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Health
Diseases can be classified into various categories. Infectious
diseases are caused by pathogenic organisms, as described previously. Two
examples in this category are pulmonary tuberculosis, and measles.
| Disease |
Symptoms |
How it is spread |
Type |
Methods
of controlling disease |
| Measles
|
fever,
catarrh, puffy eyelids, rash inside mouth, fever, skin rash, in malnourished children
you get: blindness, brain damage, death |
airborne
droplets |
Virus |
MMR
vaccine in UK - needs booster treatment elimination of poverty &
overcrowding and dirty conditions |
| Pulmonary
tuberculosis (TB) |
no
symptoms in early stages; later: fever, loss of weight, damage to lungs - chest pain, sometimes a
persistent cough |
inhalation
(airborne droplets from cough/sneeze), or drinking infected milk |
bacteria |
antibiotic
streptomycin may cure infections ( 6-12 month course); elimination of
poverty &overcrowding; pasteurisation of milk, chest x-rays, BCG injections |
In
1995 TB killed more people worldwide than any other disease. Other 1995
estimates include: worldwide incidence of TB - 9 million cases (5000 in UK) -
death 3 million. The
emergence of strains with multiple resistance to antibiotics is likely to
present an increasing problem. Measles 1993 estimates: 45 million cases,
1.16 million deaths.
| Category
of disease |
symptoms |
examples |
| Degenerative
|
gradual
decline in body functions |
coronary
heart disease, MS |
| Physiological
|
abnormal
functioning of body |
heart
problems, sickle cell anaemia |
| Dietary
|
deficiency
(absence) of substances in diet |
scurvy
(vitamin C) anaemia (iron) |
| Environmental
|
due
to chemical/physical influences in environment |
asbestosis,
asthma, lung cancer |
| Inherited
|
genetic
"fault"- passed on from one generation to next - perhaps by
"carriers" |
haemophilia,
cystic fibrosis, Huntington's |
Is
there a problem with this way of classifying diseases? Some diseases fit in
more than one category.
Drugs
A drug is a chemical that has an
effect on the body. Everybody thinks that drugs are just the illegal sort.
But they also include useful medicines and also legal drugs.
Illegal drugs
The drugs that society decides are dangerous
or addictive are made illegal. Using
these drugs is a crime. These are the ‘street’ drugs (cannabis, cocaine and
heroin for example). Different societies at various times have different
views on which drugs should be illegal. The rules in the UAE are similar to
those in the UK but the prison sentances are stiffer! Also the powers to test
whether you have taken a drug are more strict in the UAE.
Legal drugs
The most obvious are the medicinal drugs,
such as Penicillin, that are designed to deal with medical conditions.
These are always rigorously tested, checked and their use reviewed. However
other substances in common usage are drugs too:
Caffeine is a widely used drug,
but its overuse can cause tissue damage. Likewise tobacco
and alcohol are legal drugs in most
countries. Yet they too can have serious health effects. In the UAE you
need special licences to buy alcohol and you are only allowed to drink it in
certain places. Tobacco is widely available in the form of cigars and cigarettes
and shisha. Some people think that shisha is safe and not the same a cigarettes.
It is addictive and causes cancer in the same way (Oh, yes it does!!!) Drugs
that affect our nervous systems and
our mood can become addictive or habit-forming.
However the word “addictive” is often seen as just relating to illegal
drugs. Therefore the word dependence
is seen as a better alternative.
