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Health and its failure are two opposite aspects of a person's life. Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being of a person. Technically it’s not the absence of disease and disorder. It is influenced by the environment, nutrition, cleanliness and good relationships. Internal and External factors affect and influence the health of any individual. Any imbalances in these factors would lead to the failure of health thus causing an array of diseases.
Read More: Why Do We Fall Ill?
| Table of Contents |
Key takeaways: Physical Wellbeing, Mental Health, Surroundings, Environment, Acute and Chronic Diseases.
Factors Affecting Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being of a person. There are three factors that influence the state of health. They are,
- Environment
- Nutrition
- Cleanliness
Environment
The surroundings in which we live influences our health a lot. A dirty environment carries harmful pollutants, dust, spores, bacteria, fungi, and virus particles. So, a pollution-free environment is one of the most important factors to maintain our health. Inhalation of poisonous fumes from chemical factories is dangerous to health that may cause sudden death.
Healthy Environment Guarantees Healthy Lifestyle
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Nutrition
The internal environment of our body is regulated by the quality of air, water and food we take. Clean potable water and balanced nutrition will improve immunity to keep diseases away. Good nutrition and abstaining from bad habits will keep our organs intact and well-functioning.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness of both our bodies and surroundings is very important. Regular bathing and well-washed clothes are also important. Garbage disposal and sewage treatment are required to keep our surroundings clean.
Cleanliness Habits
Types of Health
Health is classified as physical, mental and social health.
Physical Health: The normal structure and functioning of a body is physical health.
Mental Health: It relates to the mind, thoughts, emotions, and behaviour of a person.
Social Health: It relates to a person’s relationship with his family, neighbourhood, friend circle and society.
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Why Do We Fall ill?
Metabolic derailment of a body is called a disease. The disease is manifested by discomfort, irritation, pain, abnormal behaviour and other symptoms. A disease is caused by both external and internal factors.
External Factors
- Polluted environment destroys a person’s health. Unclean surroundings contain harmful germs that cause various infections.
- Non-hygienic bodies and surroundings are directly responsible for diseases.
- Contagious diseases are spread from person to person through physical contact or through a vector.
Communicable Disease
- Airborne diseases are spread due to close contact or bad weather conditions.
- Intake of contaminated food and water leads to diseases like diarrhoea.
- Junk food is a cause of several degenerative diseases.
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Internal Factors
- Genetic or hereditary factors are responsible for several diseases at different stages and ages of a body system.
- A strong immune system gives protection against diseases. A weak immune system is responsible for different kinds of allergies and auto-immune diseases.
- Disease originates at the cellular and tissue levels. The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of our body. Cells together form tissues, and tissues form organs. So, healthy cells and tissues are responsible for the overall health of a person.
- Improper function of cells, tissues or organs will reflect in internal disorders of the body.
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Types of Diseases
Diseases are chiefly classified into acute diseases and chronic diseases.
Acute Diseases
Diseases that last for a few days and that can be cured through medications are called acute diseases. The following table shows some of the examples:
| Causes | Disease |
|---|---|
| Bacterial diseases | Cholera, Diphtheria, plague, pneumonia, typhoid |
| Viral diseases | Flu, chickenpox, influenza, hepatitis |
| Protozoan diseases | Amoebic dysentery, malaria |
| Helminth diseases | Ascariasis, elephantiasis |
| Fungal diseases | Candidiasis, ringworm |
| Deficiency diseases | Scurvy, beri-beri, kwashiorkor, marasmus, obesity |
Also Read: Antibodies
Chronic Diseases
Diseases that last for a long period or for a lifetime and that cannot be cured through simple medications are called chronic diseases. Eg. asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc.
Chronic Diseases
Importance of Health
Health is important for overall well-being, financial status, and happiness. Good relationships keep our minds free of sorrows and tensions. Good health improves behaviour and enhances a person’s efficiency at work and productivity. It leads to promotions, improvement in business, and ultimately a person’s economic status, physical and mental well being.
Importance of Health
Also Read: Human Digestive System
Things to Remember
- The surroundings in which we live influences our health a lot.
- The internal environment of our body is regulated by the quality of air, water and food we take.
- Clean potable water and balanced nutrition will improve immunity to keep diseases away.
- Cleanliness of both our bodies and surroundings is very important.
- Disease is manifested by discomfort, irritation, pain, abnormal behaviour and other symptoms. A disease is caused by both external and internal factors.
- Genetic or hereditary factors are responsible for several diseases at different stages and ages of a body system.
- Acute diseases last for a few days, and chronic diseases last for a lifetime.
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Sample Questions
Ques: What is health? How does it affect our education? (2 marks)
Ans: Health is the overall well-being of a person. Good physical. Mental and social health improves our concentration and grades in our educational institutions.
Ques. State any two conditions essential for good health. [CBSE 2014] (2 marks)
Ans. Health is a state of being well enough to function well physically, mentally and socially. The health of any individual depends upon :
- Better social environment.
- Better public cleanliness.
- Good economic conditions.
- Social equality and harmony.
Ques: What is health? What is its importance in daily life (3 marks)
Ans: Health is the overall well being of a person. Health is important for overall well-being, happiness, financial status, and happiness. Good friendships and relationships keep our minds free of sorrows and tensions. Good health improves behaviour concerning his family, friends and society. All these things together improve a person’s efficiency at work and productivity. It leads to promotions, improvement in business, and ultimately a person’s economic status.
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Ques: What is health? How to manage our health? (5 marks)
Ans: Health is the overall well-being of a person. It refers to physical, mental and social health.
There are many different ways to manage our health.
- Environment: The surroundings in which we live influences our health a lot. A dirty environment carries with it harmful pollutants, dust, spores, bacteria, fungi, and virus particles. So, manage a pollution-free environment to improve health. Inhalation of poisonous fumes from chemical factories is dangerous to health that may cause sudden death. So, avoid living in industrial areas.
- Nutrition: The internal environment of our body is regulated by the quality of air, water and food we take. Clean potable water and balanced nutrition will improve immunity to keep diseases away. Good nutrition and abstaining from bad habits will keep our organs intact and well-functioning.
- Cleanliness: Cleanliness of both our body and surroundings is very important. Regular bathing and well-washed clothes are also important. Garbage disposal and sewage treatment are required to keep our surroundings clean.
Ques: What are the three types of health: (3 marks)
Ans: Health can be classified as physical, mental and social health.
- Physical Health: The normal structure and functioning of a body is physical health.
- Mental Health: It relates to the mind, thinking, emotions, and behaviour of a person.
- Social Health: It relates to a person’s family relationship, neighbourhood, friend circle and society.
Read More:
Ques: What are the two main types of diseases? Give examples. (3 marks)
Ans: Diseases are chiefly classified as acute diseases and chronic diseases.
- Acute Diseases: Diseases that last for a few days and that can be cured through some medications are called acute diseases. Examples: cholera, typhoid, malaria, etc.
- Chronic Diseases: Diseases that last for a long period or for a lifetime and that cannot be cured through simple medications are called chronic diseases. Eg. asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc
Ques: What are the five approaches to maintain good health? (2 marks)
Ans: The five approach are the following,
- Drinking plenty of water.
- Eat balanced and healthy food.
- Washing hands thoroughly before and after taking food and after defecation Eat protected food, that is keep food covered to avoid contamination through houseflies.
- Keep surroundings clean
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Ques: Write any three differences between a healthy person and a diseased person. (3 marks)
Ans: The following table shows the three differences:
| Healthy Person | Diseased person |
|---|---|
| A healthy person is physically, mentally, and socially fit. | A diseased person is physically, mentally, and socially unfit. |
| A healthy person has good work efficiency and productivity. | A diseased person has weak work efficiency and poor productivity. |
| A healthy person doesn’t have symptoms of diseases. | A diseased person shows symptoms of diseases. |
Ques. What do you mean by disease symptoms? Explain giving two examples. (2 marks)
Ans. When the functioning or the appearance of one or more systems of the body will change for the worse, it gives certain abnormal signs of the disease. These visual changes in human beings are called symptoms. Symptoms give an indication of the presence of a particular disease.
Examples :
- Lesions on the skin are the symptoms of chickenpox.
- Cough is a symptom of lung infection.
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