Word that means disease

Last Updated:
6 Apr 2023
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disease of the neuromuscular junction

a disease characterized by impairment of neuromuscular junctions

aspergillosis

disease especially in agricultural workers caused by inhalation of Aspergillus spores causing lumps in skin and ears and respiratory organs

anthrax

a disease of humans that is not communicable; caused by infection with Bacillus anthracis followed by septicemia

blackwater

any of several human or animal diseases characterized by dark urine resulting from rapid breakdown of red blood cells

cat scratch disease

a disease thought to be transmitted to humans by a scratch from a cat

complication

any disease or disorder that occurs during the course of (or because of) another disease

crud

an ill-defined bodily ailment

endemic, endemic disease

a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location

enteropathy

a disease of the intestinal tract

incompetence

inability of a part or organ to function properly

Kawasaki disease, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome

an acute disease of young children characterized by a rash and swollen lymph nodes and fever; of unknown cause

pycnosis, pyknosis

a degenerative state of the cell nucleus

Indian tick fever, Kenya fever, Marseilles fever, boutonneuse fever

a disease (common in India and around the Mediterranean area) caused by a rickettsia that is transmitted to humans by a reddish brown tick (ixodid) that lives on dogs and other mammals

Meniere’s disease

a disease of the inner ear characterized by episodes of dizziness and tinnitus and progressive hearing loss (usually unilateral)

milk sickness

caused by consuming milk from cattle suffering from trembles

mimesis

any disease that shows symptoms characteristic of another disease

industrial disease, occupational disease

disease or disability resulting from conditions of employment (usually from long exposure to a noxious substance or from continuous repetition of certain acts)

onychosis

any disease or disorder of the nails

rheumatism

any painful disorder of the joints or muscles or connective tissues

periarteritis nodosa, polyarteritis nodosa

a progressive disease of connective tissue that is characterized by nodules along arteries; nodules may block the artery and result in inadequate circulation to the particular area

periodontal disease, periodontitis

a disease that attacks the gum and bone and around the teeth

liver disease

a disease affecting the liver

communicable disease

a disease that can be communicated from one person to another

exanthema subitum, pseudorubella, roseola infantilis, roseola infantum

a viral disease of infants and young children; characterized by abrupt high fever and mild sore throat; a few days later there is a faint pinkish rash that lasts for a few hours to a few days

respiratory disease, respiratory disorder, respiratory illness

a disease affecting the respiratory system

congenital disease, genetic abnormality, genetic defect, genetic disease, genetic disorder, hereditary condition, hereditary disease, inherited disease, inherited disorder

a disease or disorder that is inherited genetically

inflammatory disease

a disease characterized by inflammation

autoimmune disease, autoimmune disorder

any of a large group of diseases characterized by abnormal functioning of the immune system that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against your own tissues

deficiency disease

any disease caused by a lack of an essential nutrient (as a vitamin or mineral)

cystic breast disease, cystic mastitis, fibrocystic breast disease, fibrocystic disease of the breast

the presence of one or more cysts in a breast

goiter, goitre, struma, thyromegaly

abnormally enlarged thyroid gland; can result from underproduction or overproduction of hormone or from a deficiency of iodine in the diet

pappataci fever, phlebotomus, sandfly fever

a mild viral disease transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasii

disease of the skin, skin disease, skin disorder

a disease affecting the skin

malignance, malignancy

(medicine) a malignant state; progressive and resistant to treatment and tending to cause death

eye disease

any disease of the eye

animal disease

a disease that typically does not affect human beings

plant disease

a disease that affects plants

ozaena, ozena

a chronic disease of the nose characterized by a foul-smelling nasal discharge and atrophy of nasal structures

filariasis

a disease caused by nematodes in the blood or tissues of the body causing blockage of lymphatic vessels

warble

a lumpy abscess under the hide of domestic mammals caused by larvae of a botfly or warble fly

ARDS, adult respiratory distress syndrome, wet lung, white lung

acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen; occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc.

cutaneous anthrax, malignant pustule

a form of anthrax infection that begins as papule that becomes a vesicle and breaks with a discharge of toxins; symptoms of septicemia are severe with vomiting and high fever and profuse sweating; the infection is often fatal

anthrax pneumonia, inhalation anthrax, pulmonary anthrax, ragpicker’s disease, ragsorter’s disease, woolsorter’s disease, woolsorter’s pneumonia

a form of anthrax infection acquired by inhalation of dust containing Bacillus anthracis; initial symptoms (chill and cough and dyspnea and rapid pulse) are followed by extreme cardiovascular collapse

monogenic disease, monogenic disorder

an inherited disease controlled by a single pair of genes

polygenic disease, polygenic disorder

an inherited disease controlled by several genes at once

hypogonadism

incompetence of the gonads (especially in the male with low testosterone); results in deficient development of secondary sex characteristics and (in prepubertal males) a body with long legs and a short trunk

valvular incompetence

inability of a bodily valve to close completely

myasthenia, myasthenia gravis

a chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic fatigue and muscular weakness (especially in the face and neck); caused by a deficiency of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions

Eaton-Lambert syndrome, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, carcinomatous myopathy, myasthenic syndrome

a disease seen in patients with lung cancer and characterized by weakness and fatigue of hip and thigh muscles and an aching back; caused by antibodies directed against the neuromuscular junctions

onycholysis

separation of a nail from its normal attachment to the nail bed

Riggs’ disease, pyorrhea, pyorrhea alveolaris, pyorrhoea

chronic periodontitis; purulent inflammation of the teeth sockets

alveolar resorption

wasting of the bony socket

gingivitis

inflammation of the gums

ulatrophia

recession of the gums

MS, disseminated multiple sclerosis, disseminated sclerosis, multiple sclerosis

a chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers

cirrhosis, cirrhosis of the liver

a chronic disease interfering with the normal functioning of the liver; the major cause is chronic alcoholism

fatty liver

yellow discoloration as a result of the accumulation of certain fats (triglycerides) in the liver; can be caused by alcoholic cirrhosis or pregnancy or exposure to certain toxins

IDDM, autoimmune diabetes, growth-onset diabetes, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, juvenile diabetes, juvenile-onset diabetes, ketoacidosis-prone diabetes, ketosis-prone diabetes, type I diabetes

severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset; characterized by polyuria and excessive thirst and increased appetite and weight loss and episodic ketoacidosis; diet and insulin injections are required to control the disease

Graves’ disease, exophthalmic goiter

exophthalmos occurring in association with goiter; hyperthyroidism with protrusion of the eyeballs

achondroplasia, achondroplasty, chondrodystrophy, osteosclerosis congenita

an inherited skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism

contagion, contagious disease

any disease easily transmitted by contact

flu, grippe, influenza

an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease

infectious disease

a disease transmitted only by a specific kind of contact

hepatitis

inflammation of the liver caused by a virus or a toxin

cancer of the liver, liver cancer

malignant neoplastic disease of the liver usually occurring as a metastasis from another cancer; symptoms include loss of appetite and weakness and bloating and jaundice and upper abdominal discomfort

NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis

an acute inflammatory disease occurring in the intestines of premature infants; necrosis of intestinal tissue may follow

pertussis, whooping cough

a disease of the respiratory mucous membrane

cold, common cold

a mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs)

asthma, asthma attack, bronchial asthma

respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

bronchitis

inflammation of the membranes lining the bronchial tubes

emphysema, pulmonary emphysema

an abnormal condition of the lungs marked by decreased respiratory function; associated with smoking or chronic bronchitis or old age

pneumonia

respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma (excluding the bronchi) with congestion caused by viruses or bacteria or irritants

atypical pneumonia, mycoplasmal pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia

an acute respiratory disease marked by high fever and coughing; caused by mycoplasma; primarily affecting children and young adults

interstitial pneumonia

chronic lung disease affecting the interstitial tissue of the lungs

pneumoconiosis, pneumonoconiosis

chronic respiratory disease caused by inhaling metallic or mineral particles

hyaline membrane disease, respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn

an acute lung disease of the newborn (especially the premature newborn); lungs cannot expand because of a wetting agent is lacking; characterized by rapid shallow breathing and cyanosis and the formation of a glassy hyaline membrane over the alveoli

abetalipoproteinemia

a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism; characterized by severe deficiency of beta-lipoproteins and abnormal red blood cells (acanthocytes) and abnormally low cholesterol levels

inborn error of metabolism

any of a number of diseases in which an inherited defect (usually a missing or inadequate enzyme) results in an abnormality of metabolism

Hirschsprung’s disease, congenital megacolon

congenital condition in which the colon does not have the normal network of nerves; there is little urge to defecate so the feces accumulate and cause megacolon

mucopolysaccharidosis

any of a group of genetic disorders involving a defect in the metabolism of mucopolysaccharides resulting in greater than normal levels of mucopolysaccharides in tissues

hyperbetalipoproteinemia

a genetic disorder characterized by high levels of beta-lipoproteins and cholesterol; can lead to atherosclerosis at an early age

ichthyosis

any of several congenital diseases in which the skin is dry and scaly like a fish

branched chain ketoaciduria, maple syrup urine disease

an inherited disorder of metabolism in which the urine has a odor characteristic of maple syrup; if untreated it can lead to mental retardation and death in early childhood

McArdle’s disease

an inherited disease in which abnormal amounts of glycogen accumulate in skeletal muscle; results in weakness and cramping

dystrophy, muscular dystrophy

any of several hereditary diseases of the muscular system characterized by weakness and wasting of skeletal muscles

oligodactyly

congenital condition in which some fingers or toes are missing

oligodontia

congenital condition in which some of the teeth are missing

otosclerosis

hereditary disorder in which ossification of the labyrinth of the inner ear causes tinnitus and eventual deafness

autosomal dominant disease, autosomal dominant disorder

a disease caused by a dominant mutant gene on an autosome

autosomal recessive defect, autosomal recessive disease

a disease caused by the presence of two recessive mutant genes on an autosome

Fanconi’s anaemia, Fanconi’s anemia, congenital pancytopenia

a rare congenital anemia characterized by pancytopenia and hypoplasia of the bone marrow

Spielmeyer-Vogt disease, juvenile amaurotic idiocy

a congenital progressive disorder of lipid metabolism having an onset at age 5 and characterized by blindness and dementia and early death

congenital afibrinogenemia

a rare congenital disorder of blood coagulation in which no fibrinogen is found in the blood plasma

gastroenteritis, intestinal flu, stomach flu

inflammation of the stomach and intestines; can be caused by Salmonella enteritidis

PID, pelvic inflammatory disease

inflammation of the female pelvic organs (especially the Fallopian tubes) caused by infection by any of several microorganisms (chiefly gonococci and chlamydia); symptoms are abdominal pain and fever and foul-smelling vaginal discharge

empyema

a collection of pus in a body cavity (especially in the lung cavity)

pleurisy

inflammation of the pleura of the lungs (especially the parietal layer)

pyelitis

inflammation of the renal pelvis

pharyngitis, raw throat, sore throat

inflammation of the fauces and pharynx

angina

any disease of the throat or fauces marked by spasmodic attacks of intense suffocative pain

SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome

a respiratory disease of unknown etiology that apparently originated in mainland China in 2003; characterized by fever and coughing or difficulty breathing or hypoxia; can be fatal

arthritis

inflammation of a joint or joints

atrophic arthritis, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis

a chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint

malnutrition

a state of poor nutrition; can result from insufficient or excessive or unbalanced diet or from inability to absorb foods

zinc deficiency

a deficiency caused by inadequate zinc in the diet or by liver disease or cystic fibrosis or other diseases

Albers-Schonberg disease, marble bones disease, osteopetrosis

an inherited disorder characterized by an increase in bone density; in severe forms the bone marrow cavity may be obliterated

blight

any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting

leaf disease

any plant disease localized in the foliage

Marie-Strumpell disease, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid spondylitis

a chronic form of spondylitis primarily in males and marked by impaired mobility of the spine; sometimes leads to ankylosis

DLE, discoid lupus erythematosus

a chronic skin disease occurring primarily in women between the ages of 20 and 40; characterized by an eruption of red lesions over the cheeks and bridge of the nose

Hashimoto’s disease

autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland; most common in middle-aged women

LE, lupus erythematosus

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

acantholysis

a breakdown of a cell layer in the epidermis (as in pemphigus)

acanthosis

an abnormal but benign thickening of the prickle-cell layer of the skin (as in psoriasis)

acanthosis nigricans, keratosis nigricans

a skin disease characterized by dark wartlike patches in the body folds; can be benign or malignant

acne

an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin; characterized by papules or pustules or comedones

dermatosis

disorder involving lesions or eruptions of the skin (in which there is usually no inflammation)

eczema

generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin; particularly with vesiculation in the acute stages

erythroderma

any skin disorder involving abnormal redness

furunculosis

acute skin disease characterized by the presence of many furuncles

impetigo

a very contagious infection of the skin; common in children; localized redness develops into small blisters that gradually crust and erode

jungle rot

skin disorder induced by a tropical climate

keratoderma, keratodermia

any skin disorder consisting of a growth that appears horny

keratonosis

any abnormal condition of the outer skin (epidermis)

keratosis

a skin condition marked by an overgrowth of layers of horny skin

leukoderma

a congenital skin condition characterized by spots or bands of unpigmented skin

lichen

any of several eruptive skin diseases characterized by hard thick lesions grouped together and resembling lichens growing on rocks

livedo

skin disorder characterized by patchy bluish discolorations on the skin

lupus

any of several forms of ulcerative skin disease

melanism, melanosis

a condition characterized by abnormal deposits of melanin (especially in the skin)

molluscum

any skin disease characterized by soft pulpy nodules

necrobiosis lipoidica, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum

skin disease marked by thin shiny patches (especially on the legs); often associated with diabetes mellitus

pemphigus

a skin disease characterized by large thin-walled blisters (bullae) arising from normal skin or mucous membrane

prurigo

chronic inflammatory disease of the skin characterized by blister capped papules and intense itching

psoriasis

a chronic skin disease characterized by dry red patches covered with scales; occurs especially on the scalp and ears and genitalia and the skin over bony prominences

rhagades

cracks or fissures in the skin (especially around the mouth or anus)

