Report on Diseases.

Environment, Population and Health

Date: 14 Sept, 2014

Submitted to:

Submitted By:

Rajkumar Basnet

Dolma Sherpa

EPH Teacher

Class: X

DISEASE:
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs normal function, and is
therefore associated with dysfunction of normal homeostasis. Commonly, the
term disease is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically
evident diseases that result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents,
including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multi cellular organisms, and aberrant
proteins known as prion. An infection that does not and will not produce clinically
evident impairment of normal functioning, such as the presence of the
normal bacteria and yeasts in the gut, or of a passenger virus, is not considered a
disease. By contrast, an infection that is asymptomatic during its incubation period,
but expected to produce symptoms later, is usually considered a disease. Noninfectious diseases are all other diseases, including most forms of cancer, heart
disease, and genetic disease.

TYPES
1. Communicable diseases:
Communicable diseases spread from one person to another or from an animal
to a person. The spread often happens via airborne viruses or bacteria, but
also through blood or other bodily fluid. The terms infectious and contagious
are also used to describe communicable disease. In this section, learn about
coordinated efforts to combat a few of the most serious communicable
diseases on a global level.

Disease

Symptom

Malaria

High fever, rigors which is repeated Prevent mosquitoes from biting and
on the 3rd or 4th day
prevent them from breeding

Influenza

Cough, cold fever

Avoid physical contact with influenza

patients

Jaundice

Loss of appetite, yellow coloration

due to excess bile pigment in the
blood yellow urination fever,

Hepatitis B vaccine. Use purified water.

Avoid contact with infected people

Rabies

1. Anti rabies vaccine to immunize

Hydrophobia, fever, headache,
household pets.
damage to the central nervous
2. Louis Pasteurs vaccines- a course of
system, causes paralysis often fatal 14 injections at intervals of 0-3-7-14-30
days after the bite

AIDS

Weakness, bodys normal defense

against infection breaks down

Lung T.B. is more common.

Persistent cough, blood stained
Tuberculosis mucus, breathlessness TB. can
effect lymph, intestine or other
organs.

Prevention

No vaccine developed so far. Practice

safe sex. Avoid common razors and
needles. Screen blood before
transfusion
BCG vaccine. Milk cows to be
immunized against the disease. Spitting
in public places to be banned.

Cholera

Vomiting, watery motions,

dehydration. If neglected, can be
fatal.

Immunization with anti cholera

vaccine, consume boiled water.
Prevent flies from settling on food. ORS
to prevent dehydration. Good
sanitation and hygiene.

Typhoid

High tern premature for 3-4 weeks

with headache

Anti typhoid inoculation, good

sanitation and hygiene in the
community

Frequent loose motion, vomiting

dehydration

ORS to prevent dehydration proper

sanitation and hygiene consume
hygienically prepared food and purified
water

Diarrhea

2. Non-communicable diseases:
An NCD or non-communicable disease is a disease that is not infectious and
cannot be transferred to others. Some of these are diseases that progress
slowly or cause chronic symptoms while others progress very rapidly. The
World Health Organization estimates that NCDs are the leading cause of death
worldwide, accounting for 60 percent of deaths in all humans. In most cases
NCDs attack the body individually rather than being related to each other.
Risk Factors of NCD: Some risk factors of non-communicable diseases include the
environment, lifestyle or background such as the genetics, age, and exposure to air
pollution or gender of a person. Some behaviors such as a lack of physical activity,
poor diet or smoking which could lead to obesity or hypertension can also increase
the risk of developing some non-communicable diseases. Many of these are
considered preventable because the condition can be improved by removing the atrisk behavior.
Diabetes
Diabetes limits the bodys ability to process glucose normally. Type 1 diabetes
which is present from birth causes the pancreas to be destroyed by the
immune system, causing glucose to build up in the bloodstream. Type 2
diabetes is developed over time causing the cells to resist the effects of insulin,
causing unhealthy levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Risk factor of Type 2
diabetes is being overweight or obese.
Hypertension
This is caused when an individual consistently has a blood pressure reading
over 140/90. This can be caused by diabetes, smoking, excessive salt intake,
obesity or kidney disease.

