WHAT IS A DISEASE?

A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, symptoms and deviant behaviors. Pathology is the study of diseases. The broader body of knowledge about diseases and their treatments is Medicine.

SYNDROMES, ILLNESS AND DISEASE

Medical usage sometimes distinguishes a disease, which has a known specific cause or etiology, from a syndrome, which is a collection of signs or symptoms that occur together. Illness, although often used to mean disease, can also refer to a person's perception of their health, regardless of whether they in fact have a disease. A person without any disease may feel unhealthy and believe he has an illness. Another person may feel healthy and believe he does not have an illness even though he may have dangerously high blood pressure, which may lead to a fatal heart attack or stroke.

IDENTIFYING A CONDITION AS A DISEASE

Identifying a condition as a disease, rather than simply a variation of human structure or function, could have significant social or economic implications (such as compensation for the victims). A condition may be considered to be a disease in some cultures or eras but not in others. To consider a syndrome to be a disease is a social value judgement. Even obesity is considered to be a disease in North America today, but not some decades ago, and not in some other countries.

CHECK OUR DATABASES

A - E

F - J

K - O

P - T

U - Z