Health: Factors Affecting Health

Health: Factors Affecting Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as; "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity". By viewing health and illness on a continuum, it is possible to consider a person as having neither complete health nor complete illness. Instead, a person's state of health is ever-changing and has the potential to range from high-level wellness to extremely poor health and imminent death.

There are a growing body of evidence demonstrates that a person's health depends on many external & internal factors.

1. External factors:

• Diet and nutritional factors
• Use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances
• Environmental factors impacting health
• Level and type of physical activity

2. Internal factors:

• Inter-relationship between body systems
• Emotional responses
• Patterns of thinking
• Disease process
• Pathogen

Special efforts are being made by health care professionals to reach and motivate members of various cultural and socioeconomic groups concerning lifestyle and health practices. Stress, improper diet, lack of exercise, smoking, drugs, high-risk behaviors (including risky sexual practices), and poor hygiene are all lifestyle behaviors known to have a negative effect on health.

In the present time diseases are more predictably cured or at least controlled than at any time in the past.

The anesthetist as health care team member has an opportunity to contribute in alleviating pain and sufferings and promote health if compromised with great dedication to patient safety.