HST Disease Test

Disease

• has specific, identifiable signs and symptoms with a known cause

Disorder

• Causes abnormality of function; may not have clearly defined symptoms

Communicable Disease

• Can spread from person to person (

• ex: influenza, pneumonia)

Non-communicable Disease

• Cannot spread between people

• (ex: heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma)

Acute Disease

• short duration,

• rapid onset

• (ex: common cold, food poisoning, strep throat)

Chronic Disease

• long duration,

• progresses slowly over time

• (ex: Diabetes, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease)

Hereditary/Genetic Disease

• passed down through genes from parents

• (ex: Down Syndrome, Sickle Cell Anemia, Hemophilia)

Congenital Disease

• present at birth,

• NOT ALWAYS INHERITED FROM PARENTS,

• can be caused by environmental factors during pregnancy.

Nutritional Diseases

• caused by nutritional deficiencies or excesses

• (ex: Scurvy; vitamin c deficiency)

Enviornmental Diseases

Caused by external environmental factors

Lifestyle Disease

• Primarily caused by unhealthy daily habits and behaviors

• (ex: Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity)

Degenerative Disease

• Progressive deterioration of tissues or organs over time

• (ex: Alzheimer’s disease)

Autoimmune Disease

• Occur when the immune system attacks the body’s own cells

• The body mistakenly identifies its own tissues as foreign

Zoonotic Disease

• Diseases that spread from animals to humans

• (ex: Rabies, bird flue, certain types of influenza)

Iatrogenic Diseases

• Caused by medical treatment or procedures

• Result of healthcare intervention

• (medication side effects, surgical complications)

Nosocomial Infections

• Acquired in hospital settings

• Hospital-acquired infections

Idiopathic Diseases

• Diseases with unknown or uncertain cause

• “Idiopathic” = we don’t know what causes it

Endemic Diseases

• Constantly present in a particular geographic area or population

• Regular, expected occurrence in a specific region

Epidemic

• Disease affects a large number of people within a community, region, or population

• Larger than normal expected cases

• Limited geographic area

Pandemic

• Disease outbreak that spreads across multiple countries or continents

• Global or widespread international occurrence

• (ex: Covid-19)

Carrier

• A person who can transmit a disease to others WITHOUT showing symptoms themselves

• Can spread disease while appearing healthy

Diagnosis

the process of identifying a disease

• Includes: physical examination, studying patient’s medical history, listening to patient’s description of illness, analyzing test results before prescribing treatment

• Does NOT include: prescribing treatment before analyzing results

Prognosis

• The predicted outcome of a disease

• Expected course and result of the illness

• “What will likely happen?"

Etiology

The cause or origin of a disease

• “Why did this happen?”

Syndrome

• A collection of signs and symptoms that occur together

• A group of related symptoms that characterize a condition

Pathogen

An organism that causes disease

• (ex: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites)

Incubation Period

• The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms

• The “silent” period after exposure but before feeling sick

Remission

• When disease symptoms decrease or disappear temporarily

• IMPORTANT: Does NOT mean the disease is completely cured

• Symptoms may return

Virulence

• The severity and rapid progression of disease

• How dangerous/aggressive the disease is

• Measure of a pathogen’s ability to cause disease

Complication

• A secondary condition that arises from the original disease

• Additional problem caused by the primary illness

Signs

• Objective and observable

• Can be measured or seen by healthcare providers

• ex: fever(measured temp), rash(visible), high blood pressure(measurable)

Symptoms

• Subjective and felt by the patient

• Reported by the patient but not directly observable

• ex: pain nausea, dizziness, fatiuge