Health and Its Failure in Biology Concept and Meaning

Laughing is one of the best exercises to keep us healthy. But do you know the meaning of being healthy? Is disease free or healthy the same? Or is there any difference between healthy and disease free? Health is not only related to physical health, but it also considers mental, social, and emotional health.

In today's time, we developed new technologies, but this modernization and technology are somewhat also responsible for making us diseased in many aspects. To keep ourselves healthy, we need to exercise daily and consume a healthy and well-balanced diet. To know more about health and related topics, continue reading articles.

What is Health?

Health is a condition of complete physical, social, emotional, and mental well being not barely the absence of disease. This definition of health is given by WHO. A person is said to be healthy only when he is not only physically as well as mentally and emotionally healthy. He is happy and has a healthy life. For a healthy life, a person needs to exercise, consume healthy food, and maintain good hygiene.

Significance of Health

Now the question arises why we are focusing so much on health. What is the significance of health?

Following are the importance of good health:

• Good health is very essential for a productive life. If we are healthy, we will be able to perform our duties and responsibilities.

• Good health also prevents the chances of catching infections or diseases and also maintains our immunity.

• Good health also improves our mental health as diseased individuals may get depressed or underconfident.

• Good health also reduces the amount of money spent on health needs and hence improves the financial condition.

• Good health also reduces mortality and morbidity rate. It increases the longevity of life.

• Overall good health helps in the development and progress of the nation.

What is Health Failure?

Health failure is a deterioration in health conditions. It may be physical, mental, social, and emotional.

Causes Of Health Failure

There may be various causes of health failure. Some of the causes of health failure are given below:

• Environmental factors - Health may be affected by various environmental changes such as changes in temperature, humidity, and allergy to any environmental factor such as dust, pollen, etc.

• Nutritional factor - Intake of nutritious food is very essential for a healthy body and mind. Lack of nutrition in our food may cause various diseases or disorders such as anaemia, rickets, or other diseases. Excessive intake of caffeine or alcohol, and drugs also harms our health.

• Social factor - The behaviour of surrounding people such as colleagues and friends also affects our health, especially our mental health.

Difference Between Healthy and Disease Free

Why Do We Fall Ill?

Various factors make us ill. These may be internal factors (any abnormality in our body) or external factors. External factors include the consumption of contaminated food and water, pollution, and inhalation of toxic materials such as poison, drugs, chemicals, and fumes. Any factor or condition that causes discomfort, stress, or pain leads to a diseased condition.

Some of the reasons responsible for making us sick are given below:

• The improper functioning of various body organs, cells, and tissues.

• External factors such as polluted environment and unhygienic conditions.

• Poverty is one of the main reasons in developing countries for making people sick.

• Consumption of unhygienic food and water is also responsible for causing diseases.

• Lack of exercise and consumption of junk food also makes us sick.

How to Maintain Good Health

Here are a few ways or ideas to maintain good health. Follow these ideas to maintain good health:

• Maintain personal hygiene and sanitation - Daily bath, brushing, washing hands before eating or making food, proper sleep, intake of healthy and clean food, adequate intake of water, fluid, limited intake of fatty or junk food, inhibition on the consumption of alcohol and tobacco are essential to lead a healthy and productive life.

• Vaccination - Proper vaccination provides immunisation against various disease-causing microbes and pathogens.

• Community hygiene - Community hygiene is also very important for the prevention of the spreading of communicable diseases. Proper management of community-generated waste is very important.

Important Questions

1. What are the signs of good health?

Ans: Signs of good health include the complete absence of disease, the person's ability to cope with stress, and mental, social, and emotional pressures without too much difficulty.

2. Suggest some methods to maintain good health.

Ans: Consumption of healthy, clean, and nutritious food, maintenance of a clean and hygienic environment, proper intake of fluid, and exercise can help us to maintain good health.

3. What does disease look like?

Ans: Different diseases have different signs and symptoms. By observing signs and symptoms and performing various diagnostic tests, we can identify the type of disease a person is suffering from.

Key Features

• In this article, we have studied what the meaning of health is, it is defined as the complete absence of physical, mental, social, and emotional problems or the ability to cope with factors without much difficulty.

• The main difference between healthy and disease free is that a healthy person will be overall healthy (emotionally, mentally, socially) whereas a disease free person may or may not be healthy.

• Maintaining hygiene or eating a well-balanced diet is very important for good health.

• Health failure may be due to environmental, physical, or other factors.

Interesting Facts

• Exercise gives us more energy even when we are tired.

• Too much sitting and sleeping can increase the chances of early death.

• Being overweight is one of the most important problems at present. Almost 39% of adults are overweight.

• Sugar is very harmful to our health. It is as harmful as cigarettes.

Practice Questions

1. What can cause disease?

2. What is poor health?

3. What conditions can cause poor health?

4. What are major diseases?

5. How can we prevent diseases?