Common Symptoms of Major Disease Types
A Disease is a condition that is abnormal and negatively affects the structure and functioning of organs or tissues or parts of a living organism. It has to be noted that it is not due to any immediate external injury and disease is a medical condition that has specific signs and symptoms.
Therefore, it can be stated that a disease is a discomfortable condition that deteriorates the normal functioning of the cells, organs, and tissues.
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Any risk caused due to divergence from the normal or functional state of an entity can be termed as a disease.
Any adverse variation from an organism's normal structural or functional condition is usually associated with specific signs and symptoms and distinct from physical injury. A diseased organism will frequently display indications or symptoms that indicate its aberrant state. To recognize the symptoms of sickness, one must first understand the normal state of an organism. Nonetheless, there isn't always a clear line between disease and wellness.
Acute Disease
A few diseases appear out of nowhere and persist only a few days. Acute diseases, such as the common cold, are examples of them. Medical treatment or self-treatment are also options for treating this illness. Acute diseases frequently become chronic if they are not treated.
Acute illnesses can affect any part of the body. An asthma episode, for example, is acute and then becomes chronic. Acute diseases include strep throat, fractured bones, appendicitis, influenza, pneumonia, and others.
Symptoms and Treatments
Acute diseases develop quickly and are accompanied by unique symptoms that necessitate immediate or short-term treatment and improve once treated. A fractured bone, for example, that may occur as a result of a fall, must be treated by a doctor and will recover over time. Acute illnesses, such as the common cold, can sometimes go away on their own. The majority of those who suffer from acute illnesses will recover quickly. If you've been hospitalized for an acute illness, you'll probably be ready to get back to the comfort and familiarity of the home once your condition improves. However, just because you've been released from the hospital doesn't imply you've entirely recovered. Find out what steps you may take to speed up your return to your regular routine.
Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases are illnesses that develop over time and endure for a long time or even a lifetime. Chronic disease is defined as a disease that lasts more than three years. The symptoms are relatively modest at first. The chronic disease develops slowly and causes significant damage to the body. It has the potential to be lethal at times.
Age, gender, and an unhealthy lifestyle, among other things, are risk factors for such diseases. Medication may or may not be able to cure a chronic disease. Vaccines are also ineffective in preventing it. Chronic diseases include hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, and psoriasis.
Symptoms and Treatments
Chronic illnesses take longer to develop can progress over time and can present with a variety of warning signs or none at all. Arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease are all common chronic illnesses. Chronic illnesses, unlike acute illnesses, cannot be cured; they can only be managed. Living with chronic illness or managing the symptoms of a chronic condition can often be accomplished by working with your doctor to develop a health care plan that includes medication, healthy eating, physical or occupational therapy, exercise, and complementary treatments like acupuncture or meditation. Staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and nutritional status, minimizing sun exposure, and refraining from smoking are all examples of good lifestyle practices that can help prevent chronic diseases.
In order to decide the appropriate course of treatment, it is necessary to correctly identify the etiology of an illness.
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We have classified various types of diseases based on their nature and the parts of the body they affect in the below tabular form-
Types of Diseases
Different Types of Diseases and Their Causes
Two Classification of Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Non-infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Diseases that can spread from one person to another are called communicable diseases and are caused by microorganisms. The microorganisms that usually cause infectious diseases are called pathogens include viruses, bacteria, fungi, rickettsia, worms, and protozoans. It spreads when the infected person transmits his/her bodily fluids to another person, and the pathogens may exit the host to infect the new person, it takes place during sneezing, coughing, etc. Various examples of this kind of disease are cholera, chickenpox, malaria, COVID-19, etc.
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Non-Infectious Diseases
These kinds of diseases are caused due to pathogens as well as other factors that include age, gender of an individual, deficiency in nutrition, unhealthy lifestyle, etc. Some of the examples include hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. These are noncommunicable and do not spread from one person to another. These restrain within a person who contracts them. Some of the examples include cataracts, Alzheimer's, cataracts, and heart diseases.
Depending on which Above Categories of Diseases it Falls into, Diseases can be further Classified as
Degenerative Diseases
Are caused due to the malfunctioning of vital body organs as a result of the deterioration of cells over time. One of the best examples is Osteoporosis which causes increased bone weakness with time and it increases the risk of bone fracturing. Another is a neurodegenerative disorder when degeneration happens to the cells of the CNS like neurons. In Alzheimer's, it often happens due to aging and bodywear. Some of these diseases are hereditary and because of bad lifestyle choices.
