General Health & Illness Concepts

health

a state of complete, physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

illness

the unique response of a person to the disease; an abnormal process involving changed level of functioning

disease

medical term, referring to pathologic changes in the structure or function of the body or mind

wellness

an active state of being healthy by living a lifestyle promoting a good, physical, mental, and emotional health

acute illness

generally has a rapid onset of symptoms and lasts only a relatively short time; person usually returns to normal functioning after being treated

chronic illness

broad term that encompasses many different physical and mental alterations in health. usually has a slow onset and may have periods of remission and exacerbation

characteristics of chronic illness

a permanent change. causes or is caused by irreversible alterations in normal anatomy and physiology. requires special education for rehabilitation. requires a long period of care.

heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, and unintentional injury

what are the 5 leading causes of death

age, genetic factors, physiologic factors, health habits, lifestyle, environment

risk factors for illness

stage 1 - experiencing symptoms

• Recognize that they’re sick (feel symptoms that they identify as being in an unhealthy state)

• Pain is most common symptom of illness

  • Can be rash, fever, bleeding, cough, stuffy nose

  • If symptoms last a short time, person usually takes no further action

stage 2 - assuming the sick role

• Seek validation from other people and give up normal activities 

• Heavy focus on symptoms and bodily functions

• Depends on individual’s health beliefs and practices are 

  • b/c someone can choose to do nothing

  • Look up on Google, go to CVS/Walgreens for OTC medicine, alternative remedies, seek healthcare advice for proper treatment/dx

stage 3 - assuming the dependent role

• After seeking help from healthcare provider and get their dx, their illness becomes legitimate, becomes a patient and enters stage 3

• Accepting the dx, follow treatment plan

• Seek second opinion

• Disease severity determines if lack of independence of need of hospitalization 

  • Goal is patient gets better and everyone resumes their normal roles

stage 4 - achieving recovery and rehabilitation

• May begin in hospital or rehab setting

• Most people complete this stage at home

  • If plan includes education then they actually return to a higher level of functioning or health

physical dimension

Genetic inheritance (down’s syndrome, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, color blindness), age, developmental (high risk for drowning) level, race (sickle cell), and gender (breast cancer)

emotional dimension

how the mind affects body function and reponds to body conditions

intellectual dimension

• Cognitive abilities, educational background, and past experiences

  • Can influence responses to teaching about health and reactions to nursing care during illness

environmental dimension

Housing, sanitation, climate, pollution of air, food, and water

sociocultural dimension

Economic, lifestyle, family, and culture

spiritual dimension

spiritual beliefs and values

primary (health promotion+prevention)

Health promotion, teaching healthy diet, exercise, helmets, seatbelts, facemasks

secondary (screening)

Identifying illness, reducing or reversing severity, bringing them back to regular health ASAP

tertiary (treatment)

After illness is diagnosed and is treated with a goal to help rehabilitate patients to a maximum level of functioning

health-illness continuum

one way to conceptualize a person’s level of health; views health as a constantly changing state

stress

condition where the human system changes in its normal balanced state

stressor

anything perceived as challenging

internal stressors

illness, hormonal changes, fear

external stressors

loud noises, cold temp

local adaptation syndrome (LAS)

involves only one specific body part (such as tissue or organ) instead of the whole body, localized response of the body to stress

reflex pain response

protective mechanism (ex. hot stove=hand going away after contact)

inflammatory response

local response to injury or infection

generalized adaptation syndrome

biochemical mode of stress; general response to stress; large stressors than just one body part

alarm reaction

• Short-term stage (minutes to hours)

• Perceive stressor and defense mechanism is going to activate

• Body is prepared to react at this point

  • Increased energy, cardiac output, BP, mental alertness

stage of resistance

• Body is going to try and adapt to stressor

• Going to try and repair itself until it reaches the pre-stress state

• Normal vitals, hormone levels

  • Regains homeostasis or adaptive mechanisms fail

stage of exhaustion

• Adaptive mechanisms are exhausted

• Body either rests and mobilizes its defenses to return to normal or dies

  • Can lead to panic or crisis

anxiety

• Vague uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread (source is unknown or not specific)

  • Usually before new experiences

mild anxiety

day to day living

moderate anxiety

•  (narrows a person’s perceptual fields the focus is on immediate concerns, with inattention to other communications and details)

  • Increase respirations and pulse rates

severe anxiety

• (very narrow focus on specific details, causing all behavior to be geared toward getting relief)

  • Impaired learning ability, easily distracted, extreme fear, fear of a danger that isn’t real

panic anxiety

• (causes the person to lose control and experience dread and terror)

  • Poor motor control, sweating, tachycardia, hyperventilation, choking sensation, chest pain or pressure, unable to learn/concentrate unless it’s on present situation, impending doom, exhaustion and death

coping mechanisms

behaviors used to decrease anxiety

attack behavior

• Overcome obstacles to satisfy a need

• Can be constructive

• Assertive problem solving skill

  • Destructive and have feelings and actions of maybe aggression/hostility

withdrawal behavior

• Physical withdrawal from the threat

• Emotional reactions where they’re admitting defeat

• Becoming apathetic

  • Can feel guilty/isolated

compromise behavior

• usually constructive in nature

• Involve maybe substitution of goals

  • Negotiations to partially fulfill one’s needs

denial

refusing to acknowledge the presence of a condition that is disturbing

displacement

• transferring/displacing an emotional reaction from one object or person to another object or person

projection

• Attributing your own thoughts or impulses onto somebody

rationalization

• Justify behavior

  • Logical or socially acceptable behavior

regression

• Returns to an earlier method of behaving

repression

• Voluntarily exclusion of an anxiety producing event from conscious awareness

general tasks

maintaining self esteem and personal relationships

illness related tasks

• Handling pain and disability, and carrying out medical regimen

situational source of stress

Illness, trauma, marriage or divorce, losses (limb, loved one), new job, role changes

developmental source of stress

Experience throughout growth and development - birth to old age

personal factors that affect stress

Physiologic reserve, genetics, epigenetic changes, psychosocial factors