Saint Anthony’s fire

any of several inflammatory or gangrenous skin conditions

seborrhea

a condition in which overactivity of the sebaceous glands causes the skin to become oily

vitiligo

an acquired skin disease characterized by patches of unpigmented skin (often surrounded by a heavily pigmented border)

xanthoma

a skin problem marked by the development (on the eyelids and neck and back) of irregular yellow nodules; sometimes attributable to disturbances of cholesterol metabolism

xanthosis

an abnormal yellow discoloration of the skin

malignant neoplasm, malignant tumor, metastatic tumor

a tumor that is malignant and tends to spread to other parts of the body

cataract

an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye

macular edema

an eye disease caused by a swelling of the macula resulting from leakage and accumulation of fluid

cystoid macular edema

a specific pattern of swelling in the central retina

drusen

(plural) an eye disease resulting from small accumulations of hyaline bodies underneath the retina

glaucoma

an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and impairs vision (sometimes progressing to blindness)

keratonosus

any disease of the cornea

macular degeneration

eye disease caused by degeneration of the cells of the macula lutea and results in blurred vision; can cause blindness

retinopathy

a disease of the retina that can result in loss of vision

trachoma

a chronic contagious viral disease marked by inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye and the formation of scar tissue

leucoma, leukoma

eye disease consisting of an opaque white spot on the cornea

anaplasmosis

a disease of cattle that is transmitted by cattle ticks; similar to Texas fever

aspergillosis, brooder pneumonia

severe respiratory disease of birds that takes the form of an acute rapidly fatal pneumonia in young chickens and turkeys

bighead

any of various diseases of animals characterized by edema of the head and neck

BSE, bovine spongiform encephalitis, mad cow disease

a fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system; causes staggering and agitation

bull nose

a disease of pigs resulting in swelling of the snout

camelpox

a viral disease of camels closely related to smallpox

canine chorea, chorea

chorea in dogs

catarrhal fever

any of several disease of livestock marked by fever and edema of the respiratory tract

chronic wasting disease

a wildlife disease (akin to bovine spongiform encephalitis) that affects deer and elk

costiasis

a fatal disease of freshwater fish caused by a flagellated protozoan invading the skin

cowpox, vaccinia

a viral disease of cattle causing a mild skin disease affecting the udder; formerly used to inoculate humans against smallpox

creeps

a disease of cattle and sheep attributed to a dietary deficiency; characterized by anemia and softening of the bones and a slow stiff gait

hemorrhagic septicemia, pasteurellosis

an acute infectious disease characterized by pneumonia and blood infection

fistula, fistulous withers

a chronic inflammation of the withers of a horse

fowl cholera

an acute diarrheal disease (especially of chickens) caused by the microorganism that causes hemorrhagic septicemia

fowl pest

either of two acute viral diseases of domestic fowl; characterized by refusal to eat and high temperature and discoloration of the comb

hog cholera

highly infectious virus disease of swine

distemper

any of various infectious viral diseases of animals

enterotoxemia

a disease of cattle and sheep that is attributed to toxins absorbed from the intestines

foot-and-mouth disease, hoof-and-mouth disease

acute contagious disease of cloven-footed animals marked by ulcers in the mouth and around the hoofs

foot rot

contagious degenerative infection of the feet of hoofed animals (especially cattle and sheep)

black disease, distomatosis, liver rot, sheep rot

a disease of the liver (especially in sheep and cattle) caused by liver flukes and their by-products

broken wind, heaves

a chronic emphysema of the horse that causes difficult expiration and heaving of the flanks

red water

a disease of cattle; characterized by hematuria

rhinotracheitis

a respiratory infection of the nose and throat in cattle

cattle plague, rinderpest

an acute infectious viral disease of cattle (usually fatal); characterized by fever and diarrhea and inflammation of mucous membranes

scours

diarrhea in livestock

scrapie

a fatal disease of sheep characterized by chronic itching and loss of muscular control and progressive degeneration of the central nervous system

shipping fever, shipping pneumonia

a deadly form of septicemia in cattle and sheep; involves high fever and pneumonia; contracted under conditions of exposure or exhaustion (as often happens when the animals are shipped to market)

spavin

a swelling of the hock joint of a horse; resulting in lameness

loco disease, locoism

a disease of livestock caused by locoweed poisoning; characterized by weakness and lack of coordination and trembling and partial paralysis

looping ill

an acute viral disease of the nervous system in sheep; can be transmitted by Ixodes ricinus

mange

a persistent and contagious disease of the skin causing inflammation and itching and loss of hair; affects domestic animals (and sometimes people)

moon blindness, mooneye

recurrent eye inflammation in horses; sometimes resulting in blindness

murrain

any disease of domestic animals that resembles a plague

myxomatosis

a viral disease (usually fatal) of rabbits

Newcastle disease

disease of domestic fowl and other birds

pip

a disease of poultry

parrot disease, psittacosis

infectious disease of birds

bacillary white diarrhea, bacillary white diarrhoea, pullorum disease

a serious bacterial disease of young chickens

gall, saddle sore

an open sore on the back of a horse caused by ill-fitting or badly adjusted saddle

sand crack

a fissure in the wall of a horse’s hoof often causing lameness

blind staggers, staggers

a disease of the central nervous system affecting especially horses and cattle; characterized by an unsteady swaying gait and frequent falling

sweating sickness

a disease of cattle (especially calves)

Texas fever

an infectious disease of cattle transmitted by the cattle tick

milk sickness, trembles

disease of livestock and especially cattle poisoned by eating certain kinds of snakeroot

zoonosis, zoonotic disease

an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans

rust

a plant disease that produces a reddish-brown discoloration of leaves and stems; caused by various rust fungi

blackheart

any of various diseases in which the central tissues blacken

black knot

disease of plum and cherry trees characterized by black excrescences on the branches

black rot

a fungous disease causing darkening and decay of the leaves of fruits and vegetables

black spot

any of several fungous diseases of plants that produce small black spots on the plant

bottom rot

fungous disease of lettuce that first rots lower leaves and spreads upward

brown rot

any of certain fungous diseases of plants characterized by browning and decay of tissues

gummosis

pathological production of gummy exudates in citrus and various stone-fruit trees

canker

a fungal disease of woody plants that causes localized damage to the bark

cotton ball

a fungus disease of cranberries

crown gall

a bacterial disease of plants (especially pome and stone fruits and grapes and roses) which forms excrescences on the stem near the ground

crown wart

a fungous disease of alfalfa which forms white excrescences at the base of the stem

damping off

a plant disease caused by a fungus; diseased condition of seedlings in excessive moisture

dieback

a disease of plants characterized by the gradual dying of the young shoots starting at the tips and progressing to the larger branches

dry rot

a crumbling and drying of timber or bulbs or potatoes or fruit caused by a fungus

heartrot

any plant disease in which the central part of a plant rots (especially in trees)

mosaic

viral disease in solanaceous plants (tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco) resulting in mottling and often shriveling of the leaves

rhizoctinia disease

disease caused by rhizoctinia or fungi of Pellicularia and Corticium

pink disease

serious bark disease of many tropical crop trees (coffee, citrus, rubber); branches have a covering of pink hyphae

potato wart

fungous disease causing dark warty spongy excrescences in the eyes of potato tubers

root rot

disease characterized by root decay; caused by various fungi

scorch

a plant disease that produces a browning or scorched appearance of plant tissues

sweet-potato ring rot

disease of sweet potatoes in which roots are girdled by rings of dry rot

sclerotium disease, sclerotium rot

plant disease cause by fungi of the genus Sclerotium; also one in which sclerotia are formed

