Vectors and Deficiency Diseases

1) How Can We Diagnose a Disease?

A disease can be diagnosed by laboratory tests and symptoms such as the FeNO test is used to diagnose asthma, and a blood test is used to diagnose typhoid, jaundice or malaria.

Apart from the tests, a few common symptoms may indicate a disease. For example—

• High fever with chills indicates malaria.
• Yellowish eyes, nails, or skin shows jaundice.
• Prolonged cough (around 3 weeks) indicates tuberculosis.

2) What Is Dehydration? Why Should We Prevent It?

• Dehydration stands for the excess loss of water from the body. It generally happens due to vomiting or diarrhoea.
• It should be prevented as water constitutes our major body weight and is required for all body functions.
• The removal of excess water from the body may lead to loss of strength and stamina, and long-term dehydration leads to the risks of kidney failure too.

3) What Is Cancer? How Is It Caused?

• Cancer is a genetic disease caused by the alteration of our genes.
• It is generally characterised by an uncontrolled division of cells in our body which leads to the development of tumours.It is generally characterised by an uncontrolled division of cells in our body which leads to the development of tumours.
• These genetic alterations may be caused due to exposure to certain chemicals or UV rays. A person with a family history of cancer may inherit specific mutated genes, which can lead to cancer development.

4) What Is Anaemia? How Does It Affect Our Body?

• Anaemia is a medical deficiency disease caused when the haemoglobin in a person’s body is below the required amount.
• Haemoglobin is the red pigment present in the red blood cells of our blood.
• The primary function of haemoglobin is to bind with the oxygen molecules we breathe in and transfer them to various organs of our body.
• Lower levels of haemoglobin in the body may lead to weakness, headache, dizziness, fatigue etc.

5) Why Is the Protein Requirement of a 12-Year Boy More Than an Older Adult?

• At the age of 12 years, our body undergoes growth and development. The body attains maximum height and starts developing muscles during this age.
• Therefore, a high protein diet is required to meet the nutritional requirements of body spurts. 

6) Why Should We Avoid Eating Overcooked Food?

• Raw food contains vitamins and minerals.
• These vitamins and minerals may be destroyed or lost if cooked above the required temperature. Hence, food should not be overcooked.

7) What Is Autoimmune Disease?

• Autoimmune disease is a disorder related to our body's immune system.
• The essential function of the immune system is to prevent the invasion of foreign substances in the body and kill them.
• But when a body stops distinguishing between foreign substances and its own cells, the situation is considered an autoimmune disorder.
• Because of autoimmune disorders, the immune system starts attacking the body cells, leading to diseases like arthritis, lupus, etc.