What is the difference between an illness and disease?

Home task

Say that you would like students to gather new information about illnesses and prepare

short presentation at home

Summary

~Illness should be prevented from the beginning

~Vocabulary should be practiced in communication

What is the difference between an illness and disease?

There is some difference between the usages of the terms, so you should be careful while using them.

Illness and disease both cause the same feelings of discomfort, pain or unease in people. However, an illness is more of a subjective feeling. This means that there is really no identifiable reason behind the condition. If the condition behind the illness is identified, it is more often referred to as a disease. However, in more generalized terms, we can define an illness as a state where the person has feelings of pain or discomfort that does not have an identifiable reason.

A disease refers to a condition where the body or the parts of the body of a person does not work properly. There is usually a pathological reason behind the condition.

Pathogens are those agents that may cause a disease in a person. For instance; there may be a bacterial or a viral attack on some part of the body that causes feelings of pain and discomfort in the person. It may also include such pain or discomfort that is caused by a particular malfunctioning of the body due to other factors.

In medical terms, a disease is described as an abnormal condition in any organism that obstructs its bodily function. It may, in rare cases, even cause the death of the person concerned. If we use it in a broader sense, it may even refer to disabilities and injuries, infections and deviant behavior. It is important to note that even the brain is a human organ, and is therefore prone to illnesses and disease. The main effect of a disease is felt when a particular organ of the body or the body as a whole fails to maintain its condition of balance and stability. This condition is referred to in medical terms as homeostasis.

It is important to note that both illness and disease result in more or less the same symptoms. However, an illness can be cured in most cases. For instance, cold, flu or gastrointestinal diseases can be cured by treatment. However, there are a number of diseases that cannot be cured. In medical terms, both are undesirable, as they interfere with the state of homeostasis.



Illnesses vocabulary in pictures

toothache:  a pain in the tooth.

backache:  pain in the back.

headache:  pain in the head.

sore shoulder:  pain in the shoulder muscle.

sinus pressure:  when the sinuses are swollen. It is common to have a headache with the sinuses are swollen.

have a fever / have a temperature:  to have a higher than normal body temperature.

seasonal allergies:  an allergic reaction to pollen in the air. Symptoms include watery or itchy eyes and nose, coughing, sneezing.

dizziness / feeling dizzy:  a feeling that everything is turning around and that you might fall down or feel nauseous.

heartburn:  a painful feeling in the chest when the body is having difficulty digesting food.

stomachache / upset stomach (nauseous):  pain in the stomach / feeling like you might vomit (throw up).

diarrhea:  an illness where your body very frequently passes waste in more of a liquid than solid form

broken bones:  bones that have been fractured or broken and are usually set in a cast to keep the bone in place while it heals.

bruise:  a dark area and painful area on the skin where the body has been hurt.

Case study :

How do you cheer yourself up when you’re feeling sad? What tips can you share with others?

One of the best ways I cheer myself up is by talking to myself like a stereotypical comedy where the main character is talking to the mirror, hyping himself up for a date. That’s my secret when people ask me to share my methods on how to cheer yourself up.

Every so often I would have these periods of sadness where I’d be beating myself up, feeling sorry for myself, and feeling like I’m alone. Sound familiar? I’m willing to bet many of you have had this happen often as well.

If you want to learn how to cheer yourself up, you wouldn’t worry about how ridiculous you sound or look. You’d take the time to talk to yourself about:

Why you’re amazing

“Vincent, what the hell are you doing? You’ve got a great life. You’ve grown so much in just the past two years alone, made progress that people would struggle to make in years, and you can approach any beautiful woman you want with sure confidence and get a number (or get shot down without caring.) Plus, you’ve got a love of life that people often lose somewhere along the way.”

The things you have

“You’ve got it easy in college, you’ve got great friends, Self Stairway, your internships, your work as a content marketer, and so much more. You’re brilliant and confident. You exude this aura of magnetism not many people you know can claim to be able to do the same. Most importantly, you’ve got the knowledge that self-improvement is a constant work-in-progress.” 

The future-you will be okay

“Why are you so hung up on this right now, Vincent? You know, you’re going to be okay 10 months from now. So is it worth beating yourself up right now? You’ve gone through this before and you’ve come out on the other side. Same thing here.”

This is one of the most effective parts of the self-talk. During the pacing around the house, I try to project the future of my mood, my feelings, my thoughts, and everything else.

Last time you felt this way (and survived)

 “Hey, Vincent, you smug bastard. Don’t you remember the last time you went through these exact thought processes? Dude, you got through all that. Don’t you remember? You got through it all then came out even better. Guess what? The same thing will happen soon.”