Why Do We Fall Ill? Explore How Our Health Fails (2024)

Health

Health is one of the most crucial aspects of an individual’s life. Not being healthy or fit enough disables one from carrying out normal day-to-day activities.

Why do we fall ill? We can fall ill because of various reasons listed below:

  • One can fall ill if they dwell in a surrounding which has polluted air, water or harmful insects. Example: Malaria, Dengue

  • Lack of personal hygiene also causes diseases.

  • One’s economic condition can also be instrumental in determining a person’s well-being

  • We could fall ill due to compromises in our immune system, this can also give rise to various autoimmune diseases

  • Mental health has an impact on physical health. For instance, clinical depression can cause loss of appetite and weight loss.

Significance Of Health

Time and again we keep hearing about how important it is to be healthy and what could possibly be the consequences of not taking care of oneself, let us understand why it is important to stay healthy.

Diseases

An abnormal condition affecting an organism is known as a disease. These are medical conditions that involve a pathological process associated with some specific symptoms.

Every disease has an origin. But there are certain diseases that are difficult to diagnose because of the confusing symptoms. The diseases may be autoimmune, bacterial, cancerous, digestive, sexually transmitted, etc. Theycan be cured by a number of strategies such as antibiotics, other medications and surgeries.

Antibiotics are the drugs that block the biochemical pathways of bacteria that cause diseases. These do not work against viral infections because the viruses depend upon the biochemical mechanisms of the host.

Types of Diseases

We say we have fallen sick or have a disease when we feel there is something wrong with one of our organs or organ system. Due to this, the normal functioning of our body is affected. Our body gives hints when we have a disease. These signs are called symptoms. Some common symptoms are- headache, cold, cough, nausea etc.

Diseases can be of two types:

Acute diseases are the diseases which last for a short period of time, a day, a week or a few weeks. For example, Chickenpox, typhoid, common cold etc.

Chronic diseases are the diseases which last for a long time or even a complete human life. For example, Cancer, HIV etc.

Immediate causes of diseases can be of types:

  • Infectious causes: If microbes are the immediate cause of a disease, then they are categorized under infectious causes.

  • Non-Infectious causes: These are not caused by infectious agents or any external factors. Usually caused by internal factors. For example, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.

Means of Spread of Infectious Diseases

Diseases

Means of Spread

Common cold, Influenza, Tuberculosis

Air

Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis

Water

AIDS, Syphilis

Sexual Transmission

Rabies

Animals

Prevention of Diseases

Following are a few tips for healthy and disease-free living:

  1. Go for routine checkups. This helps in the early diagnosis of the disease and its treatment becomes easier. Therefore, make sure you go for health screening tests.

  2. Smoking affects the length and quality of life of a person. Quitting this habit can improve your quality of life and prevent your body from any severe infections.

  3. Exercising daily keeps you active. It energises your body and keeps you healthy.

  4. A balanced diet is the most important aspect in the prevention of diseases. Consuming nutritional and healthy food keeps you fit and prevents any diseases.

  5. Obesity is one of the major causes of increased cholesterol and heart problems. Reduction in weight can help you get rid of the risks of being ill.

Key Points on Why Do We Fall Ill

  • We fall ill because we live in an area with polluted surroundings or lack of personal hygiene.

  • It is very important to adopt certain strategies to stay healthy and prevent diseases.

  • One should remain active by exercising daily.

  • Eating healthy helps in the prevention of diseases.

  • Smoking and alcohol consumption are two of the reasons for the deteriorating health of an individual.

  • The mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin. Any imbalance in one immediately affects the other.

For more information on Why do we Fall Ill and related topics, keep visiting BYJU’S website or download BYJU’S app for further reference.

Related links:

Health And Diseases
Symptoms of Various Diseases
Why Do We Fall Ill? Explore How Our Health Fails (2024)

FAQs

Why do we fall ill short notes? ›

We can fall ill if we dwell in a surrounding that has polluted air, water or any harmful insects. For example, Dengue or Malaria. Lack of personal hygiene also causes numerous diseases. Mental health always has an impact on physical health.

What is the failure of health? ›

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

What are the 4 types of illness? ›

Death due to disease is called death by natural causes. There are four main types of disease: infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases (including both genetic diseases and non-genetic hereditary diseases), and physiological diseases.

