home Consultations I. All acute and chronic diseases in the acute stage. Chronic disease - what is it? Causes of chronic diseases

I. All acute and chronic diseases in the acute stage. Chronic disease - what is it? Causes of chronic diseases

Majority infectious diseases proceed in several stages. The disease usually begins with incubation period. This is the time that elapses from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms. The pathogen has already broken through the first line of defense, penetrated the body, but in order to loudly declare its presence, it has yet to multiply, to release a sufficient amount of toxins.

This is followed by the prodromal period, which is also called the period of precursors. There are no clear symptoms yet. Worried about weakness headache, aching muscles, a slight increase in body temperature, which leads to a slight chill. You don’t have to go far for an example: you must have experienced a state when there is no runny nose, no cough, no sore throat, but from your general well-being you already guess that “it looks like a cold is starting.” The prodromal period usually lasts 1–3 days, but it does not occur with all infections.

In full force, all the symptoms of an infectious disease unfold during the peak. Actually, at this stage, many people turn to doctors. Then the symptoms subside, and finally recovery occurs. When a person is already healthy, he may still have residual effects, with some infections he is still contagious to others, usually for several days.

What symptoms should make you see a doctor? All manifestations of infectious diseases can be divided into general and local.

What is the difference between general and local symptoms during infections?

General manifestations in all infectious diseases are the same. A sick person feels unwell, weak, gets tired quickly, becomes lethargic, drowsy. Disturbed by headaches, pain and aches in muscles, bones. The body temperature rises. Common symptoms occur due to poisoning of the body with toxins of pathogens and products inflammatory response. Based on these manifestations, it is impossible to say exactly what kind of infection a person has, and whether it is an infection at all.

Local manifestations occur directly in organs affected by pathogens:

Respiratory infections: runny nose, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, sore throat and sore throat, stuffy ears, hoarseness.
Intestinal infections: abdominal pain, frequent liquid stool, sometimes with blood impurities, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite.
Sexually transmitted infections: vaginal discharge in women and from the urethra in men, pain, itching, redness, rashes in the genital area, pain and burning when urinating, frequent urges.
Liver infections (viral hepatitis): pain and heaviness under the right rib, jaundice, enlargement of the abdomen (ascites), dark urine, light cal.

Sometimes there are no local symptoms at all, but there are general ones, for example, it persists for a long time fever. In such cases, it is difficult to establish a diagnosis. The infectious disease doctor will prescribe additional methods diagnostics, consultations of other specialists.

How are acute and chronic infections manifested?

In acute infections, the symptoms are more pronounced, but they do not last long, usually 3-10 days. Chronic infectious diseases are characterized by less pronounced manifestations but they last for a long time. Pathogenic microbes can "sit" in the body for years, exhausting it, reducing immune defense causing autoimmune disorders.

Chronic infections often come in waves. An exacerbation occurs, which, with its vivid manifestations, resembles an acute illness. Then the symptoms subside, the patient feels better, a period of remission begins - the process subsides and the condition improves. After a while, another exacerbation follows.

What complications can the infection lead to if left untreated?

Most infections don't pose much of a threat. However, it is worth remembering that even a banal acute respiratory disease can lead to serious complications. The risks are especially high in young children and the elderly, in people with reduced immunity. If the disease does not go away for a long time, the symptoms intensify, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.

E.N. Dziubina
NOU “Center for teaching homeopathy “Kantaris”, Chelyabinsk

Dear Colleagues! Last years I am concerned with the question of determining the nature of the disease (acute or chronic) at the first meeting with the patient. In real life, chronic diseases in a number of situations appear as acute, and acute ones seem to be severe chronic. A study of the results of the treatment of many and many cases seems to finally confirm one assumption in practice, and I decided to make an attempt to generalize my observations.

The guiding thread in the division of diseases into acute and chronic is easily traced when collecting an anamnesis - this is the direction (dynamics) of the patient's healing vitality, traces of its work before taking homeopathic medicines.

