The word health comes from the Latin salus-utis, and that in ancient times meant being in a position to overcome a difficulty. It is defined as the state that an organism presents when exercising and developing normally all its functions. Health is considered the ideal state of the individual, by virtue of the fact that by feeling the absence of disease or injury, one can lead a normal life. For life to have meaning, good health must be available and enjoyed, in other words, if we have poor health, our time of existence in this world becomes shorter and shorter.

The concept of health that has been accepted throughout the world was created by the WHO (World Health Organization) and establishes it as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. This is a fairly complete concept and perfect at first glance, but it is important to note that, from it, you can investigate even more. The definition of health comes from the Latin Salus Utis, which refers to the fact that it goes beyond the feeling that something is wrong in an organism. This can be viewed from a subjective or objective point of view.

Original text

Contribute a better translation

What is health

Table of Contents

According to different theories, health should stop being seen as an abstract state or element and begin to accept it as a means to achieve a certain end, in this case it would be to achieve mental, social and physical well-being, so that a full individual life. At this point, the definition of health is understood as one of the resources of daily life and not as a life objective. Here the resources that are in the hands of the people are considerably accentuated, from social and personal to physical aptitudes and skills.

If viewed subjectively, a person can feel healthy according to the state they are in and the health principles or education they have received. Now, from an objective point of view, a subject feels that he is in perfect health when they notice the absence of diseases or any element that may make him feel bad both physically and mentally. The definition of this word is an antonym of disease and is the main object of study in medical sciences. The concept of health also starts from the micro or macro state of a living being.

Latest definitions of Health

Fever

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Cosmetology

Transgenic foods

Food

Pharmacology

Health & Wellness

As mentioned before, health can be viewed objectively or subjectively. When it comes to well-being, it is imperative to speak subjectively, since most people live in an accelerated way, under a disturbing level of stress and with eating habits that, far from being healthy, harm the body's mood and physical state.. An example of this is today's beauty standards. For many, a beautiful person must have certain measurements and physical conditions, but is it really healthy to possess them? What is health for today's society?

The fact that a subject is thin does not mean that he is healthy, but it is possible that he feels good as he is, even when his eating methods and rhythm of life are the opposite of what doctors or nutritionists establish. The same happens with people who have a clear and marked sign of obesity. They may accept themselves for who they are and love their bodies, but they may be harboring a number of illnesses that will later come to light and, in the worst case, are difficult to treat.

For example, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Now, the issue of people who have tattoos is also very important in terms of health and its relationship with well-being. Previously this was a very big taboo and it was thought that tattooed people were carriers of all kinds of diseases. Currently things are different, for many people, a healthy life is one in which they do not have tattoos, the subjects are thin and the diet is varied. What is health for others is linked to daily exercise, healthy eating, etc.

Other subjects live freely, they eat according to the type of food they want to consume at the moment and they feel good that way and all that is acceptable because in the end, for them personal well-being is the key to success. Nutrition, exercise, rest, hygiene levels… Maintaining a healthy body, the mind free of negative thoughts and having good social relationships are part of what is health and well-being worldwide. Once these points are understood, one can speak deeply about what physical and mental health is.

Physical Health

It is a complete state of well-being in which the body of a living being is in optimal conditions to carry out all kinds of activities. Living beings are mentioned because this section is quite general, taking into account that animals have quite specific similarities in terms of health. They can be injured and healed just like an average human being. Physical health is directly addressed to the anatomical state of living beings, its correct functioning and the appropriate ways in which it can be preserved, for example, by carrying out daily hygienic habits.

As is known, the body of a living being can be affected by various diseases or situations that, in one way or another, manage to weaken its physical health, for which the help of medicine is needed to stabilize the anatomical values and get it back to its everyday state of life. For example, in humans it is quite common to suffer from different types of diseases that begin by affecting cells and that, over time, escalate to a macro level, that is, they generate a social impact.

