Diseases and Conditions
Diseases and conditions can affect anyone; there is no age, race, religion or gender that is more susceptible. They are physical ailments that affect your organs and are the result of infection, genetic deficiency or environmental stress. Diseases are different from conditions in that they are something that directly affects your organs or a part of you. A condition is a state of health or a physical illness.
Here are some examples:
- Diseases: HIV/AIDS, Mumps, Measles, Malaria, West Nile Virus
- Conditions: Obesity, Asthma, Allergies, Epilepsy
Symptoms are what indicate what kind of disease or condition you may have. However, some diseases don’t have any symptoms at all, making them a lot harder to diagnose. These types of diseases are relatively new and so there is much research to be done in order to classify their symptoms.
Facts
- Some diseases, like diabetes, can be inherited. The good news is that even though it may be in your family, there is a chance that it will not affect you.
- You can catch some diseases, like the flu or a cold. Other diseases, like heart disease or cancer, are not communicable and cannot be “caught” from someone else.
- Unfortunately, some diseases (like HIV/AIDS) cannot be cured. They can be treated so the person is able to go on with his or her life, but the disease will eventually kill him or her.
- The good news is that the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control is working hard every day to find cures for diseases that are presently incurable.
What You Can Do
- To ward off illnesses like a cold, take care of yourself. Eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.
- If you want to know more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle to avoid diseases, check out Health Canada’s site.
- Talking to your doctor, a nurse, or healthcare professional can also provide you with more information on how diseases and conditions develop and how you can avoid getting them.
Links
Canadian Health Network
Teens Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Medline Plus