Dutch elm disease

disease of elms caused by a fungus

ergot

a plant disease caused by the ergot fungus

foot rot

plant disease in which the stem or trunk rots at the base

pinkroot

a fungal disease of onions

wilt, wilt disease

any plant disease characterized by drooping and shriveling; usually caused by parasites attacking the roots

smut

destructive diseases of plants (especially cereal grasses) caused by fungi that produce black powdery masses of spores

soft rot

mushy or slimy decay of plants caused by bacteria or fungi

yellow dwarf

any of several virus diseases of plants characterized by stunting and yellowing of the leaves

yellow spot

any of several fungous or viral diseases characterized by yellow spotting on the leaves

nevoid elephantiasis, pachyderma

thickening of the skin (usually unilateral on an extremity) caused by congenital enlargement of lymph vessel and lymph vessel obstruction

dwarfism, nanism

a genetic abnormality resulting in short stature

lactase deficiency, lactose intolerance, milk intolerance

congenital disorder consisting of an inability to digest milk and milk products; absence or deficiency of lactase results in an inability to hydrolyze lactose

porphyria

a genetic abnormality of metabolism causing abdominal pains and mental confusion

ileus, intestinal obstruction

blockage of the intestine (especially the ileum) that prevents the contents of the intestine from passing to the lower bowel

dermatosclerosis, scleroderma

an autoimmune disease that affects the blood vessels and connective tissue; fibrous connective tissue is deposited in the skin

Werlhof’s disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, purpura hemorrhagica, thrombocytopenic purpura

purpura associated with a reduction in circulating blood platelets which can result from a variety of factors

urinary tract infection

any infection of any of the organs of the urinary tract

Wilson’s disease, hepatolenticular degeneration

a rare inherited disorder of copper metabolism; copper accumulates in the liver and then in the red blood cells and brain

• Defenition of the word disease

  • A definite pathological process having a characteristic set of signs and symptoms which are detrimental to the well-being of the individual.
  • an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

Synonyms for the word disease

• • illness
  • sickness

Meronymys for the word disease

• • sign
  • symptom
  • syndrome

Hyponyms for the word disease

• • animal disease
  • anthrax
  • aspergillosis
  • autoimmune disease
  • autoimmune disorder
  • blackwater
  • boutonneuse fever
  • cat scratch disease
  • communicable disease
  • complication
  • congenital disease
  • crud
  • cystic breast disease
  • cystic mastitis
  • deficiency disease
  • disease of the neuromuscular junction
  • disease of the skin
  • endemic
  • endemic disease
  • enteropathy
  • exanthema subitum
  • eye disease
  • fibrocystic breast disease
  • fibrocystic disease of the breast
  • filariasis
  • genetic abnormality
  • genetic defect
  • genetic disease
  • genetic disorder
  • goiter
  • goitre
  • hereditary condition
  • hereditary disease
  • incompetence
  • Indian tick fever
  • industrial disease
  • inflammatory disease
  • inherited disease
  • inherited disorder
  • Kawasaki disease
  • Kenya fever
  • liver disease
  • malignance
  • malignancy
  • Marseilles fever
  • Meniere’s disease
  • milk sickness
  • mimesis
  • mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome
  • occupational disease
  • onychosis
  • ozaena
  • ozena
  • pappataci fever
  • periarteritis nodosa
  • periodontal disease
  • periodontitis
  • phlebotomus
  • plant disease
  • polyarteritis nodosa
  • pseudorubella
  • pycnosis
  • pyknosis
  • respiratory disease
  • respiratory disorder
  • respiratory illness
  • rheumatism
  • roseola infantilis
  • roseola infantum
  • sandfly fever
  • skin condition
  • skin disease
  • skin disorder
  • skin problem
  • struma
  • thyromegaly
  • zoosis

Hypernyms for the word disease

• • illness
  • malady
  • sickness
  • unwellness

See other words

• • What is disambiguation
  • The definition of direction
  • The interpretation of the word dipterocarp
  • What is meant by dipshit
  • The lexical meaning diplomatist
  • The dictionary meaning of the word diphthong
  • The grammatical meaning of the word dioxide
  • Meaning of the word diol
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word dink
  • The origin of the word disenfranchisement
  • Synonym for the word disgrace
  • Antonyms for the word disguise
  • Homonyms for the word disgust
  • Hyponyms for the word dishwasher
  • Holonyms for the word dislike
  • Hypernyms for the word dispenser
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word dispersion
  • Translation of the word in other languages display

Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 7 votes

1. diseasenoun

   an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.2 / 5 votes

1. diseasenoun

   An abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort or dysfunction; distinct from injury insofar as the latter is usually instantaneously acquired.

   The tomato plants had some kind of disease that left their leaves splotchy and fruit withered.

2. diseasenoun

   Any abnormal or harmful condition, as of society, people’s attitudes, way of living etc.

3. diseaseverb

   To cause unease; to annoy, irritate.

4. diseaseverb

   To infect with a disease.

5. Etymology: disese, from desese, from desaise (). Displaced native adle (from adl), cothe (from coþu).

Samuel Johnson’s DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. DISEASEnoun

   Distemper; malady; sickness; morbid state.

   Etymology: dis and ease.

   What’s the disease he means?
   ———— ’Tis call’d the evil.
   William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   It is idle to propose remedies before we are assured of the disease, or to be in pain ’till we are convinced of the danger.
   Jonathan Swift, Project for the Advancement of Religion.

   Then wasteful forth
   Walks the dire power of pestilent disease.
   James Thomson, Summer.

2. To Diseaseverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To afflict with disease; to torment with sickness; to make morbid; to infect.

   We are all diseased,
   And with our surfeiting and wanton hours
   Have brought ourselves into a burning fever,
   And we must bleed for it.
   William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. ii.

   Flatt’rers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft,
   Hug their diseas’d perfumes, and have forgot
   That ever Timon was.
   William Shakespeare, Timon.

   Let her alone, lady: as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth.
   William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   He was diseased in his feet.
   1 Kings xv. 23.

   2. To put to pain; to pain; to make uneasy.

   Though great light be insufferable to our eyes, yet the highest degree of darkness does not at all disease them.
   John Locke.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Diseasenoun

   lack of ease; uneasiness; trouble; vexation; disquiet

2. Diseasenoun

   an alteration in the state of the body or of some of its organs, interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions, and causing or threatening pain and weakness; malady; affection; illness; sickness; disorder; — applied figuratively to the mind, to the moral character and habits, to institutions, the state, etc

3. Diseaseverb

   to deprive of ease; to disquiet; to trouble; to distress

4. Diseaseverb

   to derange the vital functions of; to afflict with disease or sickness; to disorder; — used almost exclusively in the participle diseased

FreebaseRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Disease

   A disease is an abnormal condition that affects the body of an organism. It is often construed as a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by factors originally from an external source, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. In humans, «disease» is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. Diseases usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with many diseases can alter one’s perspective on life, and their personality.
   Death due to disease is called death by natural causes. There are four main types of disease: pathogenic disease, deficiency disease, hereditary disease, and physiological disease. Diseases can also be classified as communicable and non-communicable disease.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Disease

   diz-ēz′, n. a disorder or want of health in mind or body: ailment: cause of pain.—v.t. (Spens.) to make uneasy.—p.adj. Diseased′, affected with disease.—n. Diseas′edness.—adj. Disease′ful. [O. Fr. desaise, des—L. dis, neg., aise, ease.]

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Disease

   A definite pathologic process with a characteristic set of signs and symptoms. It may affect the whole body or any of its parts, and its etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘disease’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1112

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘disease’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #2750

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘disease’ in Nouns Frequency: #409

How to pronounce disease?

How to say disease in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of disease in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of disease in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of disease in a Sentence

1. Silvio Inzucchi:

   Patients with advanced diabetes … who have lots of heart disease clearly benefited from going on the drug, we must incorporate this type of evidence into our treatment decisions.

2. Jeremy Farrar:

   Drug resistance has to be put into the same category as the emerging infectious diseases. In my view, it will be the most important emerging infectious disease in the 21st century.

