Health, according to the World Health Organization, “is a state of full physical, mental and emotional well-being and not just the absence of illness and disease.” Various definitions have also been employed over the years for various purposes. For the most part though, health is associated with the prevention of illness and its treatment. Of course, all of us want that well being to extend to ourselves and to those who are closest to us.
There are many factors that contribute to poor health status and even to the possibility of getting diseases. They include genetics, heredity, nutrition, environment, lifestyle, and the activities of an individual. One of the possible major causes of poor health status is heredity. Some individuals are predisposed to certain kinds of diseases and to specific health conditions. It is usually quite difficult to change a family history of certain diseases. For example, people with a family history of cardiovascular diseases are usually more likely to develop these diseases in their lifetime if they do not take steps to modify their lifestyles and reduce stress.
Stress is also a major cause of poor health status and of the risk of acquiring diseases. People under great stress have poorer physical well-being as well as mental health issues and may become susceptible to illnesses. This kind of stress is called occupational stress, which includes all those activities that involve the use of the senses such as seeing, hearing, touching, or even smelling. There are many ways in which we can control and reduce the negative effects of stress on the body and mind. We can learn new stress-busting behaviors such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and physical exercise.
Illness is another major cause of poor physical and mental health problems. In fact, all forms of illness are the result of increased stress levels. Anxiety can trigger a number of diseases and health disorders. This is because stress makes the immune system overactive and thus results in inflammation and the activation of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as cytokines, which leads to sickness and disease. The increase in inflammatory chemicals is also responsible for the increase in energy expenditure and weight gain that often accompanies illness.
Mental illness is also caused by a lifestyle that is unhealthy. The definition of a healthy lifestyle is one in which people lead balanced and healthful lives. However, when people lead unhealthy lifestyles such as in a dependence on alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, they often lead to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. When you incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your life, you improve the quality of your life and also decrease the chances of getting sick or becoming sick and staying ill. This helps you enjoy better health and live longer.
The absence of a strong emotional presence in one’s life also increases the likelihood of getting illnesses and diseases. Having no emotional presence can lead to depression and other emotional disorders. Emotional deprivation is often associated with physical ailments, and the lack of connection to others results in isolation, which can result in an increased vulnerability to diseases and illnesses. Physical symptoms are sometimes hard to identify if one has no emotional presence. If someone is unable to experience pain and stress, it can be difficult to determine if the absence of stress and pain is the result of physical illness or emotional illness.