| Chemical
dependence |
Psychological
dependence |
| This is where the body
itself adapts to the presence
of the drug. When the chemical is removed the body is no longer able
to function normally. The body then goes into withdrawal
symptoms such as hallucinations, fevers, nausea (feeling sick)
and shakes. These are real, physical signs. Another term for chemical
dependence is physiological
dependence. Physiology is how the body functions
normally. |
This form of dependence is where the person feels
a need for the drug. They may also feel unable to cope
without the drug. For example, some smokers need to chew sweets after they
give up because they miss having a cigarette in their mouths. |
There are different types of drugs - classified by their effect on the body:-
| Stimulants |
A stimulant is a drug that increases
the activity
of the nervous
system. It can raise the alertness, emotions or mood. Caffeine
is a mild stimulant found in tea and coffee. It is pretty harmless
and most peoples' lives are not affected by it. Prolonged overuse
may lead to problems with the heart, stomach and pancreas. Amphetamine
and methedrine are stronger
stimulants. They induce a feeling of boundless energy but there is a
deep depression after their use. People think that they are performing
better than they actually are. The person rapidly becomes dependent and
needs the drugs to maintain the highs. Continued usage can lead to
personality changes and serious depression. |
| Depressants |
Depressants reduce the activity
of the nervous system.
They slow down your responses and make you sleepy. Alcohol
and barbiturates can cause
slowed reaction times and poor judgement of speed and distance. They
can lead to increased risk of accidents. Barbiturates are used as
tranquillisers. Overdosing can stop you breathing. Not a good
idea. |
| Hallucinogens |
A hallucination is a weird
interpretation of the world around you. LSD
and Ecstasy can cause these,
usually only with higher doses of Ecstasy. At lower doses Ecstasy gives a
feeling of boundless energy and universal love, but this mood –changing
effect can lead to a growing dependence. The feeling of energy leads to a
danger of overheating, dehydration and collapse. |
| Solvents |
These include a variety of chemicals found in everyday things like
paint, glue and gas canisters. They affect your nervous system and
heart. Solvents can cause
hallucinations and can have very serious effects on body and personality.
They cause damage to the kidneys, lungs, brain and liver.
There is also a high risk of sudden death. |
| Pain killers |
These are useful medical drugs used by doctors to control patients’
pain. They stop the impulses from pain receptors and neurones
reaching the brain. However they are often misused and lead to strong
dependence and physical deterioration. Also their cost on the street
leads many into committing crime to be able to afford to buy them. Heroin
and morphine are powerful
painkillers. They provide a feeling of sleepiness and calm when
first taken. Over time the person loses all motivation. They
fail to look after themselves and rapidly deteriorate physically and
mentally. Falling into crime is a major problem. Aspirin
is also a painkiller, a very mild one. However, people do overdose
on it, usually accidentally. It has harmful effects, including
stomach bleeding. |
| Alcohol |
In many cultures alcohol has
a welcome and socially acceptable place. In limited use it helps to
relax us. However if misused it has serious problems. Contrary
to popular belief, alcohol is a depressant.
Initially it depresses your inhibitions, but then it depresses your
consciousness and finally your essential functions. In other words,
it can kill you! The depressant effect leads to a loss of judgement that
can lead to accidents and taking life-threatening risks. It has a
poisonous effect on the brain, liver and other organs. Long-term abuse can
lead to cancer, memory loss and so on. It doesn’t help your sex
life either! Alcohol dependence can see a downward spiral into loss of
income, job, friends, family and life. |
| Tobacco |
Some see smoking as cool and grown up. However it is known to have very
serious health risks. It kills 20,000 people a year in
the UK alone. And you pay for the
privilege! If you spend 20dhs a week on tobacco it is costing
you 1,040dhs a year. If you then smoke from the age of 16 until 65, you
would have spent 51,000 dhs on the habit. That’s forgetting about
inflation! What about the health effects? The nicotine in tobacco affects
the nervous system and is strongly addictive but does not really effect
your mood. There’s no ‘high’. There are also hundreds of cancer-causing
chemicals in burning tobacco. These have been proved to cause lung
cancers, heart and circulation problems. The tar
from tobacco clogs up your lungs and stops them working properly.
This causes diseases like emphysema and bronchitis where the person has
trouble getting enough breath. The tar also stops the cilia that clear the
lungs of mucus and bacteria from working. So you develop a lovely
“smokers cough” with all that yucky stuff in it. Some say that smoking
helps keep them slim – but who wants to be slim, broke and smelly?
Kissing a smoker is like kissing an ashtray!! How lovely (NOT!). |
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