Higher Education and the Promotion of Health - Essay Example

MAINTAINING HEALTH by + Table of Contents I.FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL HEALTH 3 Biological factors 3 Environmental factors 3 Individual lifestyle 4 Geographical factors 4 II.WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY 4 Diet 4 Exercise 5 Avoiding stress 5 III.BROADER CONCERNS ABOUT MAINTAINING HEALTH 5 IV.HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MAINTAINING HEALTH 6 I. FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL HEALTH Biological factors Some diseases are passed on from the parent to the child through the genes. The parent may be having a certain gene anomaly that may lead to the development of a certain disease such as mental illness. The gene anomaly, when passed down to the child, may cause the child to have the same disease that the parent had. The most common inherited disease is the sickle-cell anemia, which is caused by disorders that affect the hemoglobin. The disease is common among individuals whose lineage come from Mediterranean countries, Africa and Spanish- speaking regions in South America. “Some illnesses are highly transmittable and can be passed on by touching an infected person or by getting in contact with the body fluids of the infected person” (Eddy, 1994). When the fluids of an infected person comes in contact with another the disease causing micro-organisms get transmitted to the other person. The other individual gets infected by the micro-organisms and becomes ill. Environmental factors Most of the causes of diseases are related directly to the environment where the individual lives or has visited. Environmental factors that cause diseases include the air that one breathes, food that one eats and the water than one drink. The air that one breathes may be contaminated by viruses that are airborne and may lead to the individual becoming ill. An example of an airborne disease is tuberculosis which is easily spread by air especially in crowded areas. Some individuals are allergic to specific foods, and if they take them by mistake, they become ill. Some diseases are waterborne, and if individuals take water that is contaminated they are a high risk of becoming ill. An example of a waterborne disease is cholera which greatly affects young children. Individual lifestyle Some diseases are caused by certain individual lifestyles such as eating habits. Eating foods that have high cholesterol levels and not engaging oneself in activities that help burn the cholesterol may lead to obesity and cardiac complications. Eating foods that have high sugar content may lead to high blood pressure and other related diseases. Some individuals have a lifestyle where they engage themselves in unprotected sex. Having unprotected sex is a very risky behavior as it makes one highly susceptible to contract sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Individuals who drink too much alcohol put themselves at a risk of getting a liver cirrhosis, and they need to reduce greatly or stop the intake of alcohol. “One needs to have a lifestyle that does not affect one’s health” (Naido and willis, 2010). Geographical factors People leaving in swampy areas are prone to be infected with water-borne diseases when they drink the contaminated water or come into contact with it. The water in the swamp may be polluted as it flows towards the swampy regions caring substances that may cause disease. For example cholera which is spread by taking contaminated water. II. WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY Diet Some individuals have a lifestyle where they eat too much of foods that contain substances such as high cholesterol and sugar that may cause disease in their body. Such individuals need to change their diet to prevent them from getting ill or help them recover from illness caused by such eating habits. “We all need to eat a healthy diet that consist of all essential nutrients required in the body in the right proportions” (Anon, 2015). What is considered a healthy diet differs depending on the condition in which one is. A healthy individual would not eat the same food as one who is recovering from a disease as they would have nutrients in different proportions. A balanced diet should have proteins carbohydrates and vitamins. Protein is essential to our body for building our body and replacing worn out body tissues. We also need carbohydrates which are broken down to produce energy in our body and vitamins to help the body increase its immune system. Some individuals who are obese could use gastric bands that help to reduce consumption of food and in turn maintains health. A gastric band surgery is done on the obese patients where the inflatable band is put around the higher part of the stomach to make a smaller stomach pouch. The band limits the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. Exercise We need to engage ourselves in activities that help burn calories in the body and breakdown the excess sugar into energy. Burning the calories and breaking down excess sugar prevent them from accumulating and being stored as fat that may later cause ill health. “Exercise deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and help the cardiovascular system work more effectively which reduces the risk of cardiac arrest “(Eddy, 1994). Exercising also stimulates brain chemicals that leave one feeling happy and relaxed hence improving one’s mood. Avoiding stress Stress may make one feel fatigued and irritable for no apparent reason, and chronic stress instigates wear and tear on one’s body. Stress may also make an existing issue worse. Reducing stress levels makes one feel better and also protect one’s health. III. BROADER CONCERNS ABOUT MAINTAINING HEALTH Good health is vital to human happiness and welfare. It likewise gains a critical commitment to the monetary ground, as healthy people live longer and will be more beneficial. Social health also has an impact on one’s physical health. Having good social relations makes one happy and is vital in maintaining good health. “Having good social health is important to an individual as well as to a nation” (Anon, 2015). How we relate with each other affects how we work together with each other which in turn affects the country’s economy. Bad relations with each other may cause stress that makes the body release enzymes that negatively affect our body and cause disease. Cultural health is largely involved in maintaining health. One learns to be more conscious of their cultural beliefs that lead to self-awareness, changed attitudes and beliefs that will turn into better health. Cultural health affects social health, and social health affects physical health. The National Health Service ensures that individuals are educated on how to take care of themselves to avoid contracting most of the diseases. It also educates people on what social factors affect their health and how to prevent themselves from becoming ill. IV. HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MAINTAINING HEALTH The Holistic model of health includes the use of medicine to treat a certain disease, educating the patient on how to prevent themselves from the disease and enabling the patient understand what social factors lead to the disease. A diabetic patient would have to inject insulin in his blood to break down the excess sugar in the blood. The patient also requires to be educated on what factors cause the disease and how to manage it by taking a healthy diet rich in fiber and whole grains, exercising and changing their lifestyle. Taking only insulin would not help the patient recover because the treatment of the disease includes changing one’s diet and lifestyle and exercising. An omission of each of these would still lead to the disease. If the patient has a lifestyle of smoking tobacco but takes a diet rich in fiber and exercises he still puts himself at risk and would not maintain good health. “To maintain health the patient needs to incorporate healthy diet, changing lifestyle and exercising” (Ewles and Simnett, 2010). Another disease that profoundly requires the patient to incorporate all components of maintain health is hypertension. The patient needs to take medication change their lifestyle, exercise and take a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Taking only a diet rich in vegetables and fruits without exercising would not aid the patient in maintaining health. Both work together to ensure that the patient has normal body weight and changing the lifestyle of taking too much alcohol lowers the blood pressure. Taking medicine, changing one’s lifestyle, taking healthy diet and exercising are all equally important in maintaining health. References Eddy, M. (1994). Science and health. Boston, Mass.: First Church of Christ, Scientist. Anon, (2015). [online] Available at: http://http/www.bbc.co.health [Accessed 29 May 2015]. Anon, (2015). [online] Available at: http://http/www.gov.uk/health [Accessed 29 May 2015]. Naido, J. and willis, J. (2010). Foundation in health promotions. 3rd ed. Bailliere Tindall. Ewles, L. and Simnett, (2010). Promoting Health a Practical Guide. 6th ed. Bailliere Tindall. Read More