Health and Hygiene

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. Thus, being healthy includes three spheres: physical, mental and social well being.

Following are the differences between good health and being disease-free:

Diseases can be prevented by maintaining personal and community hygiene and avoiding unhealthy habits and lifestyle. Following are the general methods of preventing communicable diseases:

1. By preventing exposure to infectious microbes
   1. To prevent exposure to air-borne microbes, live in healthy and hygienic conditions.
   2. To prevent water-borne infections, drink clean and safe drinking water.
   3. To prevent vector-borne infections, clean your surrounding so that the disease-carrying vectors do not flourish there.
2. By providing proper and sufficient food
   1. The functioning of the immune system is dependent upon the type of nutrients the body receives. Thus, eating proper and sufficient food is very necessary for prevention of a disease.

Our body has several natural defences such as skin, white blood cells and mucous to ward off infections.

• Tears wash away germs from the eyes.
• Mucous lining in the nasal cavity traps germs to purify inhaled air.
• Leucocytes (WBCs) in blood attack invading germs.
• Strong acid in stomach kill many germs in food.
• Skin acts as a barrier and keeps out most germs.

Besides these natural defences, the body has a special system of defence known as the immune system. When a microbe enters a person's body, specific antibodies are produced in the blood to fight it. These antibodies provide natural resistance to the body against that particular microbe.

Alcohol consumption — Alcoholic drinks slow down brain activity and weaken its control system when taken in large quantities. It also damages the liver by causing liver cirrhosis.

Drug addiction — Narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana and opium are harmful substances that can lead to addiction. Once a person starts consuming drugs, a condition of either physical or psychological dependence is produced. During physical dependence, the body requires a continuos supply of drug to be effective. This is called addiction. An overdose of drugs can severely depress the central nervous system with respiratory failure leading to death.

First aid for insect bites-

1. Keep the person calm and remove the sting with the help of tweezers. With the help of an adult, scrap the area on the skin with a blunt knife. Do not cut.
2. Wash the area with soap and cold water. Apply oil or vaseline and cover the area with a sterile gauze.
3. Apply ice on the area swollen due to the sting.

First aid for poisonous snake bites-

1. The patient should be kept calm as panic enhances the heartbeat rate, which circulates the venom faster in the body.
2. All snakebites should be considered as poisonous and treated quickly.
3. The wound should be cleaned with an antiseptic lotion. Potassium permanganate should not be used.
4. To limit the spread of venom, bandage the bitten limb with splint and immobilize it.
5. Do not give any food, water or alcoholic drink to the victim as it will increase his metabolic rate.
6. Try to draw out the venom within 5 minutes of the bite.

No, good health and being free from diseases do not mean the same. Health refers to a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. A healthy person is always energetic and disease-free whereas a disease-free person may not necessarily be healthy or energetic.

Five communicable diseases are:

1. Influenza
2. Measles
3. Malaria
4. Dengue
5. AIDS

The disease causing microorganisms are called pathogens or germs.

The virus which causes AIDS is Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV). The full form of AIDS is Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome

Two common vectors which help in the transmission of diseases are:

1. Mosquitoes
2. Houseflies

Following first aid should be given to a person bitten by a poisonous snake:

1. The patient should be kept calm as panic enhances the heartbeat rate, which circulates the venom faster in the body.
2. All snakebites should be considered as poisonous and treated quickly.
3. The wound should be cleaned with an antiseptic lotion. Potassium permanganate should not be used.
4. To limit the spread of venom, bandage the bitten limb with splint and immobilize it.
5. Do not give any food, water or alcoholic drink to the victim as it will increase his metabolic rate.
6. Try to draw out the venom within 5 minutes of the bite.

The vaccine given against tuberculosis is BCG (Bacillus of Calmette-Guerin).

The immediate help given to a person before formal treatment in case of an accident or sudden illness is called first aid.

plague

Reason — Plague is bacterial while others are viral.

malaria

Reason — Malaria is protozoan disease while others are viral.

1. Dengue can be controlled by mosquito control.
2. In AIDS, body loses its power to fight against diseases.

Organisms which cannot be seen with naked eyes are called microorganisms. Disease-causing microorganisms are called germs. Because of small size, the viruses can easily be transmitted from one person to another through a sneeze as an air-borne infection. Plasmodium is a protozoan which causes malaria and is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito. Rabies is a viral disease which is spread by the bite of a dog. All the diseases which are caused by the microorganisms are called communicable diseases.

Fungus causes ringworm in human beings.

BCG vaccine is given to children as a preventive measure against tuberculosis.

AIDS is caused by Human Immuno-deficiency virus.

The administration of a weakened pathogen to stimulate the immune system to develop resistance against that pathogen is called vaccination.

Bites of poisonous snakes can only be treated with anti-venom serum.

A fracture is a crack in the bone which requires immediate medical attention.

The disease he is suffering from is AIDS. This disease is viral disease caused by Human Immuno-deficiency virus. AIDS could have been prevented by:

1. Screening of blood before transfusion.
2. Avoiding sharing and reuse of blades, needles and syringes and surgical instruments.
3. Avoiding pregnancy if mother is HIV positive.
4. Safe sex.
5. Educating people.

The child will be protected against Tuberculosis by BCG vaccine. He will be protected against Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough) and Tetanus by DPT vaccine.

The correctly matched pairs are:

HIV — viral disease

Malaria — protozoan disease

infectious diseases

Reason — The diseases which spread from infected person to healthy persons are called communicable diseases or infectious diseases.

Malaria

Reason — Malaria is spread by female anopheles mosquito.

filariasis

Reason — Filariasis is caused by Whuchereria bancrofti (roundworm).

plague

Reason — Yersinia pestis is the causative bacteria of plague. Rat flea acts as its vector and infect rats. Infected rats when come in contact with human beings transmit it to them.

Plague

Reason — Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria.

rabies

Reason — Rabies is a viral disease which is caused due to bite of infected dogs.

HIV

Reason — Human Immuno-deficiency virus causes AIDS which leads to the break down of immune system.

immunization

Reason — The process of making a person immune to a particular disease is called immunization.