Allergies
When the body becomes hypersensitive to certain foreign substances namely allergens, allergic reactions take place. It occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to any foreign substances which can be harmless. Common allergens are dust, pollen, mites, animal dander, latex, feathers, and also certain food products like gluten and nuts. Many people face allergies from food substances such as peanuts or other nuts and induce life-threatening conditions. It aggravates difficulty in breathing, swelling of tissues, and blocking of airways.
Other common symptoms that are less life-threatening include coughing, running nose, sneezing, itchy and red eyes, skin rashes. Asthma is an example of an allergic disease, others include bee stings, ant bites, etc.
Deficiency Diseases
Deficiency diseases are caused due to the deficiencies of hormones, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the body. For example, diabetes occurs due to an inability to produce or utilize insulin, goiter is caused due to iodine deficiency, kwashiorkor is caused due to deficiency of proteins in the diet. Vitamin B1 deficiency results in a disease called beriberi.
Goitres
An abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland that results with blockage of the oesophagus or other organs of the chest and neck is called Goitre. It causes difficulty in breathing and eating.
Blood Diseases
Blood disorders result due to the effects on the blood plasma, platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. For example, Sickle Cell Anaemia is a condition when the red blood cells are destroyed or distorted in the shape of a sickle. It loses the ability to carry oxygen. As a result, it shows symptoms the same as in chronic anemia that includes shortness of breath and tiredness.
FAQs on Types of Diseases and Their Symptoms: A Student’s Guide
1. What is a disease, and how is it defined in biology?
In biology, a disease is defined as any condition that negatively affects the normal functioning of an organism's body or one of its parts. It is typically characterised by specific signs and symptoms and is not a direct result of a physical injury.
2. What is the main difference between infectious and non-infectious diseases?
The key difference is in their cause and transmission. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens like bacteria and viruses and can spread from one person to another. In contrast, non-infectious diseases are not caused by pathogens and cannot be spread between people, often resulting from genetic, lifestyle, or environmental factors.
3. Can you give some examples of infectious diseases and what causes them?
Certainly. Common infectious diseases are caused by different types of pathogens:
- Tuberculosis: Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- Common Cold: Caused by viruses, most often the Rhinovirus.
- Malaria: Caused by a protozoan parasite from the Plasmodium genus.
- Typhoid: Caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi.
4. How does the duration of an illness help in classifying diseases?
Diseases are often classified by how long they last. Acute diseases, like the flu, appear suddenly and last for a short time. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis, develop more slowly and can last for a very long time, sometimes for life.
5. What are the main factors that cause non-infectious diseases?
Non-infectious diseases are typically caused by a combination of factors, including:
- Genetic factors: Inherited conditions like haemophilia.
- Lifestyle factors: Diet, physical activity, and habits that can lead to heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
- Environmental factors: Exposure to pollutants or radiation that may contribute to conditions like asthma or cancer.
6. What's the actual difference between the 'signs' and 'symptoms' of a disease?
While they seem similar, a symptom is a subjective experience reported by the patient, such as a headache or feeling tired, which cannot be measured directly. A sign, however, is an objective, observable indication of a disease that a doctor can see or measure, like a fever, a rash, or high blood pressure.
7. Why is it so important for doctors to correctly classify a disease?
Proper classification is crucial because it helps doctors understand the cause and likely progression of the illness. This is essential for choosing the correct treatment. For example, knowing a disease is bacterial (like strep throat) means antibiotics will work, whereas they would be useless for a viral disease like the common cold.
8. Can a disease be present from birth but also be caused by an infection?
Yes, this is possible. A congenital disease is any disease present at birth. While many are genetic, some can be caused by an infection passed from mother to child during pregnancy. A classic example is congenital rubella syndrome, where the rubella virus infects the foetus, causing birth defects.
9. If a disease is genetic, does that mean it will always be present at birth?
Not necessarily. While congenital diseases are present at birth, some genetic or hereditary diseases may only show signs and symptoms later in life. For example, Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder, but its symptoms typically do not appear until a person is in their 30s or 40s.
10. How can lifestyle choices like diet and exercise lead to a non-infectious disease?
Lifestyle choices directly impact how our body systems function over time. A prolonged diet high in sugar and unhealthy fats, combined with a lack of physical activity, can strain the body's metabolic and cardiovascular systems. This can eventually lead to the development of non-infectious diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
