sexual contact with an infected person
3. Checking of blood of donor

4. Avoid sharing of needles or syringes

Effect of HIV in an infected body:
HIV attacks WBCs and thus immunity gets weak. Self defense mechanism (immune system) weakens very much
that the body dies ultimately.
A person suffering from AIDS has incubation period from 15 months to 5 years. After that he will die.
ORGAN-SPECIFIC AND TISSUE-SPECIFIC MENIFESTSTION:
Point of entry- Any point /medium /part /organ of our body from where microbes /pathogens enters in our body.
Medium of transmission- How a pathogen enters into a body or by which process they enters, is included in it.
Mode of transmission- By which means a pathogen transmitted to a body is said to be mode of transmission.
Medium of
Transmission
Air

Mode of
Transmission
Breathing

Point of Entry
Nose

Targeted organ or
tissue
Lungs

Disease caused

Water

Drinking

Mouth

Digestive system

Sexual Contact

Sexual Act

Sexual organs

Lymph nodes

-AIDS, Syphilis etc.

Skin (By
mosquito bite)

Biting

Skin

Liver, Brain, RBCs etc.

-Elephantiasis, Brain
Fever etc.

-TB, Pneumonia
Etc.
-Jaundice, Typhoid,
Cholera etc.

Brain Fever is also called Japanese encephalitis.

Targeted organs
Lungs
Liver
Brain
Blood Cells
Intestine

Symptoms
- coughing, breathlessness, etc.
- Yellowness of body parts (in case of jaundice), fever, pain in joints and muscles.
- Headache, vomiting, unconsciousness, fits etc.
- Anemia, heamolysis etc.
- vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache etc.

Severity of disease depends on the number of pathogens present in a body. If pathogens are less in number, the
disease will be unnoticed but when pathogens are very much, the disease will be more severe.
PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT:
There are two ways to treat the disease:1. To reduce the effect of the disease- the effect and the symptoms of a disease can be reduced by taking
medicines and complete bed rest. This will not kill the pathogens.
2. By killing the cause of disease- Pathogens are the cause of the disease and to kill them, we use some
medicines called antibiotics.
o SYMPTOM-BASED TREATMENT: Medicines are used to treat the symptoms of the disease. Symptoms are
related to infections e.g. fever, pain, sneezing, coughing, loose motions etc. Medicines being down fever, reduce
pin, control motions, check sneezing and coughing but it cant reduce the particular disease. Only symptoms are
controlled. It reduces the effect of disease.
o MICROBE-BASED TREATMENT: In this, a particular treatment is done to kill the disease or simply it kills the
cause of the disease i.e. microbes /pathogens. Not only bed rest and other symptom-based treatments are
sufficient, some particular method of killing pathogens should be used.

: Differentiate between Symptom-based and Microbe-based treatment:

Symptom-based treatment

Microbe-based treatment

It is the treatment of disease which is based on the

symptoms like fever, loose motions, pain etc. We
use medicines to reduce symptoms only. These
symptoms are because of inflammation.

It reduces the effect of disease but not the cause of

disease. We, also, can take bed rest to conserve
energy that will make you to focus on healing.

It is the treatment of disease which is based on the

particular cause of disease i.e. the microbes
present in the diseased body. We use some
specific medicines to cure the disease like antibacterial or anti-viral medicines.

In this, the cause of the disease is killed and the

disease is cured. Only bed rest is not sufficient,
proper medicinal or other treatment is required.