The lifestyle that a person has has a direct impact on their physical state, for example, if they live under high levels of stress, eat excessively fried foods, sweets and do not go to the doctor on a daily basis, they run the risk of suffer from a type of heart disease that will affect your lifestyle if it is not treated in time. The most common heart diseases are caused by an increase in cholesterol levels, which can be treated by reducing the consumption of foods rich in fat and increasing the consumption of vegetables. In addition to this, medical treatment capable of attacking the condition before it can worsen is imperative.

The effects of a poor diet can also occur in animals, even when they are fed properly, they can suffer indigestion. Among the diseases that can appear over time due to the rhythm of life and habits of a certain person, is cancer. These types of chronic conditions still have no cure, however, they can be treated with a series of generally strong medications. There are different types of cancer, some can be treated normally and others are extremely delicate.

Diabetes is also one of the most common diseases that degenerate people's physical health. Generally speaking, diabetes affects blood glucose, but in turn impairs the state of different organs in the body. The way of treating this disease may vary according to the type of diabetes that is suffered, it may well be type 1 or type 2 diabetes, which generate different treatments, however, at the level of diet, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of gluten, foods rich in fat, sugar, liquors or vices such as tobacco.

Mental health

It is a psychological and emotional well-being that all people should have, however, there are certain aspects that make this state impossible and physical health has a lot to do with this. If the body is not completely healthy, it is possible that the mind suffers a series of mental damages that, later, become serious and that require special medical assistance, this does not mean that people with mental health problems should be excluded They simply need a more rigorous type of care, with specific medical treatments and with suitable people willing to take care of them and protect them.

When mental health is affected, emotional and cognitive abilities are altered, leaving the individual in a momentary or permanent state of confusion. The WHO ruled that there is no specific definition of what mental health is, but there are experts who claim that mental illness and mental health are different issues. What is meant by this? That the fact that a person is free from mental illness does not mean that he or she enjoys mental stability. Stress, for example, is a state of mind that impairs that mental balance that scientists mention.

The sadness and anxiety are also moods that Deplete the mind, leave it in a state of vulnerability and complex is only a matter of time that mental health is compromised. These are not diseases or pathologies that can be treated, but they still exhaust the mind. Is it now understood why they say that mental illness and stability of mind are totally different things? To know even more about the difference between the two, it is essential to mention at least 5 of the most common mental illnesses in the world.

The schizophrenia, a mental illness that creates more havoc on people. It is a mental diagnosis that produces alterations in the patient's personality, makes him see hallucinations and, finally, causes a total loss of contact with what for many is reality. It is not yet known exactly why this pathology arises, but genetics and chemical substance abuse can cause it. The most common symptoms of this disease are related to thoughts that go beyond reality, concentration problems, memory loss and becoming withdrawn.

The next diagnosis is autism, a pathology that frames attention deficit and neurodevelopmental disorders. People with autism have problems relating to society, they are generally lonely and have fixed interests, highly repetitive behaviors and marked habits. Genetics have a lot to do with the appearance of autism and its symptoms range from abnormal language and ways of expressing themselves, to the involuntary movements that people with this diagnosis present. Most of the time there are also insistence on carrying out different activities.

The bipolarity is also another mental illness more common. It is a pathology that affects the mood of a person, previously it was known as a manic-depressive psychosis and currently as an affective disorder. The patient may present varied moods such as sadness or happiness in short periods of time, his attitude and behavior may start out being docile and then be aggressive. The symptoms are related to lack of sleep, excess or decrease in energy in short periods of time, episodes of chronic depression and loss of interest in performing different activities.

On the other hand, there are phobias, another type of diagnosis that is related to inexplicable fears of certain animals, elements or situations. There are multiple types of phobias, for example, claustrophobia, which is the panic to stay indoors or trypophobia, fear or disgust of objects with numerous holes. There is no specific symptom to determine that a person suffers from phobias but rather the feeling of fear, rejection or uncontrollable disgust towards objects, situations or elements. These types of diseases can be treated through therapies, these can be exposure or immersion, both have cognitive and behavioral approaches.

