A disease is a specific abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately caused by external injury. Diseases are often considered medical conditions associated with specific signs and symptoms. Diseases can be caused by external factors such as pathogens or internal problems. For example, internal problems with the immune system can lead to a variety of different illnesses, including immunodeficiency, hypersensitivity, allergies, and various forms of autoimmune disorders.
In humans, the term disease is often used to describe any condition that causes pain, discomfort, distress, social problems, or death to the affected individual, or to those in contact with that individual. In this broad sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, various symptoms, abnormal behaviors, and unusual changes in structure and function, while in other cases and for other purposes, these may be considered distinct categories. Diseases can affect people not only physically but also mentally, as suffering from and living with a disease can change a person's outlook on life.
Death due to disease is called death from natural causes. There are four main types of disease: infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases, and physiological diseases. Diseases can also be classified in other ways, such as communicable and non-communicable diseases. The most fatal diseases in humans are ischemic heart disease (blockage of blood flow), followed by stroke and COPD (lung disease). In developed countries, the diseases that cause the most illness are neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Pathology, the study of disease, includes the study of etiology, or causes.
Concept
In many cases, the terms disease, disorder, morbidity, sickness, and illness are used interchangeably; however, there are situations when certain terms are considered preferable.
Disease
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that disrupts the body's normal functioning. Therefore, diseases are associated with a malfunction of the body's normal homeostatic processes. Generally, the term is used specifically for infectious diseases, which are clinically evident illnesses caused by the presence of pathogenic microbial agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular organisms, and abnormal proteins called prions. Infections or colonizations that do not cause clinically evident disruptions to normal functioning, such as the presence of normal bacteria and yeast in the intestine, or passenger viruses, are not considered diseases. In contrast, an infection that is asymptomatic during its incubation period, but is expected to develop symptoms later, is generally considered a disease. Non-infectious diseases are all other diseases, including most cancers, heart disease, and genetic diseases.
Acquired Disease
An acquired disease is one that begins at some point in one's life; in contrast, a disease that is present from birth is called a congenital disease. Acquired may sound like it means "contagious," but it simply means acquired sometime after birth. It may also sound like it could mean a secondary disease, but an acquired disease can also be a primary disease.
Acute Illness
An acute illness is one that lasts for a short period of time (acute); this term can sometimes also mean a severe illness.
Chronic Condition or Chronic Disease
A chronic illness is one that persists over time, often for at least six months, but can also include illnesses that are expected to last a lifetime.
Congenital Disorder or Congenital Disease
A congenital disorder is one that is present at birth. It is often a genetic disease or disorder and may be inherited. It may also be the result of an infection transmitted directly from the mother, such as HIV/AIDS.
Genetic Disease
A genetic disorder or disease is caused by one or more genetic mutations. It is often inherited, but some mutations are random and new. Hereditary or Inherited Disease
A hereditary disease is a type of genetic disease caused by genetic mutations that are inherited (and can run in families).
Iatrogenic Disease
An iatrogenic disease or condition is one that results from medical intervention, whether as a side effect of treatment or an unintentional consequence.
Idiopathic Disease
The cause or source of an idiopathic disease is unknown. As medical science has advanced, many diseases with a completely unknown cause have had some aspects of their origin understood and therefore lost their idiopathic status. For example, when germs were discovered, it was discovered that they were caused by infections, but specific germs and diseases were not linked. In another example, it is known that autoimmunity causes some forms of diabetes mellitus type 1, although the specific molecular pathways through which this works are still not understood. It is also common to find that certain factors are associated with certain diseases; however, association does not necessarily imply causation. For example, a third factor may cause both the disease and its associated event.
Terminal Illness
A disease that cannot be cured. Terminal illnesses are not necessarily life-threatening, and sometimes the symptoms can be treated so that the disease has little or no impact on quality of life.
Primary Illness
A primary illness is an illness caused by the underlying cause of the disease, while a secondary illness is a sequela or complication resulting from the primary illness. For example, the common cold is a primary illness, while rhinitis could be a potential secondary illness or sequela. The doctor must determine which primary illness, cold, or bacterial infection is causing the patient's secondary rhinitis in order to prescribe antibiotics.
Secondary Illness
A secondary illness is a sequela or complication of a previous, underlying illness, which is called the primary illness or simply the root cause. For example, a bacterial infection can be primary, in which a healthy person comes into contact with the bacteria and becomes infected, or it can be secondary to a primary cause, which prepares the body for infection. For example, a primary viral infection that weakens the immune system can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. Similarly, a primary burn that creates an open wound can become an entry point for bacteria, leading to a secondary bacterial infection.
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