ANTIBIOTICS:These are the chemical substances that inhibit the growth and multiplication of microbes in a body. These
chemicals are obtained from microbes which kill or prevent the growth of other microbe such as bacteria, yeast
and mould. These antibiotics cures a disease.
One antibiotic can be used to kill other types of the same group of microbe. For example; one antibiotic for
bacteria can also be used to kill another type of bacteria.
Example- Penicillin, Streptomycien, Teramycine etc.
Q. Why antibiotics do not work against viral disease?
Viruses do not have their own cell wall and use our cell as their home to protect themselves. So,
amniotic taken
to kill them will kill our cell and other bacterial parts of the infection, not the viral infection or viral disease.
Q. Why one antibiotic can be used to kill many other types of bacterial infections?
All bacteria, taxonomically, are closely related to one another on the basis of their chemical and biological structure.
Q. Which is the important biochemical processes commonly used by bacteria and what will happen if this
biochemical process blocks?
Bacteria use cell wall to protect themselves in a body where they enters and if the biochemical process of making cell
wall blocks by using antibiotic, the bacteria will become weak and ultimately die.
Q. Why making anti-viral medicines are harder than making anti-bacterial medicines?
Because viruses have a few biochemical processes of their own. Viruses mostly use our cells life processes to survive
in a living body.
*****Despite the limitations given in question, there are now effective anti-viral drugs available, the drugs that keeps
HIV in control, for example.
PRINCIPLES OF PREVENTION:
If someone is diseased, his /her disease can be cured by taking medicines or by other methods. It is an
advantageous thing but some limitations or drawbacks are also there.
**Limitations of prevention /treatment of disease/Harmful effects of Infectious Disease:
1. Once someone has a disease, their body functions are damaged and may never recover completely.
2. Treatment may take a long time and the diseased person may be on bed for some time and may become very
weak.
3. A diseased person may be a source by which disease may spread to others (only when it is an infectious disease).
By above points, we can easily understand that Prevention is better than cure because a disease can be cured
but it gives some effects on the person physically, mentally and socially.
**Ways of prevention /treatment of disease
1. General ways; and
2. Specific ways

i.
ii.
iii.

General ways of prevention of diseaseUncrowned living condition

Clean air
For air-borne infections
Pollution-free environment

iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.

Safe drinking water

Healthy, nutritious and microbe-free food
No contamination in water and food
Not allowing the insects to breed
Clean environment
Personal and public hygiene

For food and water borne infections

For vector-borne infections

Specific ways of prevention of diseaseImmunization or Vaccination is one of the ways that makes our immune system more powerful and more
alert against a microbe.
Immune System and Immunity
The elaborate defense system of our body is called Immune System. It fights against microbes that enter into our body.
White Blood Cells (WBCs) works as a defense force in our body. These are specialized cells which circulate throughout
the body.
Immunity: It can be defined as an ability of an organism to destroy, recognize, eliminate or resist the attack of several
microbes.
There are two types of immunity1. Natural /Innate Immunity (immunity by birth)
2. Acquired Immunity (immunity after the birth)
Immunization
Acquiring immunity into the body by injecting vaccine is known as Immunization. It is also termed as Vaccination. It
makes our immune system stronger and powerful against an infection. These infections provide immunity to our body
against that infection as the immune system of that person develops a memory for that infection and becomes more
alert for the next time.
Vaccine
It is a substance that is injected into the body that develops immunity against a disease or infection. Vaccines prevent
the disease. The first vaccine was produced by Edward Jenner in 1798 against smallpox.
Vaccine
DT
TT
DPT
TAB
BCG
MMR
OPV
Hepatitis A

Disease
Diphtheria, Tetanus.
Tetanus.
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough.
Typhoid.
Tuberculosis (TB).
Rubella, Mumps, Measles.
Polio.
Jaundice.

OPV- Oral Polio Vaccine.

BCG- Bacillus-Calmelte-Guerin
ATT- Anti-tubular Therapy
PPP- Pulse Polio Program

Inflammation
Immune system against a disease resulting in swelling, pain, redness and heat at the infected site is called
Inflammation. It increases the number of WBCs at that place where they have to kill microbes that enter into our body.
EFFECTS OF INFLAMMATION:
Local Effects- (Superficial effects that we can see at the infected site) Local effects of inflammation can be shown
in the form of swelling, pain and rise in temperature.
General Effects- (Internal effects in the body that are generally present in every disease) General effect of an
inflammation is depicted in the form of fever.

*****