What is a Health Conditon?

Health problems, health disorders, and health conditions often refer to a state in which a person is unable to funtion normally and without pain.

What is a Serious Health Condition?

An injury, impairment, illness, physical condition or mental condition that involves one or more of the following reasons for absence: inpatient care, incapacity for more than three consecutive days, prenatal treatment and pregnancy, or chronic or permanent conditions, according to The United States Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Acute Health Conditions, what does it mean?

Acute Health conditions are charecterised by an abrubt onset, that tend to severely restrict the person's daily activities. They are usually of finite duration. Examples of acute illnesses are cold and flu, that usually come and go relatively quickly.

Chronic Health Conditions

A chronic health condition develops slowly with symptoms that progress gradually. Chronic disorders are long-lasting, persistent and recurrent. A chronic disease can be defined as a condition that is long term and can not be cured, or impose restrictions in daily life that require adjustment or special assistance. It affects every aspect of life: physical, psychological, emotional and social. For chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and asthma.

Dealing with Chronic Health Conditions

A chronic disease affects more than just the body; it affects emotionally, socially and economically. A person with a chronic health condition will probably go through many treatments that could force individuals to take paid sick days. It could hit hard on one's economy, sepcially as the medical bills are piling up. Problems with relationships and family can also be overwhelming. When dealing with chronic health conditions, it is important to accept the reality. Remember that things have to change and make sure to start making the necessary adjustments. Try to get support from family, friends and health proffesionals when at the same time you are striving to learn new ways to participate in the care of your body.

Alternative Medicine on Chronic Health Conditions

Alternative medicine belive that the body can heal itself, from any health disorder, including chronic health conditions. This belief is based on a quantum physics discovery, that everything, including our body and disease, is energy that vibrates. Our thoughts and feelings can change these energy patterns and heal diseases, including chronic health conditions. Quantum physics remind us that 98% of our body cells are replaced within a year and the whole body is comprised of completely new cells within 7 years. But our cellular structure has memory, and stays the same if we don't change our thought patterns and feelings; our energyfield. Our cellular structure depends on our thoughts and feelings, according to quantum physics. In other words, chronic health conditions don't need to be permanent if we approach our healing process differently. Alternative medicine believes that stress is the cause to all diseases and that we need to train our mind and body into a more relaxed condition in order to heal. If you suffer from a chronic health condition that involves pain, remember that the way you feel emotionally matters when it comes to healing. For example, when you feel physical pain and experience emotional dispair, you feel bad and stressed. But when you feel pain and focus on things that make you feel better, you are releaving the stress and thereby allowing your body to relax; thus heal. Feeling bad or good emotionally while having chronic pain, is the difference between recovery or not, according to Alternative Medicine.

Health include Physical, Mental and Social Well-being

To be healthy means more than the absence of a disease. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the word health has a broader sense that include physical, mental and social well-being, aslo referred to the “health triangle”. Health does not only emphasize physical capacities, but also the importance of social and personal resources. In recent years it has become common to use the word health to describe human well being.

What is Community and Population Health?

For the Aboriginal people in Australia, health also refers to health as the spiritual, emotional and social well-being of the whole community. In the United Stes, the term “community health” is used to describe the health status of a whole community. Nowdays the term “population health” has become popular to identify a group of people such as: seniors, women over 50, adolescents, prisoners, blue collars etc.

Population Health vs Public Health?

• Population Healath studies the distribution and determinants of health and disease states in the population. The actions taken to improve community or population health are: health promotion, health protection, and health services.
• Public Health is concerned with the health of the community as a whole. Public Health focuses on prevention and promotes health by developing and implementing programs such as: fluoridation of drinking water, vaccinations, control of sexually transmitted diseases, using seatbelt, motor-vehicle safety, safer workplaces, and non-smoking laws.