A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts these may be considered distinguishable categories. Pathology is the study of diseases. The subject of systematic classification of diseases is referred to as nosology. The broader bo ...

Including:

• Disease - Syndromes illness and disease
• Disease - Transmission of disease
• Disease - Social significance of disease
• Disease - Other uses of the term

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Medical usage sometimes distinguishes a disease, which has a known specific cause or causes (called its etiology), from a syndrome, which is a collection of signs or symptoms that occur together. However, many conditions have been identified, yet continue to be referred to as "syndromes". Furthermore, numerous conditions of unknown etiology are referred to as "diseases" in many contexts. Illness, although often used to mean disease, can also refer to a person's perception of their health, regardless of whether the ...

See also:

Disease, Disease - Syndromes, illness and disease, Disease - Transmission of disease, Disease - Social significance of disease, Disease - Other uses of the term

Read more here: » Disease: Encyclopedia II - Disease - Syndromes, illness and disease

In biology, disease refers to any abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. The term disease is often used metaphorically for disordered, dysfunctional, or distressing conditions of other things, as in disease of society. ...

See also:

Disease, Disease - Syndromes illness and disease, Disease - Transmission of disease, Disease - Social significance of disease, Disease - Other uses of the term

Read more here: » Disease: Encyclopedia II - Disease - Other uses of the term

The identification of a condition as a disease, rather than as simply a variation of human structure or function, can have significant social or economic implications. The controversial recognitions as diseases of post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as "shell shock"; repetitive motion injury or repetitive stress injury (RSI); and Gulf War syndrome has had a number of positive and negative effects on the financial and other responsibilities of governments, corporations and institutions towards individuals, as well as on the individuals themselves. The social implication of viewing aging as a disease could be p ...

See also:

Disease, Disease - Syndromes illness and disease, Disease - Transmission of disease, Disease - Social significance of disease, Disease - Other uses of the term

Read more here: » Disease: Encyclopedia II - Disease - Social significance of disease

Some diseases, such as influenza, are contagious or infectious, and can be transmitted by any of a variety of mechanisms, including droplets from coughs and sneezes, by bites of insects or other vectors, from contaminated water or food, etc. Other diseases, such as cancer and heart disease are not considered to be due to infection, although micro-organisms may play a role. ...

See also:

Disease, Disease - Syndromes illness and disease, Disease - Transmission of disease, Disease - Social significance of disease, Disease - Other uses of the term

Read more here: » Disease: Encyclopedia II - Disease - Transmission of disease

Medical usage sometimes distinguishes a disease, which has a known specific cause or causes (called its etiology), from a syndrome, which is a collection of signs or symptoms that occur together. However, many conditions have been identified, yet continue to be referred to as "syndromes". Furthermore, numerous conditions of unknown etiology are referred to as "diseases" in many contexts. Illness, although often used to mean disease, can also refer to a person's perception of their health, regardless of whether the ...

See also:

Disease, Disease - Syndromes illness and disease, Disease - Transmission of disease, Disease - Social significance of disease, Disease - Other uses of the term

Read more here: » Disease: Encyclopedia II - Disease - Syndromes illness and disease