Health refers to the holistic state of complete well-being in all major human domains: physically (the body and its physical systems), mentally (the brain and the mind), socially (the relationships and human interactions plus basic social amenities) and spiritually. Disruption of that balance may lead to ill-health that may manifest in many ways: diseases, disorders, etc. Often, many people wrongly imagine that good health is merely the absence of disease. One can lack good health on or more of those aspects. Which brings us to the next conundrum: the difference between (good) health/ill-health, disease, illness, sickness, wellness/unwell, disorder/dysfunction, and normal/abnormal. Whereas some of these terms may be used interchangeably, strict definitions may construe different meanings. In any case, the line between some of the spectra may be so narrow and somewhat arbitrary. In any case, some of the definitions have changed over time and suffered in different regions. Ill-health, refers to any deviation from the optimal state of good health. Disease on the other hand refers to a specific pathological condition characterized by identifiable signs or symptoms and caused by identifiable external factors (like bacteria or viruses) or internal dysfunctions (such as autoimmune diseases like lupus). A disease is objective, unlike a illness which is subjective. Illness is subjective experience of feeling unwell or in poor health, often influenced by personal and cultural perceptions. It is more about how one feels about and reacts to a disease or sickness. Although sickness is often used interchangeably with illness, it more typically refers to the state of being affected by a specific disease or condition. E.g. so or so is sick with malaria. Whereas (good) health means wellness (the complete/holistic integration of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, being unwell refers to the state of experiencing discomfort, pain, or distress, either physically, mentally, emotionally, socially or spiritually . A disorder refers to an abnormal physical or mental condition or disease (e.g. depression) while dysfunction is more specific to the impaired operation of a body part, organ, or system (e.g. heart failure). The normal/abnormal concepts are often based on societal, cultural, and medical standards. Normal refers to what is typical or expected; abnormal is any deviation from the usual (e.g. high blood pressure/ hypertension, elevated blood sugar/ diabetes mellitus. As demonstrated above, these health concepts intertwine and overlap, but each has its distinct nuance. Health and ill-health are dynamic states influenced by a myriad of factors:
