Infectious & Non-Infectious Diseases: Phases & Treatments

Phases of Infectious Diseases

All infectious illnesses typically follow three phases:

• Incubation: The time that elapses between infection and the appearance of disease symptoms.
• Overt Disease: Symptoms and signs of the disease are clear.
• Convalescence: The phase when the pathogens are completely eliminated. The body recovers lost health and repairs damage.

Prevention of Infectious Diseases

Prevention involves two main approaches:

• Following healthy lifestyle habits.
• Vaccination: The introduction of killed or weakened microorganisms into a healthy person's body, prompting the immune system to produce antibodies against the specific disease.

Treating Infectious Diseases

Treatment often involves chemotherapy, which is the use of chemical substances. There are different approaches:

• Symptomatic treatment: Reduces disease symptoms but may not cure the underlying cause (e.g., treating flu symptoms).
• Antibiotics: Chemical substances that target bacteria. They work in two main ways:
  • Microbicidal: Killing the bacteria directly.
  • Microbiostatic: Inhibiting bacterial reproduction.

Antibiotic Classification

Antibiotics are also classified by their spectrum:

• Broad-spectrum: Effective against many types of bacteria (e.g., penicillin).
• Narrow-spectrum: Effective against only specific types of bacteria.

Non-Infectious Diseases

These diseases are not caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Common types include:

1. Organ Malfunction Conditions

These involve the improper functioning of organs. There are two main subtypes:

• Congenital: A person is born with an organ defect.
• Degenerative: An organ deteriorates over the course of life.

2. Cancer

Characterized by the uncontrolled and rapid division of cells, forming a mass called a tumor. There are two main types of tumors:

• Benign: Can often be cured by surgical removal.
• Malignant: Cancer cells can spread (metastasize) from the original tumor to other organs.

Treatment often involves:

• Chemotherapy: Administering chemical substances to kill tumor cells.
• Radiotherapy: Using radiation to target and kill tumor cells.

3. Deficiency Diseases

Caused by inadequate nutrition where essential nutrients are lacking.