It is known that all processes occurring in the body are regulated from one center. Disturbances in the control of the body's activity spread from the center to the periphery and are manifested by disturbances in organs and tissues, secretions and sensations.

In the same order, the unaltered vital force produces a cure in cases of acute diseases. In cases of chronic diseases, the natural healing power is distorted, its attempts are not effective enough, therefore, each attempt to restore the disturbed balance in the body leaves a trace in organs and tissues that are persistent. pathological discharge or sensations as a substitute for natural harmony. All disturbances in organs, tissues, emotions, thinking are the hallmark of a chronic miasm that torments a person, it is the result of the work of a distorted life force in attempts to adapt to the external environment, it is a map and compass for us, doctors who are looking for a cure for the patient. It is the direction of development of pathological changes in the body, i.e. the path chosen by the human life force, that allows the doctor to see how distorted it is, to understand whether the patient has come with an acute or chronic disease and to choose the right treatment.

Many cases of acute illness are obvious and respond well to homeopathic remedies. For example, febrile states during epidemic outbreaks, inflammation in the tonsils, lungs, kidneys, etc., which arose after hypothermia, trauma, poisoning, etc. The symptoms of the disease are distinct, the direction of the action of the vital force is easily determined, the right medicine quickly helps body to get rid of discomfort. However, the reality is not always so obvious. A considerable number of cases of perennial diseases, manifested by attacks of suffocation, epileptic seizures, disorders heart rate, various skin rash cured with homeopathic medicines quickly and completely. Most often, in these cases, one single such medicine is sufficient. It is these successes of homeopathy that make it famous as a miraculous method of treatment, and it is these cases that perplex the homeopathic doctor with many years of practice, when the miracle does not repeat in the next 5, 8, etc. cases. Analysis of results clinical practice from the point of view of studying the natural, natural mechanisms of adaptation in each individual case leads to the conclusion that much more often than it seems, we encounter acute diseases, we really know how to treat them well, but the miracle belongs to nature, which managed to preserve the integrity of the body and keep its dynamics in in some cases for decades. The following clinical examples of completed cases demonstrate the possibilities of homeopathy in cases of undistorted patient vitality.

Woman 51 years old. Went in for a psoriatic skin rash. The rash appeared 30 years ago shortly after the unexpected departure of her husband. All attempted allopathic treatment had no effect. Examination of organs and tissues did not reveal any pathological changes. The patient has a second family, children, is successful in her professional activities. According to the totality of symptoms, Sodium muriaticum was prescribed sequentially from 6 to 200 potency. After 3 months, the psoriatic rash disappeared. Catamnesis 3 years.

This case is considered as a case of acute illness, despite the 30-year duration. The vital force showed extraordinary resilience, first saving the woman's psycho-emotional sphere from damage by creating a local focus in the form of a psoriatic rash, then saving the achieved harmony from the effects of allopathic treatment.

Man 48 years old. Contacted for seizures bronchial asthma, which appeared 4 years ago after being discharged from the army against the backdrop of a conflict situation. Attacks were rare, but severe, the patient used the services of "Ambulance". A year later, my wife fell ill. mental illness, attacks became more frequent, but were only at home, more often in evening time treated with inhalers. He turned to a homeopath in connection with the appearance of seizures in work time because it deprived the patient of his livelihood. Phosphorus LM 06 was prescribed, 1 grain in 8 tablespoons of water. Within six months, the attacks gradually became more rare and disappeared. He took a dose of Phosphorus monthly for a year. A year after the start of treatment, the patient suffered a very severe bronchitis with an asthmatic condition in the summer, was treated in a hospital with allopathic medicines, after discharge he came to report that he felt completely healthy, the Phosphorus treatment was canceled. Catamnesis 3 years. This case is classified as "acute" due to the absence of any other complaints and objective manifestations in the patient. There were no changes before or during the course of the disease. mental sphere patient. He has not lost any energy or stamina. Severe, from an allopathic point of view, the disease served as the basis for me to prescribe LM-potency (I was afraid of a homeopathic aggravation).