3. Valentina Mella:

   Koalas have been alleged to never drink free water in the wild, or to drink only occasionally. Drinking behavior has often been considered unusual and attributed to disease or to severe heat stress, koalas were thought to gain the majority of the water that they require from the moisture content in the leaves that they feed on and to drink water unintentionally in the wild by eating wet leaves after rain, or when dew is present on the leaf surface.

4. Mike Ryan:

   It takes anything up to six weeks to recover from this disease, people who suffer very severe illness can take months to recover from the illness.

5. David Dunger:

   This is a very interesting paper confirming previous association studies showing links between early menarche and cardiovascular disease risk.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for disease

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

• siekteAfrikaans
• سقم, مرض, داء, مرArabic
• xəstəlikAzerbaijani
• хваробаBelarusian
• заболяване, болестBulgarian
• অসুখ, রোগBengali
• སྙུང་གཞི, ན་ཚTibetan Standard
• kleñvedBreton
• malaltiaCatalan, Valencian
• choroba, nemocCzech
• clefyd, afiechydWelsh
• sygdomDanish
• Infektionskrankheit, KrankheitGerman
• αρρώστια, νόσος, πάθηση, ασθένειαGreek
• enfermedadSpanish
• tõbi, haigusEstonian
• eritasunBasque
• مرض, بیماری, ناخوشیPersian
• tauti, sairausFinnish
• sjúkaFaroese
• maladieFrench
• galarIrish
• galar, tinneas, trioblaid, euslaintScottish Gaelic
• doenza, enfermidadeGalician
• מחלהHebrew
• व्याधि, रोगHindi
• kór, betegségHungarian
• հիվանդություն, ախտArmenian
• penyakitIndonesian
• maladesoIdo
• sjúkdómur, sýki, meinIcelandic
• malanno, disturbo, malattiaItalian
• 疾病, 病気, 疾患Japanese
• დაავადება, ავადმოყოფობა, სენიGeorgian
• кесел, ауруKazakh
• ជំងឺKhmer
• 질병, 疾病Korean
• نه‌خۆشیKurdish
• ооруKyrgyz
• morbus, infirmitasLatin
• ໂລກ, ພະຍາດLao
• susirgimas, ligaLithuanian
• liga, slimībaLatvian
• tahumaeroMāori
• болестMacedonian
• രോഗം, സുഖക്കേട്Malayalam
• өвчинMongolian
• penyakitMalay
• mardaMaltese
• ရောဂါBurmese
• sykdomNorwegian
• ziekteDutch
• sjukdomNorwegian
• ରୋଗOriya
• chorobaPolish
• doençaPortuguese
• maladie, boalăRomanian
• заболевание, немочь, нездоровье, болезнь, хворь, недугRussian
• रोगSanskrit
• болест, bȍlēst, зараза, zaraza, оболење, obolenjeSerbo-Croatian
• choroba, nemocSlovak
• bolezenSlovene
• sëmundjeAlbanian
• sjukdomSwedish
• ugonjwaSwahili
• வியாதி, நோய்Tamil
• వ్యాధి, రోగము, జబ్బుTelugu
• ‍мараз‍, беморӣTajik
• โรคThai
• kesel, syrkawlyk, hassalykTurkmen
• sakitTagalog
• sayrılık, hastalıkTurkish
• хворобаUkrainian
• روگUrdu
• kasal, kasallik, xastalikUzbek
• bệnh, căn bệnhVietnamese
• maläd, näfätamalädVolapük
• קראנקייטYiddish
• 疾病Chinese

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Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

«Maladies» redirects here. For the 2012 film, see Maladies (film).

«Ailment» redirects here. Not to be confused with Aliment.

A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury.^[1][2] Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are associated with specific signs and symptoms. A disease may be caused by external factors such as pathogens or by internal dysfunctions. For example, internal dysfunctions of the immune system can produce a variety of different diseases, including various forms of immunodeficiency, hypersensitivity, allergies and autoimmune disorders.

In humans, disease is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, or death to the person affected, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. Diseases can affect people not only physically, but also mentally, as contracting and living with a disease can alter the affected person’s perspective on life.

Death due to disease is called death by natural causes. There are four main types of disease: infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases (including both genetic diseases and non-genetic hereditary diseases), and physiological diseases. Diseases can also be classified in other ways, such as communicable versus non-communicable diseases. The deadliest diseases in humans are coronary artery disease (blood flow obstruction), followed by cerebrovascular disease and lower respiratory infections.^[3] In developed countries, the diseases that cause the most sickness overall are neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety.

The study of disease is called pathology, which includes the study of etiology, or cause.

Terminology[edit]

Concepts[edit]

In many cases, terms such as disease, disorder, morbidity, sickness and illness are used interchangeably; however, there are situations when specific terms are considered preferable.^[4]

Disease

The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs the normal functioning of the body. For this reason, diseases are associated with the dysfunction of the body’s normal homeostatic processes.^[5] Commonly, the term is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically evident diseases that result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular organisms, and aberrant proteins known as prions. An infection or colonization that does not and will not produce clinically evident impairment of normal functioning, such as the presence of the normal bacteria and yeasts in the gut, or of a passenger virus, is not considered a disease. By contrast, an infection that is asymptomatic during its incubation period, but expected to produce symptoms later, is usually considered a disease. Non-infectious diseases are all other diseases, including most forms of cancer, heart disease, and genetic disease.^{[citation needed]}

Acquired disease

An acquired disease is one that began at some point during one’s lifetime, as opposed to disease that was already present at birth, which is congenital disease. Acquired sounds like it could mean «caught via contagion», but it simply means acquired sometime after birth. It also sounds like it could imply secondary disease, but acquired disease can be primary disease.

Acute disease

An acute disease is one of a short-term nature (acute); the term sometimes also connotes a fulminant nature

Chronic condition or chronic disease

A chronic disease is one that persists over time, often for at least six months, but may also include illnesses that are expected to last for the entirety of one’s natural life.

Congenital disorder or congenital disease

A congenital disorder is one that is present at birth. It is often a genetic disease or disorder and can be inherited. It can also be the result of a vertically transmitted infection from the mother, such as HIV/AIDS.

Genetic disease

A genetic disorder or disease is caused by one or more genetic mutations. It is often inherited, but some mutations are random and de novo.

Hereditary or inherited disease

A hereditary disease is a type of genetic disease caused by genetic mutations that are hereditary (and can run in families)

Iatrogenic disease

An iatrogenic disease or condition is one that is caused by medical intervention, whether as a side effect of a treatment or as an inadvertent outcome.

Idiopathic disease

An idiopathic disease has an unknown cause or source. As medical science has advanced, many diseases with entirely unknown causes have had some aspects of their sources explained and therefore shed their idiopathic status. For example, when germs were discovered, it became known that they were a cause of infection, but particular germs and diseases had not been linked. In another example, it is known that autoimmunity is the cause of some forms of diabetes mellitus type 1, even though the particular molecular pathways by which it works are not yet understood. It is also common to know certain factors are associated with certain diseases; however, association and causality are two very different phenomena, as a third cause might be producing the disease, as well as an associated phenomenon.

Incurable disease

A disease that cannot be cured. Incurable diseases are not necessarily terminal diseases, and sometimes a disease’s symptoms can be treated sufficiently for the disease to have little or no impact on quality of life.

Primary disease

A primary disease is a disease that is due to a root cause of illness, as opposed to secondary disease, which is a sequela, or complication that is caused by the primary disease. For example, a common cold is a primary disease, where rhinitis is a possible secondary disease, or sequela. A doctor must determine what primary disease, a cold or bacterial infection, is causing a patient’s secondary rhinitis when deciding whether or not to prescribe antibiotics.