What is illness and causes of illness? ›

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful organisms (pathogens) that get into your body from the outside. Pathogens that cause infectious diseases are viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and, rarely, prions. You can get infectious diseases from other people, bug bites and contaminated food, water or soil.

What happens when you fall ill? ›

Your immune system is your body's safeguard, when threatened with an illness it releases white blood cells to fight the infection. This battle between virus and white blood cells is the cause of symptoms and signs of sickness.

What is the difference between healthy and disease free? ›

Both healthy and being disease free are two states of normal human beings. A person is said to be healthy if he/she is in a state of complete physical, mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Disease free is a state of the absence of any discomfort in the human body.

How do you know if your health is failing? ›

From chronic fatigue to persistent mood swings – all these symptoms indicate more serious health conditions. Read on to find out other signs of poor health.
  • Rapid weight loss. ...
  • Mood swings. ...
  • Headache. ...
  • Fatigue. ...
  • Persistent cough. ...
  • Chest pain. ...
  • Mild or persistent fever. ...
  • Slow healing.
Nov 14, 2021

What is the main cause of health problems? ›

Health problems can be caused by a person's genetic make-up, lifestyle behaviours (e.g. smoking), exposure to toxic substances (e.g. asbestos) or other reasons. With multiple health problems, one illness or its treatment might lead to another.

What is the biggest problem in health? ›

The High Cost of Health Care

The problem: Perhaps the most pressing issue in health care currently is the high cost of care. More than 45% of American adults say it's difficult to afford health care, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, and more than 40% have medical debt.

What are the 3 stages of illness? ›

  • Key Points. The first phase is characterized by complete lack or very few symptoms. ...
  • Key Terms. ...
  • Stages of Disease. ...
  • STAGE 1: INCUBATION PERIOD. ...
  • STAGE 2: PRODROMAL PERIOD. ...
  • STAGE 3: ACUTE PERIOD. ...
  • STAGE 4: CONVALESCENCE PERIOD.
Dec 24, 2022

What are the four causes of illness? ›

Causes
  • Bacteria. These one-cell organisms are responsible for illnesses such as strep throat, urinary tract infections and tuberculosis.
  • Viruses. Even smaller than bacteria, viruses cause a multitude of diseases ranging from the common cold to AIDS.
  • Fungi. ...
  • Parasites.

What are 3 causes of ill health? ›

Smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use are leading risk factors driving the UK's high burden of preventable ill health and premature mortality.

What is natural cause of illness? ›

In simple terms, natural causes refer to internal factors — like a medical condition or a disease — as opposed to external factors, like trauma from an accident. In other words, natural causes could be anything from cancer to heart disease to diabetes.

Why did we fall ill? ›

Immediate cause: This is due to the organisms that enter our body and cause disease. Example, virus, protozoa, bacteria. Contributory cause: These are the secondary factors which lead these organisms to enter our body. Example, dirty water, unclean surrounding, contaminated food etc.

Why do we fall ill when we eat food which is not fresh? ›

When germs that cause food poisoning get into our systems, they can release toxins. These toxins are poisons (the reason for the name "food poisoning"), and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Usually, doctors use "food poisoning" to describe an illness that comes on quickly after eating contaminated food.

Why should you do when you fall ill? ›

When one falls ill one mus identify the cause of the discomfort and how it can be set right with rest and correct food. Safe home remedies could be tried and if no improvement is found, one should consult a doctor immediately.

What are the immediate and contributory causes of disease? ›

Immediate cause: The organisms that enter our body and cause the disease are termed as an immediate cause. For example, virus, bacteria, protozoa etc. Contributory cause: The secondary factors which led these organisms enter our body are termed as a contributory cause.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Wyatt Volkman LLD

Last Updated:

Views: 5746

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Wyatt Volkman LLD

Birthday: 1992-02-16

Address: Suite 851 78549 Lubowitz Well, Wardside, TX 98080-8615

Phone: +67618977178100

Job: Manufacturing Director

Hobby: Running, Mountaineering, Inline skating, Writing, Baton twirling, Computer programming, Stone skipping

Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.