 Osteoporosis
This condition causes a decrease in bone mass which can make the bones
brittle and at higher risk for damage. Around 80 percent of people who have
osteoporosis are women. Additional factors which increase the risk of this
disease are the presence of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inactivity,
low sex hormone levels or smoking.
Alzheimers
This condition causes dementia in those in advanced age, or over 60 years old.
Symptoms of this condition can vary but often include getting lost, memory
loss, difficulty managing daily tasks or managing money, personality changes,
loss of bodily control or delusions.
Heart Disease
This is a very broad category of diseases which impact the circulatory system
or heart. This can include congenital heart disease, rhythm irregularities, heart
failure, heart attack, unstable angina, mitral valve prolapse, aortic
regurgitation, cardiogenic shock or endocarditis.
Fibromyalgia
This disease causes damage to soft tissue in the body. It can lead to sleep
disturbance patterns, widespread pain, exhaustion or irregular heartbeat. With
time the symptoms can progress causing cognitive or memory difficulties, jaw
pain, nasal congestion, headaches or irritable bowel syndrome.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer causes malignant cell growth in the lung tissue, often as a result of
exposure to pollutants or the use of tobacco products. As many as 90 percent
of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking with non-smokers having a very
small risk of this disease.

 Leukemia
Leukemia causes the body to produce abnormal blood cells that then release
malignant cells into the bloodstream. Since the bloodstream carries these
malignant cells throughout the body they can affect other tissues such as the
nervous system, skin or liver. While this disease is often associated with
children, most patients are actually men over 60.

Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is caused when ultraviolet rays damage the skin cells. This can
appear anywhere on the body but is most common on the skin. Those that
have low pigmentation in the skin such as redheads, blondes or those with
blue eyes tend to be at higher risk for this disease. Limiting direct skin
exposure can significantly reduce the risk of developing skin cancer and with
early detection this disease is 95 percent curable.

Seizures or Epilepsy
Seizures are caused by a neurologic malfunction that causes abnormal
electrical activity within the brain. These can be localized or cause symptoms
such as numbness that stems from an explosive firing of nerves in the brain.
Tumors or brain damage can cause someone to develop this disease. There is
no cure for epilepsy but medications can help to reduce the frequency of
seizures.

3. Airborne diseases:
An airborne disease is any disease that is caused by pathogens and
transmitted through the air. Such diseases include many that are of

considerable importance both in human and veterinary medicine. The relevant

pathogens may be viruses, bacteria, or fungi, and they may be spread through
coughing, sneezing, raising of dust, spraying of liquids, or similar activities
likely to generate aerosol particles or droplets. Strictly speaking airborne
diseases do not include conditions caused simply by air pollution such as dusts
and poisons, though their study and prevention may be related.

4. Lifestyle diseases:
A lifestyle disease is any disease that appears to increase in frequency as
countries become more industrialized and people live longer, especially if the
risk factors include behavioral choices like a sedentary lifestyle or a diet high in
unhealthful foods such as refined carbohydrates, trans fats, or alcoholic
beverages.

5. Mental disorders:
Mental illness is a broad, generic label for a category of illnesses that may
include affective or emotional instability, behavioral deregulation, and/or
cognitive dysfunction or impairment. Specific illnesses known as mental
illnesses include major depression, generalized anxiety
disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to name a
few. Mental illness can be of biological (e.g., anatomical, chemical, or genetic)
or psychological (e.g., trauma or conflict) origin. It can impair the affected
person's ability to work or study and harm interpersonal relationships. The
term insanity is used technically as a legal term.

9.Organic disease:
An organic disease is one caused by a physical or physiological change to some
tissue or organ of the body. The term sometimes excludes infections. It is
commonly used in contrast with mental disorders. It includes emotional and
behavioral disorders if they are due to changes to the physical structures or
functioning of the body, such as after a stroke or a traumatic brain injury, but
not if they are due to psychosocial issues.