Why Do We Fall Ill

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A person may be regarded as suffering from a disease when his body does not function properly.

Minor and major disorders of the body may lead to diseases. Infectious diseases are caused by germs.

On the basis of the symptoms, the physicians look for the signs of a particular disease and conduct tests to confirm the disease.

Diseases are of different types. They are:-

1. Acute diseases:- are diseases which last only for a short period of time and does not have a long-term effect on health. Eg:- cold, cough, typhoid, cholera etc.
2. Chronic disease:- are diseases which last for a long time and has a long-term drastic effect on health. Eg:- diabetes, tuberculosis, elephantiasis, arthritis, cancer etc.

The causes (risk factors) of chronic diseases are well established and well known; a small set of common risk factors are responsible for most of the main chronic diseases. These risk factors are modifiable and the same in men and women:

1. Unhealthy diet
2. Physical inactivity
3. Tobacco use

Chronic disease is a disease that persists for a long time. Chronic diseases are the major cause of death and disability worldwide.

The total number of people dying from chronic diseases is double that of all infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria), maternal and parental conditions, and nutritional deficiencies combined. 80% of chronic disease deaths occur in low and middle-income countries and half are in women. Without action to address the causes, deaths from chronic disease will increase by 17% between 2005 and 2015.

Chronic diseases

1. Cardiovascular diseases, mainly heart disease
2. chronic respiratory diseases;
3. Stroke
4. diabetes
5. Cancer
6. genetic disorders

Infectious diseases (Communicable diseases) are diseases which spread from an infected person to a healthy person through the air, water, food, vectors, physical contact or sexual contact.

Eg:- common cold, chicken pox, mumps, measles, typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS etc.

Non-infectious diseases (Non-communicable diseases):- are diseases which are not spread from an infected person to a healthy person. Eg:- beriberi, rickets, scurvy, night blindness, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure etc.)

Diseases are caused by:-

1. Pathogens like virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoans or worms.
2. Poor health and under
3. Malfunctioning of body parts
4. Environmental pollution
5. Genetic disorders

Microbes are the microscopic organisms such as a virus, bacteria, some fungi and protozoans that are responsible for causing diseases in human beings. Cholera, tetanus, typhoid, diphtheria and pneumonia are some common diseases caused by bacteria. Polio, common cold, influenza, measles, chicken pox and AIDS are diseases caused by a virus. Amoebic dysentery and malaria are caused by protozoans.