Health And Hygiene

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Health and Hygiene
• Disease

For every individual, it is important to lead a healthy life. The 7th of April has been declared as “World Health Day by” the World Health Organization (WHO) in view of creating awareness about the importance of health. To stay healthy, it is important to understand the actual meaning of health and hygiene. Let us learn more about it.

The WHO defines health as – “a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” That is to say, a person cannot be termed healthy merely by being in a disease-free state. Physical and mental health are equally important and require a hygienic condition. Health and hygiene are two terms that are correlated.

Hygiene can be outlined as the practice of a few habits in order to maintain good health, overall. Maintenance of hygiene can be at the community level (social hygiene) or personal level (personal hygiene).

Personal hygiene: It covers physical exercise, cleanliness, sleep, proper rest and other related practices such as keeping away from consuming alcohol, smoking, drugs etc. Many diseases can be prevented to a great extent just by maintaining good personal hygiene.

Social hygiene: The surrounding and other public places around us are our society. An individual’s mental and physical condition is greatly influenced by a good environment. Improper, unkempt and untidy surroundings and inappropriate ways of waste disposal in public places results in the unhealthy surrounding. Such practices can cause an alarming growth of rodents, pathogens and other microbes, which can make us unwell. Consequently, both social and personal hygiene are vital aspects.

A disease causes us discomfort or an uneasy feeling, which may or may not necessarily give a pain sensation. Although “disease-free” and “being healthy” are terms that are often correlated, they are completely different. There is more to “being healthy” than just being “disease-free”. Certain signs and symptoms are used to diagnose a particular disease. And, presence of a particular disease can lead to an unhealthy life.

Also Read: Need for Hygiene and Sanitation

Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more about the disease, health, and hygiene.