Secondary disease

A secondary disease is a disease that is a sequela or complication of a prior, causal disease, which is referred to as the primary disease or simply the underlying cause (root cause). For example, a bacterial infection can be primary, wherein a healthy person is exposed to bacteria and becomes infected, or it can be secondary to a primary cause, that predisposes the body to infection. For example, a primary viral infection that weakens the immune system could lead to a secondary bacterial infection. Similarly, a primary burn that creates an open wound could provide an entry point for bacteria, and lead to a secondary bacterial infection.

Terminal disease

A terminal disease is one that is expected to have the inevitable result of death. Previously, AIDS was a terminal disease; it is now incurable, but can be managed indefinitely using medications.

Illness

The terms illness and sickness are both generally used as synonyms for disease; however, the term illness is occasionally used to refer specifically to the patient’s personal experience of his or her disease.^[6][7][8][9] In this model, it is possible for a person to have a disease without being ill (to have an objectively definable, but asymptomatic, medical condition, such as a subclinical infection, or to have a clinically apparent physical impairment but not feel sick or distressed by it), and to be ill without being diseased (such as when a person perceives a normal experience as a medical condition, or medicalizes a non-disease situation in his or her life – for example, a person who feels unwell as a result of embarrassment, and who interprets those feelings as sickness rather than normal emotions). Symptoms of illness are often not directly the result of infection, but a collection of evolved responses – sickness behavior by the body – that helps clear infection and promote recovery. Such aspects of illness can include lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, sleepiness, hyperalgesia, and inability to concentrate.^[10][11][12]

Disorder

A disorder is a functional abnormality or disturbance. Medical disorders can be categorized into mental disorders, physical disorders, genetic disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, and functional disorders. The term disorder is often considered more value-neutral and less stigmatizing than the terms disease or illness, and therefore is preferred terminology in some circumstances.^[13] In mental health, the term mental disorder is used as a way of acknowledging the complex interaction of biological, social, and psychological factors in psychiatric conditions; however, the term disorder is also used in many other areas of medicine, primarily to identify physical disorders that are not caused by infectious organisms, such as metabolic disorders.

Medical condition or health condition

A medical condition or health condition is a broad concept that includes all diseases, lesions, disorders, or nonpathologic condition that normally receives medical treatment, such as pregnancy or childbirth. While the term medical condition generally includes mental illnesses, in some contexts the term is used specifically to denote any illness, injury, or disease except for mental illnesses. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the widely used psychiatric manual that defines all mental disorders, uses the term general medical condition to refer to all diseases, illnesses, and injuries except for mental disorders.^[14] This usage is also commonly seen in the psychiatric literature. Some health insurance policies also define a medical condition as any illness, injury, or disease except for psychiatric illnesses.^[15]

As it is more value-neutral than terms like disease, the term medical condition is sometimes preferred by people with health issues that they do not consider deleterious. On the other hand, by emphasizing the medical nature of the condition, this term is sometimes rejected, such as by proponents of the autism rights movement.

The term medical condition is also a synonym for medical state, in which case it describes an individual patient’s current state from a medical standpoint. This usage appears in statements that describe a patient as being in critical condition, for example.

Morbidity

Morbidity (from Latin morbidus ‘sick, unhealthy’) is a diseased state, disability, or poor health due to any cause.^[16] The term may refer to the existence of any form of disease, or to the degree that the health condition affects the patient. Among severely ill patients, the level of morbidity is often measured by ICU scoring systems. Comorbidity, or co-existing disease, is the simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions, such as schizophrenia and substance abuse.

In epidemiology and actuarial science, the term morbidity (also morbidity rate or morbidity frequency) can refer to either the incidence rate, the prevalence of a disease or medical condition, or the percentage of people who experience a given condition within a given timeframe (e.g., 20% of people will get influenza in a year).^[17] This measure of sickness is contrasted with the mortality rate of a condition, which is the proportion of people dying during a given time interval. Morbidity rates are used in actuarial professions, such as health insurance, life insurance, and long-term care insurance, to determine the correct premiums to charge to customers. Morbidity rates help insurers predict the likelihood that an insured will contract or develop any number of specified diseases.

Pathosis or pathology

Pathosis (plural pathoses) is synonymous with disease. The word pathology also has this sense, in which it is commonly used by physicians in the medical literature, although some editors prefer to reserve pathology to its other senses. Sometimes a slight connotative shade causes preference for pathology or pathosis implying «some [as yet poorly analyzed] pathophysiologic process» rather than disease implying «a specific disease entity as defined by diagnostic criteria being already met». This is hard to quantify denotatively, but it explains why cognitive synonymy is not invariable.

Syndrome

A syndrome is the association of several signs and symptoms, or other characteristics that often occur together, regardless of whether the cause is known. Some syndromes such as Down syndrome are known to have only one cause (an extra chromosome at birth). Others such as Parkinsonian syndrome are known to have multiple possible causes. Acute coronary syndrome, for example, is not a single disease itself but is rather the manifestation of any of several diseases including myocardial infarction secondary to coronary artery disease. In yet other syndromes, however, the cause is unknown. A familiar syndrome name often remains in use even after an underlying cause has been found or when there are a number of different possible primary causes. Examples of the first-mentioned type are that Turner syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome are still often called by the «syndrome» name despite that they can also be viewed as disease entities and not solely as sets of signs and symptoms.

Predisease

Predisease is a subclinical or prodromal vanguard of a disease. Prediabetes and prehypertension are common examples. The nosology or epistemology of predisease is contentious, though, because there is seldom a bright line differentiating a legitimate concern for subclinical/prodromal/premonitory status (on one hand) and conflict of interest–driven disease mongering or medicalization (on the other hand). Identifying legitimate predisease can result in useful preventive measures, such as motivating the person to get a healthy amount of physical exercise,^[18] but labeling a healthy person with an unfounded notion of predisease can result in overtreatment, such as taking drugs that only help people with severe disease or paying for drug prescription instances whose benefit–cost ratio is minuscule (placing it in the waste category of CMS’ «waste, fraud, and abuse» classification). Three requirements for the legitimacy of calling a condition a predisease are:

• a truly high risk for progression to disease – for example, a pre-cancer will almost certainly turn into cancer over time
• actionability for risk reduction – for example, removal of the precancerous tissue prevents it from turning into a potentially deadly cancer
• benefit that outweighs the harm of any interventions taken – removing the precancerous tissue prevents cancer, and thus prevents a potential death from cancer.^[19]

Types by body system[edit]

Mental

Mental illness is a broad, generic label for a category of illnesses that may include affective or emotional instability, behavioral dysregulation, cognitive dysfunction or impairment. Specific illnesses known as mental illnesses include major depression, generalized anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to name a few. Mental illness can be of biological (e.g., anatomical, chemical, or genetic) or psychological (e.g., trauma or conflict) origin. It can impair the affected person’s ability to work or study and can harm interpersonal relationships. The term insanity is used technically as a legal term.^{[citation needed]}

Organic

An organic disease is one caused by a physical or physiological change to some tissue or organ of the body. The term sometimes excludes infections. It is commonly used in contrast with mental disorders. It includes emotional and behavioral disorders if they are due to changes to the physical structures or functioning of the body, such as after a stroke or a traumatic brain injury, but not if they are due to psychosocial issues.

Stages[edit]

In an infectious disease, the incubation period is the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms. The latency period is the time between infection and the ability of the disease to spread to another person, which may precede, follow, or be simultaneous with the appearance of symptoms. Some viruses also exhibit a dormant phase, called viral latency, in which the virus hides in the body in an inactive state. For example, varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox in the acute phase; after recovery from chickenpox, the virus may remain dormant in nerve cells for many years, and later cause herpes zoster (shingles).