When diagnosing a chronic disease, we will always find traces of the distorted life force. She does not even always attempt to adapt, then we have cases sudden death(acute heart failure often in young age) or a suddenly developed severe disease with a progressive course (acute leukemia, cancerous tumors that manifested themselves at the stage of metastasis). The attempts made to adapt are always ineffective and instead of wonderful harmony they create countless forms of diseases that have different names (hypochondria, mania, scoliosis and kyphosis, caries, cancer, infertility, migraine, etc.). These names may also acute illnesses. The main difference is the direction of action of the vital force and the results of its work, manifested by the symptoms of the patient. A 7-year-old child, from the age of 2 often suffers from colds (on a monthly basis). Every time it all starts with a runny nose, then there is a cough, asthma attacks, an inflammatory process in the lungs. After 2-3 times of antibiotic treatment, the child continues to get sick according to the above scenario, but dysbacteriosis is added, asthma attacks also occur outside of a cold. At the age of 3 years, he turned to a homeopath for treatment. Allopathic remedies have been replaced by homeopathic ones, but the whole disease scenario has not changed. We see that the vital force is not able to excite the appearance of a cough with sputum that would remove traces of the inflammatory process of the mucous membranes, it is not even able to keep the process at the level of the upper mucous membranes. respiratory tract, the disease progresses, self-healing is impossible. Symptomatic homeopathic treatment is not effective. A new case study at 5 years yielded an unexpected similar remedy, Zincum metallicum. Positive changes began from the first appointments, and almost all complaints disappeared within 3 months. Catamnesis 1 year.

The treatment of acute illnesses requires a search for similarity in the totality of the patient's symptoms; similarity in the treatment of chronic diseases is the totality of the patient's symptoms, his and his family background, and histories of previous suppressions. These are different similarities and different medicines. In the first case, we only need to strengthen the dynamics of the undeformed vital force; in the second case, we need to correct the deformation and direct it along the right path.

Bibliography.

Hahnemann S. Organon of medical art / Per. from English by A. V. Vysochansky, O. A. Vysochanskaya. - M.: Similia, 1998. - 384 p.
Homeopathy: Textbook of the French school. - M: Atlas. - 194 p.

From this article you will learn:

Why older people are more likely to develop chronic diseases

What chronic diseases do older people suffer from?

How to treat chronic diseases in old age

Society conditionally unites men and women over the age of sixty into the category of senior citizens. Older people have characteristic signs of impending old age - changes in appearance and reduced ability to work. The aging of the human body begins much earlier - at about thirty years of age, when the growth processes slow down and then end. By the age of 60, most people have already managed to “acquire” many different “sores” for themselves, the enhanced development of which begins in old age. Let's talk about what chronic diseases in old age are considered the most common.

What chronic diseases are common in old age

Most older people collect in their youth a whole "bouquet" of diseases that acquire over time chronic. Basically, these are inflammatory processes and dysfunctions of any organs. In addition, they also suffer from acute forms of diseases (for example, infectious diseases), which, due to weakened immunity, are “dragged out” and then become permanent.

Often elderly age causes sluggish asymptomatic course disease, and then complications develop rapidly. Hidden chronic character are tuberculosis, pneumonia, diabetes. Peptic ulcer of the stomach, acute pathological processes in the abdominal cavity, requiring surgical intervention have virtually no symptoms.

Paradoxically, none of the common chronic diseases in old age is incompatible with life, that is, it cannot lead to death. However, from them old man constantly gets problems that negatively affect the quality of his life.

results scientific research showed that only 301 cases of pathology out of 2337 are recognized as indirect, not characteristic of old age.

Scientists have not found a healthy elderly person, perhaps their number on Earth is so small that it cannot be of serious significance for statistics.

