Health and Disease
What Is Health?
Health is defined as a state of physical and mental well-being.
💡 Key Concept: Good health means your body and mind are working well, and you’re free from disease or serious conditions.
What Is Disease?
A disease is a condition that causes the body or mind to not function properly.
There are two main types:
Type | Examples |
Communicable diseases | Flu, COVID-19, measles – spread between people |
Non-communicable diseases | Cancer, diabetes, heart disease – not spread between people |
How Do Diseases Interact?
Diseases can interact in the body in several ways:
1️ Weaken the immune system → increases risk of infections
2️ Cause physical damage → e.g. viruses can trigger cancers
3️ Mental health effects → chronic illness can lead to depression
4️ Malnutrition → makes body more vulnerable to infection
💡 Example: People with HIV have a weakened immune system, so they’re more likely to suffer from tuberculosis.
Risk Factors for Poor Health
Factor | Effect on Health |
Poor diet | Malnutrition, obesity, deficiency diseases |
Lack of exercise | Increases risk of cardiovascular disease |
Smoking | Linked to cancer, lung disease, and heart disease |
Alcohol | Can cause liver disease and affect mental health |
Unprotected sex | Risk of communicable STIs |
Stress | Can worsen mental and physical conditions |
Preventing Disease and Promoting Health
✔ Vaccination against communicable diseases
✔ Healthy lifestyle – diet, exercise, sleep
✔ Good hygiene and sanitation
✔ Education and access to healthcare
Questions
- What is meant by ‘health’?
- Give one example of a communicable disease.
- What type of disease is cancer?
- How can diseases interact in the body?
- Name two lifestyle factors that affect health.
Summary
- Health means physical and mental well-being.
- Diseases can be communicable (infectious) or non-communicable (not infectious).
- Multiple diseases can interact in the body.
- Lifestyle choices and risk factors play a major role in health and disease prevention.