Introduction.
Commonly, health refers to a state of both complete emotional and physical well- being, while healthcare primarily exist to enable people maintain a desirable state of health. It is established that, even in advanced societies as may be found in Europe and few other places on earth, how healthy the society and its people are obviously depends on a myriad of factors. All in all, good health is important with regards to how we handle stress and also enables us to live longer, more satisfying lives. We shall endeavor to explain most of the attributes to health and healthy living in this article. Initially, WHO defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. However, many years after this definition, further clarifications were necessitated, and thus, health was redefined as ' a resource of everyday life, not the objective of living'. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capabilities. Others, mostly researchers who published in The Lancet defined health as the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities. Well, whatever definition suits your understanding of health, it does not alter both its relevance and our strive to constantly achieve it as much as possible.
Types of health.
Broadly speaking, we can classify health into physical and mental health. Other attributes of health are: spiritual, emotional and financial health, which medical experts have linked to lower stress levels and improved mental and physical well-being. For instance, people with more financial health are likely to worry less about finances since they command the means to buy whatever they need as regularly as possible. Others with spiritual health may feel a sense of calm and purpose which fuels or invigorates good mental health.
Physical health.
Having good physical health is likely to endow an individual with impressive bodily functions and various processes working at their peak. This physical prowess is not just due to the absence of disease, but the contributions of regular exercises, balanced nutrition and adequate rest, which all promote good health. In addition, physical health involves pursuing such a life style that will minimize the risk of diseases. For instance, maintaining physical fitness can protect and develop the endurance of a person's breathing, muscular ability, flexibility, body composition and lots more. In order to look after physical health and overall wellbeing, you should reduce the risk of any injury or health complaints, such as:
* reducing hazards at workplaces.
* using contraception when having sex.
* observing effective hygiene.
* refraining from the use of toxic substances like tobacco, alcohol or any illegal drugs.
* taking the recommended vaccines for any prevailing condition or when traveling to certain countries.
Good physical health can effectively work in tandem with sound mental health in order to improve one's overall quality of life. For example, mental illness, such as depression, is liable to increasing the risk of drug related disorders, according to recent research findings, which can adversely affect physical health.
Mental health.
Mental health simply refers to a person's emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Both mental and physical health relate so well and intertwine so much that most diagnosis depend on individual perception of their personal experience. In essence, it is common for some mental complaints to manifest as physical symptoms in such investigative procedures as CT scans and even genetic tests. Reliably, mental health is not just the absence of depression, anxiety or any disorder, but it also depend on someone's ability to:
* get the most out of life.
* bounce back after a challenging experience and also adapt to any adversity.
* obtain a balance with the different elements of life, such as one's family and finances too.
* feel relatively safe and secure.
* be able to achieve their full given potential.
Both physical and mental health are so related that any challenge in one of them will most likely elicit a response from the other. For instance, if any chronic illness affects one's ability to accomplish their regular tasks, it may trigger depression and stress, which could be due to financial problems or mobility issues. Other mental health conditions like depression or anorexia may affect the body's weight and general functions. Advisedly, we should approach health as a whole issue, instead of as a series of separate factors. Basically, all the types of health are inter-linked and people should strive to achieve overall wellbeing and balance as the major determinants of good health.
Factors for good health.
Good health is obviously dependent on several factors, such as:
Genetic factors.
This refers to the genes one is born with. Any unusual or altered genetic pattern can lead to a less-than-optimum quality of health. People generally inherit genes from their parents that may, for example, increase the risk of certain diseases.
Environmental factors
Generally speaking, these factors also play a crucial and irreplaceable role in health. Sometimes, the environment alone is capable of impacting on one's health. Consequently, an environment can trigger an illness in a person who may have an increased genetic risk of that specific disease. Access to health care also play a crucial role, but the most important factors that have tremendous impact on our health are:
* the place where one lives.
* the condition or state of the surrounding.
* genetic factors.
* one's income.
* the level of education.
* employment status.
These factors can be classified as follows:
The Social and economic environment.
This include such things as the financial capability of either a family or community, as well as the social culture and quality of relationships in such communities or among the residents.
The physical environment.
It includes the germs or pathogens that exist in a place, as well as the prevailing pollution levels.
People's characteristics and behaviors.
One's genetic make up and overall life style can tremendously impact on their health.
Generally, it is accepted that, the higher one's socioeconomic status (SES), the more they are likely to enjoy good health, afford good education, get well paying jobs, and afford good healthcare in times of illness or physical injury. Similarly, people with low socioeconomic status are more predisposed to diseases due to their daily living, such as financial difficulties, marital upheavals, and unemployment. Social factors also impact on the risk of poor health for individuals with lower SES, like marginalization and discrimination. Conversely, lower SES simply implies a reduced access to healthcare. This is much the reason why people in developed climes with excellent health care delivery have longer life expectancies than those in less developed countries without universal healthcare. Similarly, people who eat healthful diets ate more likely to consume more fruits, vegetable, and olives than those who frequently consume fast foods. Primarily, how you manage stress will adversely affect your health too. Consequently, people who smoke tobacco, consume alcohol, or take illicit drugs in order to manage stress are more likely to develop health complaints than those who manage stress through healthful diets, relaxation techniques, and physical exercises.
Preserving health.
We have discussed how vital health is, what promotes it and so, we should now discuss how to preserve it too. Your best bet in preserving health is through healthful lifestyle rather than waiting until sickness or infirmity develops before you address health complaints. Wellness is described as the continuous state of improved wellbeing. It promotes the active awareness of and participating in activities that will promote and preserve health, both as an individual and a community. The maintenance of wellness is a life long and daily endeavor for everybody. The following steps will help you to attain wellness:
* eating a balanced and nutritious diet from mainly natural sources.
* participating in moderate to high intensity exercises for at least 150 minute every week.
* getting screened for diseases that may present a risk regularly.
*learning to manage stress effectively.
* engaging in activities which can give purpose.
* connecting with and caring for people who may be in need.
* maintaining a positive view about life in general.
Conclusion.
Whatever measures one takes to promote health, maintain or preserve it are certainly worth it. Surprisingly, the different types of health are intertwined or inter-related, so to say. It is for this reason that some physical health complaints may manifest as mental health and vice versa. This simply implies that we should give the issues of health a general approach rather than a singular affair. Everything can in fact adversely affect your health, ranging from your life style, the type of food you eat, where you live, your earning bracket and indeed everything about you is in fact important in how healthy you live. As far as health is concerned, nothing one does is too much. How you manage anxiety and stress is also very important in maintaining sound mental health. Sometimes, physical sickness or infirmity can manifest as a mental challenge because these issues are so inter-related that the one presents as the other. They may influence each other in diverse ways, but are still basically different.
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