Acute disease

An acute disease is a short-lived disease, like the common cold.

Chronic disease

A chronic disease is one that lasts for a long time, usually at least six months. During that time, it may be constantly present, or it may go into remission and periodically relapse. A chronic disease may be stable (does not get any worse) or it may be progressive (gets worse over time). Some chronic diseases can be permanently cured. Most chronic diseases can be beneficially treated, even if they cannot be permanently cured.

Clinical disease

One that has clinical consequences; in other words, the stage of the disease that produces the characteristic signs and symptoms of that disease.^[20] AIDS is the clinical disease stage of HIV infection.

Cure

A cure is the end of a medical condition or a treatment that is very likely to end it, while remission refers to the disappearance, possibly temporarily, of symptoms. Complete remission is the best possible outcome for incurable diseases.

Flare-up

A flare-up can refer to either the recurrence of symptoms or an onset of more severe symptoms.^[21]

Progressive disease

Progressive disease is a disease whose typical natural course is the worsening of the disease until death, serious debility, or organ failure occurs. Slowly progressive diseases are also chronic diseases; many are also degenerative diseases. The opposite of progressive disease is stable disease or static disease: a medical condition that exists, but does not get better or worse.

Refractory disease

A refractory disease is a disease that resists treatment, especially an individual case that resists treatment more than is normal for the specific disease in question.

Subclinical disease

Also called silent disease, silent stage, or asymptomatic disease. This is a stage in some diseases before the symptoms are first noted.^[22]

Terminal phase

If a person will die soon from a disease, regardless of whether that disease typically causes death, then the stage between the earlier disease process and active dying is the terminal phase.

Recovery

Recovery can refer to the repairing of physical processes (tissues, organs etc.) and the resumption of healthy functioning after damage causing processes have been cured.

Extent[edit]

Localized disease

A localized disease is one that affects only one part of the body, such as athlete’s foot or an eye infection.

Disseminated disease

A disseminated disease has spread to other parts; with cancer, this is usually called metastatic disease.

Systemic disease

A systemic disease is a disease that affects the entire body, such as influenza or high blood pressure.

Classification[edit]

Diseases may be classified by cause, pathogenesis (mechanism by which the disease is caused), or by symptom(s). Alternatively, diseases may be classified according to the organ system involved, though this is often complicated since many diseases affect more than one organ.

A chief difficulty in nosology is that diseases often cannot be defined and classified clearly, especially when cause or pathogenesis are unknown. Thus diagnostic terms often only reflect a symptom or set of symptoms (syndrome).

Classical classification of human disease derives from the observational correlation between pathological analysis and clinical syndromes. Today it is preferred to classify them by their cause if it is known.^[23]

The most known and used classification of diseases is the World Health Organization’s ICD. This is periodically updated. Currently, the last publication is the ICD-11.

Causes[edit]

Only some diseases such as influenza are contagious and commonly believed infectious. The microorganisms that cause these diseases are known as pathogens and include varieties of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi. Infectious diseases can be transmitted, e.g. by hand-to-mouth contact with infectious material on surfaces, by bites of insects or other carriers of the disease, and from contaminated water or food (often via fecal contamination), etc.^[24] Also, there are sexually transmitted diseases. In some cases, microorganisms that are not readily spread from person to person play a role, while other diseases can be prevented or ameliorated with appropriate nutrition or other lifestyle changes.

Some diseases, such as most (but not all) forms of cancer, heart disease, and mental disorders, are non-infectious diseases. Many non-infectious diseases have a partly or completely genetic basis (see genetic disorder) and may thus be transmitted from one generation to another.

Social determinants of health are the social conditions in which people live that determine their health. Illnesses are generally related to social, economic, political, and environmental circumstances. Social determinants of health have been recognized by several health organizations such as the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization to greatly influence collective and personal well-being. The World Health Organization’s Social Determinants Council also recognizes Social determinants of health in poverty.

When the cause of a disease is poorly understood, societies tend to mythologize the disease or use it as a metaphor or symbol of whatever that culture considers evil. For example, until the bacterial cause of tuberculosis was discovered in 1882, experts variously ascribed the disease to heredity, a sedentary lifestyle, depressed mood, and overindulgence in sex, rich food, or alcohol, all of which were social ills at the time.^[25]

When a disease is caused by a pathogenic organism (e.g., when malaria is caused by Plasmodium), one should not confuse the pathogen (the cause of the disease) with disease itself. For example, West Nile virus (the pathogen) causes West Nile fever (the disease). The misuse of basic definitions in epidemiology is frequent in scientific publications.^[26]

Types of causes[edit]

Airborne

An airborne disease is any disease that is caused by pathogens and transmitted through the air.

Foodborne

Foodborne illness or food poisoning is any illness resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites.

Infectious

Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible diseases or communicable diseases, comprise clinically evident illness (i.e., characteristic medical signs or symptoms of disease) resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism. Included in this category are contagious diseases – an infection, such as influenza or the common cold, that commonly spreads from one person to another – and communicable diseases – a disease that can spread from one person to another, but does not necessarily spread through everyday contact.

Lifestyle

A lifestyle disease is any disease that appears to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer, especially if the risk factors include behavioral choices like a sedentary lifestyle or a diet high in unhealthful foods such as refined carbohydrates, trans fats, or alcoholic beverages.

Non-communicable

A non-communicable disease is a medical condition or disease that is non-transmissible. Non-communicable diseases cannot be spread directly from one person to another. Heart disease and cancer are examples of non-communicable diseases in humans.

Prevention[edit]

Many diseases and disorders can be prevented through a variety of means. These include sanitation, proper nutrition, adequate exercise, vaccinations and other self-care and public health measures, such as obligatory face mask mandates^{[citation needed]}.

Treatments[edit]

Medical therapies or treatments are efforts to cure or improve a disease or other health problems. In the medical field, therapy is synonymous with the word treatment. Among psychologists, the term may refer specifically to psychotherapy or «talk therapy». Common treatments include medications, surgery, medical devices, and self-care. Treatments may be provided by an organized health care system, or informally, by the patient or family members.

Preventive healthcare is a way to avoid an injury, sickness, or disease in the first place. A treatment or cure is applied after a medical problem has already started. A treatment attempts to improve or remove a problem, but treatments may not produce permanent cures, especially in chronic diseases. Cures are a subset of treatments that reverse diseases completely or end medical problems permanently. Many diseases that cannot be completely cured are still treatable. Pain management (also called pain medicine) is that branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to the relief of pain and improvement in the quality of life of those living with pain.^[27]

Treatment for medical emergencies must be provided promptly, often through an emergency department or, in less critical situations, through an urgent care facility.

Epidemiology[edit]

Epidemiology is the study of the factors that cause or encourage diseases. Some diseases are more common in certain geographic areas, among people with certain genetic or socioeconomic characteristics, or at different times of the year.

Epidemiology is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for diseases. In the study of communicable and non-communicable diseases, the work of epidemiologists ranges from outbreak investigation to study design, data collection, and analysis including the development of statistical models to test hypotheses and the documentation of results for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Epidemiologists also study the interaction of diseases in a population, a condition known as a syndemic. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (the current raw information available), Geographic Information Science (to store data and map disease patterns) and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors). Epidemiology can help identify causes as well as guide prevention efforts.

