UNIT 3

DISEASE AND ILLNESS

According to recent statistics from the American Center for
Disease Control (CDC), the number of people suffering from
serious diseases has increased when compared to ten years
ago. This raises the questions:
Why has this happened?
And What can be done to stop it?
The expectation was that this number would decrease thanks to
advances in medical science which have helped in the fight
against illnesses.
Anemia, for example, is now a treatable disorder but this alone
is not enough to get rid of the larger problem of heart
disease which now affects over 26.5 million people in America
and is largely caused by poor diet.

On the other hand modern medicine has proved very effective

in combating meningitis, with new treatments offered for
both viral and bacterial versions of the disease. Polio, which
was one of the major concerns of the last century, is close to
being eradicated with only a few outbreaks in certain parts of
the developing world.
There are of course many diseases which
remain incurable such as acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS), which although is far from the levels of
near epidemic of the 1980's remains a major concern for world
healthcare. Modern medicine has developed a way to treat for
AIDS but has yet
to find a cure. Another incurable illness is influenza (flu), which
although affecting over 10% of the population of the western
world is only treatable proactively in the form of a vaccination.
So while medical advances have made it possible to treat, cure
or even eradicate illness there are still many conditions which
remain dangerous.
When thinking about why the number of people suffering from
serious diseases is so high, you have to look both at the current
state of medical knowledge and also trends in patients'
lifestyles. The number of reported sexually transmitted
diseases (STD's) has increased steadily over the past 50 years
partly as a result of acceptance of the diseases and partly as
the young generation tends to take more risks than their
parents did.
Chlamydia is a good example of this, figures released by the
World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that there was a 7%
rise in the number of cases of Chlamydia in the US in 2012
when compared to the previous year. The increase was highest
among teens, who may not even realize that they have
an infectious disease or are too embarrassed to report it
straightaway which may in-turn lead to infertility.
The answer to the question "What can be done to stop the trend
of increasing levels of disease?" may be as simple as
education. If people knew the risks associated with their current
lifestyle, they may be encouraged to make some change which
would spare them future illness. A great example of this can be
seen in the European approach to reducing lung cancer rates
by running public information adverts on the dangers of
smoking. Or on a smaller scale, in programs to educate children
on the causes of diabetes and how to avoid contracting it.
While it may not be possible for medicine to fight against every
disease, the number of terminal diseases is decreasing and if
this is combined with education on how to lead a healthier life -
the future looks good.

VOCABULARY

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)

a severe immunological disorder caused by the retrovirus HIV
AIDS is commonly spread through sexual contact or sharing a
needle with an infected person.
anemia
a pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of
the blood
Blood loss or iron deficiency are common causes of anemia.
bacterium
any member of microorganisms typically a few micrometres in
length and shaped like spheres, rods, or spirals
Most hospitals have anti-bacterial gel for visitors to use to wash
their hands.
cancer
any type of malignant growth or tumor, caused by abnormal and
uncontrolled cell division
Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer.
chlamydia
a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a
bacterium which can damage a woman's reproductive organs
John went to the doctor's to test for Chlamydia after his ex-
girlfriend told him that she had the disease.
condition
a disease, illness or injury
This hospital treats all kinds of conditions.
diabetes
any of several disorders characterized by increased urine
production and insulin resistance
You have to be very careful how much sugar you eat when you
have diabetes.
disorder
a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions
When he was diagnosed with a mental disorder he was referred
to a psychiatrist.
epidemic
affecting many persons and spreading in an area in which a
disease is not commonly prevalent
The epidemic of typhoid was blamed on a polluted water source
in the camp.
heart disease
a common name for medical conditions affecting the
cardiovascular system
In order to avoid heart disease, it is important to eat a healthy
diet and take regular exercise.
incurable
not able to be fixed, remedied or corrected
Although the disease is incurable, the symptoms can be treated
to maintain a good quality of life.
infectious
tending to spread from one person to another
When you sneeze, it is important to cover your mouth as colds
and flu are very infectious and other people can easily catch
them.
infertility
the state of not being able to reproduce (have children)
When Mary learnt that she suffered from infertility, she was very
upset as she had always wanted to have children.
flu (influenza)
highly infectious and often epidemic viral disease characterized
by fever
Each year millions of people take time off work due to influenza
in the winter months.
meningitis
an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain or
spinal cord, caused by infection
At first the doctor didn't know what he had contracted, but after
running several tests, they discovered it was viral meningitis.
outbreak
a sudden occurrence of an illness
Doctors have warned travelers of an outbreak of malaria in the
area.
polio
an acute viral disease affecting children and young adults often
resulting in paralysis
In the 1920's polio was one of the most common diseases, but
today it is very rare.
STD (sexually transmitted disease)
any disease contracted through genital contact
There has been a rise in the number of sexually transmitted
diseases because a lot of young people don't know the risk
connected to sex.
terminal
unable to be treated and resulting in death
Hearing that the disease was terminal was a shock for John.
virus
a small infectious agent that uses other cells to reproduce
Viral diseases are often harder to treat than bacterial infections.

Exercise 1
Find the words be
in the grid to the l
 band-aid headache rest

broken bone hospital scab

bruise medicine scrape

cold needle sore throat

cut nosebleed stitches

disease nurse stomachache

doctor pill stuffy nose

flu

Exercise 2

Match the statement below with the correct vocabulary

provided

1. Be careful with the disease which causes you to have a

serious trouble in any genial or reproductive organs.
_________

2. The patient seems to have an acute and incurable

disease and the doctors give up to help him. __________

3. They have got married for almost 10 years but there is no

sign to have any child. _________

4. Any disturbance / illness attacking one’s body in a

sudden way. _________

5. You are not allowed to get contact with those who suffer
from this disease, otherwise you will get infected.
__________