How Many Types of Diseases are There

Infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases (including both genetic disorders and non-genetic hereditary diseases), and physiological diseases are the four primary categories of disease. Other categories of disease exist as well, such as infectious and non-infectious diseases.Let us study about them in detail.

Disease is an unusual condition of a body affecting internally or externally due to action of external organisms entered into the body. It is not necessary that diseases occur due to external or internal injuries. Microorganisms enter into our body from various sources like polluted air, drinking untreated water, unhygienic street foods, or action of allergic chemicals to skin, eyes, oral consumption or inhalation of fumes in the laboratory. Diseases are the medical conditions in which the body shows some signs or symptoms of unusual activity in the body.

Humans describe a disease as a condition that causes pain around the affected area, distress or tension or mental problems, dysfunction of cells or tissues or organs in the body or even death of the person affected, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. Disease also sometimes include external or internal injuries, mental disorders, physical disabilities, different syndromes, deviant behaviours, infections and isolated symptoms. Diseases not only affect people physically, but also affect mentally, as frequent contact and living with a disease can alter a patient's perspective on life. Death of a person due to disease is called death by natural cause.

Pathology is the study of effect and cause of a disease. It is basically a bridge between science and medicine. Aetiology means scientific study of the disease. For example, we can say the aetiology of cholera is a bacteria that contaminates food and drinking water in unhygienic areas. Pathology tells the mechanism by which the disease is caused, while aetiology describes the cause of disease.

How many types of diseases are there

There are thousands of diseases in the world and scientifically we have cures for only a few hundreds of them.

There are 4 main types of disease: deficiency diseases, infectious diseases, physiological diseases, hereditary diseases. Hereditary diseases include genetic hereditary diseases and non-genetic hereditary diseases. Based on commuting, diseases can be classified as communicable and non-communicable diseases. Based on the cause, diseases are classified as pathogenesis or by symptoms. Pathogenesis is the mechanism by which the disease is caused. Diseases can also be classified based on the organ system involved, but it is quite complicated as many diseases can affect more than one organ.

Here is a list of some common human diseases:

• Cancer types: Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Lymphoma and leukaemia, Germ cell tumour and Blastoma.

• Cutaneous conditions: Dermal and subcutaneous growths, Dermatitis, Disturbances of pigmentation, Drug eruptions, Endocrine-related, Eosinophilic, Epidermal nevi, neoplasms, and cysts, Erythemas, Genodermatoses, Infection-related, Lichenoid eruptions, Lymphoid-related, Melanocytic nevi and neoplasms, Monocyte- and macrophage-related, Mucinoses, Neurocutaneous, Noninfectious immunodeficiency-related, Nutrition-related, Papulosquamous hyperkeratotic, Pregnancy-related, Pruritic, Psoriasis, Reactive neutrophilic, Recalcitrant palmoplantar eruptions, Resulting from errors in metabolism, Resulting from physical factors, Urticaria and angioedema and Vascular-related.

• Endocrine diseases: Glucose homeostasis disorder (Diabetes, Hypoglycemia, Glucagonoma), Thyroid disorders (Goitre, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Thyroiditis, Thyroid cancer, Thyroid hormone resistance), Calcium homeostasis disorders and Metabolic bone disease (Parathyroid gland disorders, Osteoporosis, Osteitis deformans, Rickets, Osteomalacia), Pituitary gland disorders (Posterior pituitary, Anterior pituitary), Sex hormone disorders (Disorders of sex development or intersex disorders, Hermaphroditism, Disorders of Puberty, Menstrual function or fertility disorders) and Tumours of the endocrine glands.

• Eye diseases and disorders: Disorders of eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit, Disorders of conjunctiva, Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body, Disorders of lens, Glaucoma, Disorders of vitreous body and globe, Disorders of ocular muscles, binocular movement, accommodation and refraction, Disorders of optic nerve and visual pathways, Visual disturbances and blindness, Disorders of choroid and retina and Other disorders of eye and adnexa.

• Intestinal diseases: Cholera, Enteric duplication cyst, Giardiasis, Pancreatitis, Peptic ulcer disease and Yellow fever.

• Infectious diseases: AIDS/HIV (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), Amebiasis, Bird flu (Avian influenza), Chickenpox (Varicella), Cholera, Coronavirus, Dengue Fever, Ebola Virus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS), etc.

• Voice disorders: Vocal fold nodules, Vocal fold cysts, Vocal cord paresis, Reinke's edema, Spasmodic dysphonia, Foreign accent syndrome, Bogart–Bacall syndrome, Laryngeal papillomatosis, Laryngitis

• Heart disorders: Heart Attack, Stroke, Heart Failure, Arrhythmia, Heart Valve Complications, etc.

• Liver Disorders: Fascioliasis, Hepatitis, Alcoholic liver disease, Fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis), Hereditary diseases, Gilbert's syndrome, Cirrhosis, Primary liver cancer, Primary biliary cirrhosis, Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Budd–Chiari syndrome, etc.

In humans, the deadliest diseases are coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and lower respiratory infections. Coronary artery disease damages the heart's major blood vessels. The usual cause can be due to build-up of plaque. This causes narrowing of coronary arteries and thus limiting blood flow to the heart. The disease that causes the sickness are neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Cerebrovascular disease damages the brain due to inadequate blood supply. A brain stroke is a medical emergency and can lead to death of a person. Other Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) includes pneumonia, acute bronchitis, acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic bronchitis (AECB).

Conclusion

"Prevention is better than cure", the best slogan for keeping ourselves away from deadly diseases. There are many diseases and disorders that can be prevented through a variety of measures. These include proper nutrition, hygiene, adequate exercise, vaccinations, self-care and public health measures, such as face masks can save us from infections.

Eat apples daily as per saying of the common phrase: "An apple keeps a doctor away". Apples contain important nutrients like fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and cancer-treating compounds which help in fighting disease-causing microorganisms.