In studying diseases, epidemiology faces the challenge of defining them. Especially for poorly understood diseases, different groups might use significantly different definitions. Without an agreed-on definition, different researchers may report different numbers of cases and characteristics of the disease.^[28]

Some morbidity databases are compiled with data supplied by states and territories health authorities, at national levels^[29][30] or larger scale (such as European Hospital Morbidity Database (HMDB))^[31] which may contain hospital discharge data by detailed diagnosis, age and sex. The European HMDB data was submitted by European countries to the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Burdens of disease[edit]

Disease burden is the impact of a health problem in an area measured by financial cost, mortality, morbidity, or other indicators.

There are several measures used to quantify the burden imposed by diseases on people. The years of potential life lost (YPLL) is a simple estimate of the number of years that a person’s life was shortened due to a disease. For example, if a person dies at the age of 65 from a disease, and would probably have lived until age 80 without that disease, then that disease has caused a loss of 15 years of potential life. YPLL measurements do not account for how disabled a person is before dying, so the measurement treats a person who dies suddenly and a person who died at the same age after decades of illness as equivalent. In 2004, the World Health Organization calculated that 932 million years of potential life were lost to premature death.^[32]

The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) metrics are similar but take into account whether the person was healthy after diagnosis. In addition to the number of years lost due to premature death, these measurements add part of the years lost to being sick. Unlike YPLL, these measurements show the burden imposed on people who are very sick, but who live a normal lifespan. A disease that has high morbidity, but low mortality, has a high DALY and a low YPLL. In 2004, the World Health Organization calculated that 1.5 billion disability-adjusted life years were lost to disease and injury.^[32] In the developed world, heart disease and stroke cause the most loss of life, but neuropsychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder cause the most years lost to being sick.

Disease category	Percent of all YPLLs lost, worldwide[32]	Percent of all DALYs lost, worldwide[32]	Percent of all YPLLs lost, Europe[32]	Percent of all DALYs lost, Europe[32]	Percent of all YPLLs lost, US and Canada[32]	Percent of all DALYs lost, US and Canada[32]
Infectious and parasitic diseases, especially lower respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria	37%	26%	9%	6%	5%	3%
Neuropsychiatric conditions, e.g. depression	2%	13%	3%	19%	5%	28%
Injuries, especially motor vehicle accidents	14%	12%	18%	13%	18%	10%
Cardiovascular diseases, principally heart attacks and stroke	14%	10%	35%	23%	26%	14%
Premature birth and other perinatal deaths	11%	8%	4%	2%	3%	2%
Cancer	8%	5%	19%	11%	25%	13%

Society and culture[edit]

How a society responds to diseases is the subject of medical sociology.

A condition may be considered a disease in some cultures or eras but not in others. For example, obesity can represent wealth and abundance, and is a status symbol in famine-prone areas and some places hard-hit by HIV/AIDS.^[34] Epilepsy is considered a sign of spiritual gifts among the Hmong people.^[35]

Sickness confers the social legitimization of certain benefits, such as illness benefits, work avoidance, and being looked after by others. The person who is sick takes on a social role called the sick role. A person who responds to a dreaded disease, such as cancer, in a culturally acceptable fashion may be publicly and privately honored with higher social status.^[36] In return for these benefits, the sick person is obligated to seek treatment and work to become well once more. As a comparison, consider pregnancy, which is not interpreted as a disease or sickness, even if the mother and baby may both benefit from medical care.

Most religions grant exceptions from religious duties to people who are sick. For example, one whose life would be endangered by fasting on Yom Kippur or during Ramadan is exempted from the requirement, or even forbidden from participating. People who are sick are also exempted from social duties. For example, ill health is the only socially acceptable reason for an American to refuse an invitation to the White House.^[37]

The identification of a condition as a disease, rather than as simply a variation of human structure or function, can have significant social or economic implications. The controversial recognition of diseases such as repetitive stress injury (RSI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has had a number of positive and negative effects on the financial and other responsibilities of governments, corporations, and institutions towards individuals, as well as on the individuals themselves. The social implication of viewing aging as a disease could be profound, though this classification is not yet widespread.

Lepers were people who were historically shunned because they had an infectious disease, and the term «leper» still evokes social stigma. Fear of disease can still be a widespread social phenomenon, though not all diseases evoke extreme social stigma.

Social standing and economic status affect health. Diseases of poverty are diseases that are associated with poverty and low social status; diseases of affluence are diseases that are associated with high social and economic status. Which diseases are associated with which states vary according to time, place, and technology. Some diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, may be associated with both poverty (poor food choices) and affluence (long lifespans and sedentary lifestyles), through different mechanisms. The term lifestyle diseases describes diseases associated with longevity and that are more common among older people. For example, cancer is far more common in societies in which most members live until they reach the age of 80 than in societies in which most members die before they reach the age of 50.

Language of disease[edit]

An illness narrative is a way of organizing a medical experience into a coherent story that illustrates the sick individual’s personal experience.

People use metaphors to make sense of their experiences with disease. The metaphors move disease from an objective thing that exists to an affective experience. The most popular metaphors draw on military concepts: Disease is an enemy that must be feared, fought, battled, and routed. The patient or the healthcare provider is a warrior, rather than a passive victim or bystander. The agents of communicable diseases are invaders; non-communicable diseases constitute internal insurrection or civil war. Because the threat is urgent, perhaps a matter of life and death, unthinkably radical, even oppressive, measures are society’s and the patient’s moral duty as they courageously mobilize to struggle against destruction. The War on Cancer is an example of this metaphorical use of language.^[38] This language is empowering to some patients, but leaves others feeling like they are failures.^[39]

Another class of metaphors describes the experience of illness as a journey: The person travels to or from a place of disease, and changes himself, discovers new information, or increases his experience along the way. He may travel «on the road to recovery» or make changes to «get on the right track» or choose «pathways».^[38][39] Some are explicitly immigration-themed: the patient has been exiled from the home territory of health to the land of the ill, changing identity and relationships in the process.^[40] This language is more common among British healthcare professionals than the language of physical aggression.^[39]

Some metaphors are disease-specific. Slavery is a common metaphor for addictions: The alcoholic is enslaved by drink, and the smoker is captive to nicotine. Some cancer patients treat the loss of their hair from chemotherapy as a metonymy or metaphor for all the losses caused by the disease.^[38]

Some diseases are used as metaphors for social ills: «Cancer» is a common description for anything that is endemic and destructive in society, such as poverty, injustice, or racism. AIDS was seen as a divine judgment for moral decadence, and only by purging itself from the «pollution» of the «invader» could society become healthy again.^[38] More recently, when AIDS seemed less threatening, this type of emotive language was applied to avian flu and type 2 diabetes mellitus.^[41] Authors in the 19th century commonly used tuberculosis as a symbol and a metaphor for transcendence. People with the disease were portrayed in literature as having risen above daily life to become ephemeral objects of spiritual or artistic achievement. In the 20th century, after its cause was better understood, the same disease became the emblem of poverty, squalor, and other social problems.^[40]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• «Man and Disease», BBC Radio 4 discussion with Anne Hardy, David Bradley & Chris Dye (In Our Time, 15 December 2002)
• CTD The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database is a scientific resource connecting chemicals, genes, and human diseases.
• Free online health-risk assessment by Your Disease Risk at Washington University in St Louis
• Health Topics A–Z, fact sheets about many common diseases at Centers for Disease Control
• Health Topics, MedlinePlus descriptions of most diseases, with access to current research articles.
• NLM Comprehensive database from the US National Library of Medicine
• OMIM Comprehensive information on genes that cause disease at Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man
• Report: The global burden of disease from World Health Organization (WHO), 2004
• The Merck Manual containing detailed description of most diseases