what is it called when a disease is taking its course

Full Answer

What is the course of a disease called?

The course of a disease, also called its natural history, refers to the development of the disease in a patient, including the sequence and speed of the stages and forms they take. Typical courses of diseases include: acute: beginning abruptly, intensifying rapidly, not lasting long

What is the study of disease?

Ramon Espinosa/AP The study of disease is called pathology. It involves the determination of the cause (etiology) of the disease, the understanding of the mechanisms of its development (pathogenesis), the structural changes associated with the disease process (morphological changes), and the functional consequences of those changes.

What is the meaning of diseased?

Written By: Disease, any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms and differing in nature from physical injury. A diseased organism commonly exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its abnormal state.

What is the initial cause of disease?

The initial cause of the diseased state may lie within the individual organism itself, and the disease is then said to be idiopathic, innate, primary, or “essential.” It may result from a course of medical treatment, either as an unavoidable side effect or because the treatment itself was ill-advised;

How does denial affect the course of disease?

Part of the negative effect of denial on the course of disease may be due to the fact that denial may cause the patient to delay addressing a doctor and thus getting on time the appropriate treatment ( Katz et al., 1970; Kreitler, 1999 ).

What is progressive MS?

Primary progressive disease, which affects 10–15% of individuals with MS, is characterized by a gradual decline in neurologic condition from onset, without relapses. This form of disease progression is typically seen in older individuals, more often males, as a progressive myelopathy.

What is calpainopathy?

Calpainopathy (LGMD2A) involves mutations in the CAPN3 gene, which encodes the muscle-specific protein calpain-3. It is characterized mainly by a symmetric, very selective atrophic involvement of limb-girdle and trunk muscles, with the gluteus maximus and thigh adductors being most affected. Clinically, calf hypertrophy is rarely observed, but Achilles tendon contractures are common. Scapular winging is usually present from the early stages, though it may be asymptomatic. Onset of symptoms occurs between the ages of 8 and 15 years, but adult onset is not uncommon. Progression of calpainopathy is variable. Most patients may have normal mobility in childhood with a very slowly progressive course of disease. Confinement to a wheelchair occurs at the earliest typically 11–28 years after onset. Anterior distal leg and distal arm muscles are relatively spared. While the first location of detectable muscle weakness was in the pelvifemoral muscles, muscle CT scanning in some patients showed early involvement of the gastrocnemius muscle, which was usually asymptomatic, though early inability to walk on tiptoe is an important clinical clue. Respiratory, but not cardiac, complications have been reported.

When does calpainopathy start?

Onset of symptoms occurs between the ages of 8 and 15 years, but adult onset is not uncommon. Progression of calpainopathy is variable. Most patients may have normal mobility in childhood with a very slowly progressive course of disease.

Is MS infectious?

Based on epidemiologic and genetic data, MS is believed to be caused by some environmental agent that triggers the disease in susceptible individuals. The trigger is unknown but likely infectious. Advances in biotechnology and better trial design have led to new therapies that are at least partially effective in treating the disease.

What is the definition of a disease?

the term denoting the disease or syndrome a person has or is believed to have; the determination of the presence of a disease based on an evaluation of symptoms, signs, and test findings

What does "diseased" mean?

state of being diseased; the number of sick persons or cases of disease in relationship within a population

What does "restricted" mean?

restricted to a limited part or region

What does "growing worse" mean?

growing worse; resisting treatment, said of cancerous growths; tending or threatening to produce death

What does "return to a former state" mean?

a turning back or return to a former state; a return of symptoms

What is a person who is infectious but has subclinical disease called?

Such persons who are infectious but have subclinical disease are called carriers. Frequently, carriers are persons with incubating disease or inapparent infection. Persons with measles, hepatitis A, and several other diseases become infectious a few days before the onset of symptoms.

What is the incubation period of a disease?