Almost every elderly person suffers from tooth decay, headache or severe back pain that is chronic.

Doctors consider the most common infectious diseases and injuries.

For example, in 2013 there were about two billion reported cases of upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

Ordinary caries, as a disease, is considered a serious problem. For example, in 2013 it was found in 200 million elderly people, and in all these cases the disease proceeded with complications.

For more than two billion people (of whom 1.6 billion are elderly), headaches make life very difficult.

Chronic diseases in the elderly include severe back pain that is permanent and severe depressive disorders. Often they become the cause of disability. In all countries of the world, these two pathologies are among the most common diseases.

What statistics say about chronic diseases in old age

From 1990 to 2013, scientists from 188 countries conducted research on chronic diseases of the elderly. As a result, they concluded that the number of diseases that “accompany” old age is constantly growing and the nature of their course is becoming more severe.

This fact is explained by the fact that with age, immunity weakens in people. An elderly person "does not bother" himself, as before, with physical activity. In addition, his habitual, established over the years, way of life and stereotype of thinking collapsed. An older person is more likely to pay attention not to "minor" (from his point of view) external factors but on their internal problems.

Old age inexorably makes its own adjustments, and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain health. Numerous diseases of a chronic nature overshadow the long-awaited leisure, because most of the elderly people have to spend on fighting their "sores".

IN recent decades doctors around the world are studying problems associated with poor health modern people due to climate change and living conditions. Much attention is paid to the search for effective means of combating pain. Scientists are looking for ways to solve the problems experienced by an elderly person with a physical disability.

In the course of research, it was found that life expectancy has changed, and the list of major diseases (carrying chronic form), “accompanying” old age, remained the same, but their “character” was greatly “spoiled”.

The conclusion suggests itself that an increase in life expectancy leads to an increase in the number of chronic diseases in old age and the severity of the course.

The question arises - what to do? Take pain pills and doomedly convince yourself that old age should be just like that, or look for effective ways to eliminate these chronic "old man" problems - back pain, migraines, asthma and depression.

Despite the fact that “old age is not a joy” and an elderly person receives a lot of disappointment and torment from it, humanity continues to stubbornly seek ways to prolong life.

A modern elderly person, in addition to fighting "temporary" ailments, must also "crack down" on chronic diseases. As a rule, this means the presence of several diseases, such as:

arterial hypertension;

diseases of the nervous system.

Quite common cardiovascular diseases with circulatory disorders, deterioration or loss of vision, complicated depressive states that are chronic.

During the study period (from 1990 to 2013), the number of elderly people suffering from the above diseases with a chronic form increased by fifty-two percent.

Scientists have named the most common chronic diseases in old age. Moreover, 81% of people with more than five diseases in their “bouquet” have not crossed the sixty-five-year milestone.

It turns out that an elderly person, having waited for retirement, enjoys life for several years, travels, learns the world. It would seem, live and rejoice, but the "fabulous" life ends, and he begins to be treated, treated and treated again.

Now there is even such a thing as pensioner syndrome-when the euphoria from retirement “goes off scale”, and then the spleen attacks, indifference to everything and the elderly person feels inner emptiness.

An elderly person begins to feel tired from life, he "has nowhere else to rush", he loses the meaning of existence. In this psychologically very difficult period, an elderly person can even “dissociate himself” from others and plunge into his “sores” and insoluble problems.

The most common chronic diseases in the elderly

The list of the ten most common chronic diseases in the elderly, the treatment of which the modern elderly devotes a lot of time, effort and money, is as follows:

Back pain that is chronic.

Severe depression.

Iron-deficiency anemia.

Pain in the neck.

Hearing loss (cause - old age, but may be for other reasons).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Anxiety, anxiety.

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

It can be seen from the list that diseases that have arisen due to physiological reasons are closely intertwined with mental illness.

In the course of scientific research conducted in June 2015, it was proved that people who are well over seventy cannot be guaranteed health even by the most upscale medical care. And this is not surprising, because in parallel with the increase medium duration of human life around the world is steadily increasing the number of chronic diseases in old age.

