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Preventing Physical Diseases
by Ron Kurtus (3 November 2001)
Preventing a physical disease involves keeping the germs, viruses or other agents from attacking the body and providing natural defenses from such agents. Cleanliness, good health and vaccinations are common ways prevent or defend against disease.
Questions you may have include:
- How can you keep germs from getting you sick?
- What are the natural defenses against disease?
- How do vaccinations work?
This lesson will answer those questions. Health Disclaimer
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is the most common protection from the germs, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mold spores that may infect a person and cause a disease. These agents need a place to gather and grow outside the body, so keeping areas clean can reduce the threat.
Obviously, eating contaminated food is a good way to allow disease-causing agents into the body. Food should be cleaned thoroughly before eating.
Many meats contain germs, bacteria, and even small parasites. Heating the meat to high temperatures long enough to kill these agents is an essential practice to avoid possible disease. Some religions forbid eating meat such as pork, because it often contains parasites that can cause problems in humans.
Washing your hands is a good way to avoid many diseases. A person with dirty hands may unconsciously rub his eyes or nose, allowing germs into the body.
Good health
If you are in good health and avoid poisons or irritants that can weaken your immune system, you have a better chance of warding off illness or disease.
In a large number of cases, the body is very successful in defeating the disease. In fact, the body can even build up a resistance to many diseases that have previously attacked, so that the defense will be more effective.
When the body is attacked by foreign agents, such as bacteria, viruses, mold spores, fungi and even physical objects, specialized cells in the body go into action to destroy the invaders or to encapsulate them and expel them from the body.
In most cases, physicians depend on letting the body cure the disease. The proverbial "Take two aspirins and call me in the morning" means to say, "Your body will take care of the problem."
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are often given to bolster a person's natural immune system for a specific disease. The idea is to give a mild form of the disease, so that the body builds up resistance. If there is an attack of that disease, the body will be able to readily provide a defense.
Viruses for some diseases--like the flu or colds--mutate every year, thus making it difficult to maintain a good resistance. That is why flu shots are given each year.
Summary
Keeping your food and body clean helps to prevent disease. Being in good health allows the body to do a better job at fighting and preventing a disease from taking hold. Vaccinations help the body build a natural defense against specific diseases.
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Preventing Physical Diseases