This stage of subclinical disease, extending from the time of exposure to onset of disease symptoms, is usually called the incubation period for infectious diseases, and the latency period for chronic diseases. During this stage, disease is said to be asymptomatic (no symptoms) or inapparent. This period may be as brief as seconds for hypersensitivity and toxic reactions to as long as decades for certain chronic diseases. Even for a single disease, the characteristic incubation period has a range. For example, the typical incubation period for hepatitis A is as long as 7 weeks. The latency period for leukemia to become evident among survivors of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima ranged from 2 to 12 years, peaking at 6–7 years. ( 44) Incubation periods of selected exposures and diseases varying from minutes to decades are displayed in Table 1.7.

What is a timeline in medical terminology?

Description: Timeline shows state of susceptibility, exposure, subclinical disease in which pathologic changes takes place, onset of symptoms, followed by usual time of diagnosis, clinical disease, followed by recovery, disability, or death. Return to text.

What is the difference between pathogenicity and infectivity?

For an infectious agent, infectivity refers to the proportion of exposed persons who become infected. Pathogenicity refers to the proportion of infected individuals who develop clinically apparent disease.

What is the transition from subclinical to clinical?

The onset of symptoms marks the transition from subclinical to clinical disease. Most diagnoses are made during the stage of clinical disease. In some people, however, the disease process may never progress to clinically apparent illness.

What is the definition of virulence?

Virulence refers to the proportion of clinically apparent cases that are severe or fatal. Because the spectrum of disease can include asymptomatic and mild cases, the cases of illness diagnosed by clinicians in the community often represent only the tip of the iceberg.

How long does it take for AIDS to develop?

It is now recognized that it may take 10 years or more for AIDS to develop after seroconversion. ( 43) Many, if not most, diseases have a characteristic natural history, although the time frame and specific manifestations of disease may vary from individual to individual and are influenced by preventive and therapeutic measures.

Why is advanced illness difficult to treat?

medical an advanced illness is difficult or impossible to treat because it has had time to develop completely

What is an opportunistic disease?

medical an opportunistic disease or infection is one that attacks people who are already ill and who have a very weak immune system

What happens when a condition or injury is disabling?

if a condition or injury is disabling, it affects your body or your brain and makes you unable to use it properly

What is chronic pain?

medical a chronic illness or chronic pain is serious and lasts for a long time. A serious illness or pain that lasts only for a short time is described as acute

What is the study of disease called?

The study of disease is called pathology. It involves the determination of the cause (etiology) of the disease, the understanding of the mechanisms of its development (pathogenesis), the structural changes associated with the disease process (morphological changes), and the functional consequences of those changes.

What is a disease?

Full Article. Disease, any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms and differing in nature from physical injury. A diseased organism commonly exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its abnormal state. Thus, the normal condition ...

What are noncommunicable diseases?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified four major types of noncommunicable disease: cancer, cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart attack, stroke ), chronic respiratory disease (e.g., asthma ), and diabetes mellitus. WHO estimates that, combined, these four groups of conditions account for 82 percent of all deaths from noncommunicable disease.

What are some examples of inherited diseases?

Examples of inherited diseases that emerge in adulthood include Huntington disease and certain forms of cancer (e.g., familial breast cancer involving inherited mutations in either of the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 ).

What causes death in humans?

Death in humans and other mammals, for example, often results directly from heart or lung failure, but the preceding sequence of events may be highly complex, involving disturbances of other organ systems and derangement of other control mechanisms.

Can humans be affected by diseases?

Humans, other animals, and plants are all susceptible to diseases of some sort. However, that which disrupts the normal functioning of one type of organism may have no effect on the other types.

Is a disease innate or innate?

The initial cause of the diseased state may lie within the individual organism itself, and the disease is then said to be idiopathic, innate, primary, or “essential.” It may result from a course of medical treatment, either as an unavoidable side effect or because the treatment itself was ill-advised; in either case the disease is classed as iatrogenic. Finally, the disease may be caused by some agent external to the organism, such as a chemical that is a toxic agent. In this case the disease is noncommunicable; that is, it affects only the individual organism exposed to it. The external agent may be itself a living organism capable of multiplying within the host and subsequently infecting other organisms; in this case the disease is said to be communicable.