Why Do We Fall Ill?

Health

Health is one of the most crucial aspects of an individual’s life. Not being healthy or fit enough disables one from carrying out normal day-to-day activities.

Why do we fall ill? We can fall ill because of various reasons listed below:

• One can fall ill if they dwell in a surrounding which has polluted air, water or harmful insects. Example: Malaria, Dengue

• Lack of personal hygiene also causes diseases.

• One’s economic condition can also be instrumental in determining a person’s well-being

• We could fall ill due to compromises in our immune system, this can also give rise to various autoimmune diseases

• Mental health has an impact on physical health. For instance, clinical depression can cause loss of appetite and weight loss.

Significance Of Health

Time and again we keep hearing about how important it is to be healthy and what could possibly be the consequences of not taking care of oneself, let us understand why it is important to stay healthy.

• It is important to stay healthy as it helps one carry out all the fundamental activities on a daily basis

• Eating right and healthy food helps keep one fit and aids in combating diseases.

• Physical environment greatly contributes to a person’s well-being. Therefore, it becomes very crucial to stay in a healthy and clean environment.

• Public cleanliness is important for every individual. Proper treatment of garbage and sewage in our surroundings play a vital role in preventing diseases.

• Being happy has a huge impact on one’s development both professionally and personally.

• Harmony and social equality are essential to be healthy.

Diseases

An abnormal condition affecting an organism is known as a disease. These are medical conditions that involve a pathological process associated with some specific symptoms.

Every disease has an origin. But there are certain diseases that are difficult to diagnose because of the confusing symptoms. The diseases may be autoimmune, bacterial, cancerous, digestive, sexually transmitted, etc. They can be cured by a number of strategies such as antibiotics, other medications and surgeries.

Antibiotics are the drugs that block the biochemical pathways of bacteria that cause diseases. These do not work against viral infections because the viruses depend upon the biochemical mechanisms of the host.

Types of Diseases

We say we have fallen sick or have a disease when we feel there is something wrong with one of our organs or organ system. Due to this, the normal functioning of our body is affected. Our body gives hints when we have a disease. These signs are called symptoms. Some common symptoms are- headache, cold, cough, nausea etc.

Diseases can be of two types:

• Acute diseases

• Chronic diseases

Acute diseases are the diseases which last for a short period of time, a day, a week or a few weeks. For example, Chickenpox, typhoid, common cold etc.

Chronic diseases are the diseases which last for a long time or even a complete human life. For example, Cancer, HIV etc.

Immediate causes of diseases can be of types:

• Infectious causes: If microbes are the immediate cause of a disease, then they are categorized under infectious causes.

• Non-Infectious causes: These are not caused by infectious agents or any external factors. Usually caused by internal factors. For example, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.

Means of Spread of Infectious Diseases

Prevention of Diseases

Following are a few tips for healthy and disease-free living:

1. Go for routine checkups. This helps in the early diagnosis of the disease and its treatment becomes easier. Therefore, make sure you go for health screening tests.

2. Smoking affects the length and quality of life of a person. Quitting this habit can improve your quality of life and prevent your body from any severe infections.

3. Exercising daily keeps you active. It energises your body and keeps you healthy.

4. A balanced diet is the most important aspect in the prevention of diseases. Consuming nutritional and healthy food keeps you fit and prevents any diseases.

5. Obesity is one of the major causes of increased cholesterol and heart problems. Reduction in weight can help you get rid of the risks of being ill.

Key Points on Why Do We Fall Ill

• We fall ill because we live in an area with polluted surroundings or lack of personal hygiene.

• It is very important to adopt certain strategies to stay healthy and prevent diseases.

• One should remain active by exercising daily.

• Eating healthy helps in the prevention of diseases.

• Smoking and alcohol consumption are two of the reasons for the deteriorating health of an individual.

• The mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin. Any imbalance in one immediately affects the other.

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