Topic - Health (5)

Health
2007
1. Introduction
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of an organism at both the cellular and social level. In the medical field , health is commonly defined as an organism's ability to succesfully respond to challenges and effectively restore and keep a so-called „state of balance “.
2. History

• Early hospitals
  

During the Middle Ages the hospital could serve other functions , such as an almshouse for the poor , or hostel for pilgrims. In ancient cultures , religion and medicine were linked . The earliest known institutions aiming to provide cure were Egyptian temples . Greek temples dedicatedto the healer-god, might admit the sick, who would wait for guidance from the god in a dream . The Romans adopted this worship.
The Sri Lankans are perhaps responsible for introducing theconcept ofdedicated hospitals to the world. According to an ancient chronicle, written in the 6th century A.D., a king had lying -in homes and hospitals built in various parts of the country . This is the earliest documentary evidencewe have of institutions built especially for the care of the sick anywhere in the world.
Institutions created to care for the ill also appeared early in India, China , the Persian Empire and Rome.

• Hospitals
  

Today , hospitals are usually funded by the state, health organisationseither for profit or for non-profit, by health insurances or by charities and by donations. Earlier before , they were often founded and funded by religious orders orcharitable individuals and leaders. Nowadays , hospitals are staffed by professional physicians, surgeons and nurses, whereas in history, this work was usually done by the founding religious orders or by volunteers. The best -known type of hospital is the general hospital which is set up to deal with immediate threats to health and the capacity to dispatch emergency medical services . A general hospital is typically the major health care facility in its region , with large numbers of beds for intensive care and long- term care and specialized facilities for surgery , plastic surgery, childbirth and so on.
The specialized hospitals include trauma centres , children 's hospitals, seniors' hospitals and hospitals for dealing with specific medical needs such as psychiatric problems. A hospital may be a single building or a campus. Some are affiliated with universities for medical research and the training of medical personnel.
3. The National Health Service
The National Health Service is a publicly funded health care system. The NHS provides the majority of healthcare in the United Kingdom, from general practitioners to hospitals,long-term healthcareand dentistry. It was founded in 1948 and has become an important part of British culture and everyday life. The NHS is controlled by the UK government .Some of their agencies have influence in other parts of the United Kingdom but the service is mainly known simply as NHS. The NHS has recently been the target of criticism over the years . Examples of such are: the length of waiting lists for consultations and surgical procedures; the lack of availability of various treatments either due to long waiting lists or lack of professionals willing to treat NHS patients and leading to people seeking private treatment in cheaper countries overseas.
4. Diseases
In humans , disease is often used more broadly to refer to any condition thatcauses discomfort, dysfunction, distress or death to the person affected . In broader sense , it sometimes includes injuries , disabilities, disorders , syndromes and infections.
Many different factors may cause disease. Examples of such are genetic defects or nutritional deficiencies. The reasons that may cause disease can be broadly categorized into the following categories like social, psychological, chemical and biological . Some of them may fall into more than one category . Some diseases are contagious or infectious. Infectious diseases can be transmitted by any of a variety of mechanisms, including aerosols produced by coughs and sneezes, bybites of insects or other carriers of the disease, and from contaminated water or food.
5. First aid
There are three main aims of first aid and they are:

• preserve life
  
• prevent further injury
  
• promote recovery
  

In addition , some may add a 4th 'P' – protect yourself, although this is not an aim of providing first aid and some would consider that it is covered by 'Prevent further injury'. Much of first aid is common sense and people are almost certain to learn some elements as they go through their life. Such as knowing to put on a plaster to a cut on a finger ). However , effective life saving first aid needs training by experts, especially where it relates to possibly fatal illnesses and injuries. To be adequately trained , a person must pass a course , but then due to regular changes in procedures and protocols, must attend regular courses in order to ensure they are doing the best for their patient .
6. Medicine and elements of medical care
Medicine is the art of healing. The modern practice of medicine occurs between the art of healing and various sciences. Medicine is a branch of the health sciences and is the part of public life concerned with keeping or restoring human health through the study , diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of disease and injury. Broadly speaking, the term refers to the fields of surgery, clinical medicine and medical research. Medical care consists of three main elements: 1) the diagnosis 2) the treatment of disease 3) the promotion of health and prevention of disease. First of all, every health problem requires a diagnosis. To identify the disease, doctors use tools and devices and ask the patients about their previous illnesses. Samples of blood and urine are sent to laboratories for analysis to determine the disease. Ultrasound scanners, X-ray machines etc. are used by doctors for necessary information for treatment.
People usually recover from minor illnesses without special treatment. In serious cases a doctor may prescribe drugs, surgery or other treatment. In case of surgery a patient must go to the hospital where they receive around -the-clockcare from doctors, nurses and other skilled workers . Many hospitals have intensive care units with devices to keep constant watch over patients. Patients who do not have to be hospitalized, go to the outpatient clinic to see the doctor. Doctors can be divided into two main groups: 1) general practitioners 2) specialists . GP’s provide care for every member of the family,regardless of age. Other doctors specialize in a particular field of medicine. Neurologists specialize in disorders of the nervous system, psychiatrists treat mental illnesses, oncologists specialize in treatment of tumors in the body etc.
Doctors help promote health and prevent disease in various ways . For example, they vaccinate people against such diseases as polio, hepatitis, tuberculosis, measles and others . Doctors can prevent many diseases from becoming serious by diagnosing them in early stages. For this reason , regular checkups with the doctor are necessary. People must also eat a balanced diet and get enough rest and exercise . Screening programs help diagnose diseases that carry a high risk of death. For example cancer.
7. Doctors
Doctors are people who practice some type of human biological medicine. Doctors are usually considered to be members of a learned profession because of the extensive training requirements and also because of the occupation ’s special ethical and legal duties.
Different doctors specialize in different fields of medicine. For example, there are chiropractors who deal with neurological, skeletal, or soft tissue problems. There are osteopaths, pediatrics and oncologists. Famous doctors include: Avicenna , Hippocrates (who is also referred to as „The Father of Medicine”), Jonas Salk etc.
8. Ways of keeping healthy
Keeping healthy is not just avoiding being ill but it is a sense of genereal well-being, getting physical, emotional and social factors in balance. Stress is a part of most peoples ’ everyday life. Some stress is useful, some not. The body is equipped to respond to emergencies but if the stress goes on for a long time, the body can become unbalanced with lots of signs of ill health, such as headaches, digestive problems, emotional disturbances and so on. Other lifestyle habits are often as a result of stress, such as drinking alcohol and smoking .
Also, eating an unbalanced diet and not getting enough exercise can cause weight gain and poor health. Having a balanced diet mainlyof unprocessed starchy and high fibre foods , fruit and vegetables, some meats, milk and milk products and a small amount of food and drinks containing fat and sugar will help mainain a healthy weight and may prevent cardiac diseases and forms of cancer related to diet. By having a varied diet, including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, the human will receive a range of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. It is also possible to have a healthy dies containing no animal products at all.
Carrying out a minimum of thirty minutes of exercise a day will help use up extra energy from food which will otherwise be stored in the body as fat. Like a balanced diet, the addition of exercise can maintain a healthy weight, help prevent some diseases and strengthen bones.
9. My illnesses
I don’t have any serious illnesses, now when to think about it. A couple of years ago I had either atrial systole or ventricular systole, I’m not sure . To make a long story short, it can be described as the heart makes an extra beat every once in a while .
10. Conclusion
Nowadays it is possible to cure, prevent or control many diseases, New drugs and treatments add years to the lives of the patients. As the result of medical progress in the recent years, people have a longer life expectancy than they ever had in the past.