Severity of illness Health Dictionary

All forms of illness in which psychological, emotional or behavioural disturbances are the dominating feature. The term is relative and variable in different cultures, schools of thought and definitions. It includes a wide range of types and severities.... mental illness

A person’s own perceptions, experience and evaluation of a disease or condition, or how he or she feels. For example, an individual may feel pain, discomfort, weakness, depression or anxiety, but a disease may or may not be present.... illness

Also known as caisson disease, this affects workers operating in compressed-air environments, such as underwater divers and workers in caissons (such as an ammunition wagon, a chest of explosive materials, or a strong case for keeping out the water while the foundations of a bridge are being built; derived from the French caisse, meaning case or chest). Its chief symptoms are pains in the joints and limbs (bends); pain in the stomach; headache and dizziness; and paralysis. Sudden death may occur. The condition is caused by the accumulation of bubbles of nitrogen in di?erent parts of the body, usually because of too-rapid decompression when the worker returns to normal atmospheric presure – a change that must be made gradually.... compressed air illness

The personal cost of acute or chronic disease. The cost to the patient may be an economic, social or psychological cost or loss to himself, his family or community. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, quality of life, etc. It differs from health care costs in that this concept is restricted to the cost of providing services related to the delivery of health care, rather than the impact on the personal life of the patient. See “burden of disease”.... cost of illness

A disease which is characterized by a single or repeated episode of relatively rapid onset and short duration from which the patient usually returns to his/her normal or previous state or level of activity. An acute episode of a chronic disease (for example, an episode of diabetic coma in a patient with diabetes) is often treated as an acute disease.... acute disease / illness

A measure of intensity or gravity of a given condition or diagnosis for an older person.... case severity

A determination of the economic impact of a disease or health condition, including treatment costs.... cost-of-illness analysis

An illness suffered by divers when diving too deep, or too long and characterised bynitrogen bubbles forming in the tissues of the body. This may cause a multitude of symptoms although joint pains are those most-commonly encountered. Confusion may be caused in divers that have suffered an Irukandji sting as the symptoms have some similarities. See also, cerebral gas embolism.... decompression illness (dci)

See MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME.... fabricated and induced illness

Negative effect resulting from a medical treatment.... iatrogenic illness (or injury)

An illness for which there is no known cure.... terminal illness

A number of different mental and emotional conditions may arise. Some are hereditary, others acquired through anxiety and a sense of insecurity. A sound constitution and strong nervous system are a bulwark against disintegration of the personality. For this purpose nerve restoratives and anxiolytics are indicated.

Alternatives. Teas: German Chamomile, Oats, Skullcap, Valerian, Gotu Kola. Tablets. Devil’s Claw, Ginseng, Pulsatilla, Mistletoe, Motherwort, Valerian. Gotu Kola: used extensively in traditional Indian medicine for mental ailments. Diet. Protein, Salt-free. Lacto-vegetarian.

Vitamins. B-complex, B1; B6; B12; Niacin, Folic Acid. C, E, F. Minerals. Dolomite. Zinc. ... emotional illness

a US term for a health condition that severely affects an individual’s physical, mental, social, or economic wellbeing, lasts for an extended period of time, and (usually) requires very expensive treatment. In practice, the definition varies from government agency to agency and from employer to employer. The definition may focus specifically on the economic burden, the time lost from work, the seriousness of the condition, or a combination of these.... catastrophic illness

see hypochondria.... illness anxiety disorder

(PASI) a semiobjective severity score for psoriasis, including measurement of surface area affected and the degree of erythema, induration, and scale. It is commonly used in clinical trials and to ration expensive treatments for psoriasis. Severe disease equates to scores over 10 and it is often interpreted with the *dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score.... psoriasis area severity index

A mental disorder that is characterized by a disturbance of mood. The disturbance may be unipolar (consisting of either depression or mania) or bipolar (swinging between the two). In a severe form that is sometimes referred to as manic– depressive psychosis, there may also be grandiose ideas or negative delusions.

Abnormalities in brain biochemistry, or in the structure and/or function of certain nerve pathways within the brain, could underlie manic–depressive illness. An inherited tendency is also an established causative factor.Severe manic–depressive illness often needs hospital treatment. Antidepressant drugs and/or ECT are used to treat depression, and antipsychotic drugs are given to control manic symptoms. Carbamazepine or lithium may be used to prevent relapse.

Group therapy, family therapy, and individual psychotherapy may be useful in treatment. Cognitive–behavioural therapy may also be helpful. With treatment, more than 80 per cent of patients improve or remain stable. Even those with severe illness may be restored to near normal health with lithium.... manic–depressive illness