II. Independent Work: Diseases

Exercise 1. Read the text and translate it.

Study of Diseases

Disease is an abnormal state in which part or all the body doesn't function as usual. There are marked variations in the extent of disease and in its effect on the person. Disease can have a number of direct causes, such as disease-producing organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms, or helminthes); malnutrition (lack of vitamins, minerals, proteins); physical and chemical agents (heat or cold, injuries, fractures; poisonous substances, certain detergents); birth defects, degenerations and tumors.

There are also indirect, or predisposing causes. The examples of them are age, sex, heredity, living conditions and habits, occupation, physical exposure, preexisting illness, psychogenic influences.

The modern approach to the study of disease emphasizes the close relationship of the pathologic and physiological aspects and the need to understand the fundamentals of each in treating any body disorder. This is the medical science called pathophysiology.

The study of the cause of any disease or the theory of its origin, is called etiology.

Disease can be acute, chronic or subacute. Acute is severe but doesn't last long. Chronic lasts for a long time. Subacute is between them, it's neither severe but lasts for a long period.

A communicable disease is one that can pass from one person to another. Epidemic is a disease of many people in a given region at the same time. Endemic is a disease of fewer people but it is characteristic of a particular region.

Pandemic is a disease of a country, continent or the whole world.

In order to treat the patient every doctor must make a diagnosis. So he must know symptoms and signs of the disease. Although nurses do not diagnose, they play a very important role in observing closely for signs, encouraging patients to talk about themselves and their symptoms, and then reporting the doctor this information.

If the doctor knows about the disease, he prescribes the treatment.

In recent years, physicians, nurses, and other health care workers have taken on increasing responsibilities for prevention of diseases.

Exercise 2. Make up a plan of the text.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions.

1. What is disease?

2. What kind of diseases do you know?

3. What causes diseases?

4. What does pathophysiology study?

5. What disease do we call communicable?

6. What is epidemic? Endemic? Pandemic?

7. What is the role of nurses in looking after patients?

8. What do medical workers do to prevent diseases?

UNIT FIVE

I	Speaking	Skeleton
II	Grammar	Infinitive (§95)
III	Independent Work	Spinal Curves

I. Speaking: Skeleton

After careful study of this unit you should be able to:

• list the bones of the axial skeleton;

• list the bones of the appendicular skeleton;

• name all the vertebrae;

• describe three abnormal curves of the spine.