Finally, there are personality disorders, which are not so common but are quite interesting, since they are disorders or anomalies in the personality of a subject. This can have different moods, identities and passions. Experts say that patients suffer from this diagnosis because they were exposed in different situations that, for them, were too strong. The symptoms of personality disorders are alterations in emotions, in the cognitive area of the brain and impaired interpersonal functioning. All of these diseases have no cure, but can be treated with special therapies and medications.

What is social health

Few people know exactly what social health is and all that it encompasses. For many, this is only about medical assistance in the different territories of the world and the access that individuals have to it, but is this really what social health means? If we go beyond what has just been mentioned, we talk about physical, social and emotional health plans, for example, if at first glance a person apparently free of diseases is observed, they are immediately said to be healthy.

But what if she lives in a place where the living conditions are deplorable? What if the unemployment rate at that person's home grows rapidly. Are you socially healthy? The truth is that no, that's why the WHO establishes a fairly broad concept of health: physical, mental and social conditions. There are essential factors that determine whether or not there is truly social health in a given place, one of them is access to education, compliance with established hygienic standards and the conditions imposed by society itself.

Among the factors that determine proper social health are gender equity, health systems, globalization, public programs, general employment conditions and social exclusion. There are a number of countries in which these factors are not fully met, so its citizens are not completely healthy and tend to suffer from mental disorders that little by little affect physical health.

What is the best way to solve this big problem? First, the intervention of governments and public systems or entities would be very helpful. But each person can improve this on a personal level by spending time with family and friends. Emotional support has a positive impact on people, regardless of the society you are in and the culture you profess. In general terms, social health shows or externalizes the way in which the people of a certain society can satisfy their social needs (Physical, emotional and psychological) through means that facilitate the main state responsible for social health and the individual personally.

Featured Health Definitions

Loratadine

Football

Ibuprofen

Heart

Sushi

Abortion

Health Management

Health goes beyond the physical and mental state of an individual or a living being. Health encompasses medical centers specialized in meeting the basic needs of a living being in a general and specific way, so that it can attend to it in time and end the physical or mental problems that they may have. The definition of health administration is related to a technical and social science in which the main protagonists are the planning, management, organization and control centers of the health sector companies, these can be public or private.

In addition to this, it also includes the environment, urban and rural sanitation, natural resources and mechanisms, and technological innovations. For all this to work properly, the intervention of the state is necessary to provide it with human, financial and technological resources. With all this clear, it can be said that health administration is not only about hospitals, clinics and medical centers, but also about companies that provide health and environmental goods and services. This administration is also known as health management, sanitary management and management of the services related to it.

Regarding the training that a health administrator must have, this must be based on the needs of a certain sector, for example, educational or academic capacity, autonomy, vision of the company in question and values that are practiced or idealized there, so that it can optimize economic, material, technological, human resources and, most importantly, optimize and increase its knowledge. The most outstanding thing for this type of administration is the technology in environmental sanitation, in fact, it is its base of study and employment.

The labor field of all health administration professionals is directly related to the managerial areas or the directives of institutions and companies whose main objective is social welfare. In Mexico, for example, he has an average rank in the health administration and the highest position is that of general manager in health institutions. The specialization of health administrators is generally operations, marketing of all health services, costs, finances, supplies, medicines, logistics, management of hospital beds, health insurance, human talent, risk management, etc..

Public health

It is a completely medical discipline whose main objective is the protection and improvement of the health system in the population. Its main characteristic is multidisciplinary because it requires the intervention of professionals who have knowledge in different areas of medicine. Public sector services are hospitals, medical centers, ministries, national service, national institutes of health and social security.

Private Health

Also known as private health care, it is medicine provided by entities and institutions other than the government or state, that is, private companies in which the average patient or citizen gives their contributions through social or health insurance. This is different from public health because each person is treated according to the contributions they make. The private sector services are pharmaceutical and clinical laboratories, specialized medical institutions and insurance companies.

Study health

In Mexico it is not so complex and currently you can study medical sciences without any problem. For those who do not know how to study health, the curriculum at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey covers the subjects of general education, exploration, an introductory block, another to explore the area to be studied, disciplinary subjects and integration blocks. The health faculty at this institute meets the basic needs of students.