You can list other diseases from the above list that are chronic.

The elderly and especially senile age of a person implies a change in the nature of diseases - the number of acute forms is reduced and the chronic type of the course progresses. The most common diseases that have a chronic form include arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, lung diseases, neoplasms, cerebrovascular disease.

The advanced age of patients imposes special requirements on the treatment and diagnosis of diseases. This is due to the characteristics of the flow physiological processes in the aging body. In this regard, the degree of deviation from age norms and the emergence of new adaptive mechanisms of the body.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Cardiac ischemia. The cardiovascular system is one of the first to undergo age-related changes. Her diseases include coronary heart disease, which occurs very unusually in old age. IHD is often observed without pain - the pain is "replaced" by attacks of shortness of breath. In some cases, changes in the psyche may be the reason for the absence of complaints. All this greatly complicates the diagnosis of myocardial infarction and angina pectoris.

Gastralgic form of myocardial infarction. If in young people it is accompanied by colic, then an elderly person will feel only slight discomfort in the epigastric region or in the lower abdomen, sometimes there may be frequent urge to urinate. If the pain is localized in the neck, chest or shoulder, the possibility of a violation of the coronary circulation should not be excluded (even taking into account the ineffectiveness of nitroglycerin). That is why an elderly person must definitely undergo an ECG diagnosis. Acute myocardial infarction in this category of patients often initially resembles a stroke, this is also caused by age-related changes in the circulatory system of the brain.

Analysis of the symptoms of myocardial infarction in elderly patients shows that often the temperature reaction to the disease is mild or absent. The reaction of the blood changes significantly, the ESR rises, leukocytosis appears. In elderly patients, myocardial infarction is often complicated by cardiac arrhythmias and cardiovascular insufficiency, and in the postinfarction period, cardiac decompensation may develop.

Arterial hypertension

Severe hypertension in elderly patients is very rare, because a patient with rapidly developing hypertension often has a myocardial infarction or stroke. Symptoms hypertension in the elderly, they are very weakly expressed, are of a chronic nature (general weakness, tinnitus, uncertainty and instability of gait). All of them are the consequences of cerebral circulation disturbed by atherosclerosis. Very rarely, an elderly patient complains of a "typical" symptom for hypertension - a headache.

Sometimes the advanced age of the patient is accompanied by hypertensive crises, which are chronic, less pronounced than in young people. In such patients, antihypertensive therapy is indicated when blood pressure rises above 160/65 mm Hg. Art., with shortness of breath or symptoms coronary insufficiency. It is necessary to reduce pressure very carefully - with the help of antihypertensive drugs, so as not to cause a sharp change in the blood supply to the vital important systems organism.

With age heart rhythm is disturbed, it is chronic. Violations are accompanied by fatigue, weakness, anxiety and other signs that are more often mistaken for "heralds" of old age than for manifestations heart disease. Pharmacological therapy of arrhythmias in elderly patients has characteristic features. For example, due to possible violation conduction of the heart and a sharp drop in blood pressure do not recommend intravenous infusions of novocainamide, carefully use quinidine and some other drugs.

Heart failure

Most often, heart failure in elderly patients develops slowly and imperceptibly takes chronic view. Unexpressed symptoms are explained by hypotension due to general weakness, impaired vision and damage to the musculoskeletal system. Clinical picture disease depends on the degree of cardiosclerosis, circulatory disorders in the vital important organs organism, the activity of the neuroregulatory apparatus and the endocrine system.

Often, due to a decrease in stroke volume, signs of coronary brain disease are detected earlier than congestion in the organs. Violations cerebral circulation accompanied by fatigue, tinnitus and dizziness. At night, an elderly person experiences anxiety, confusion, motor agitation, he is tormented by chronic insomnia. All these manifestations can signal a lack of blood supply to the brain.

The initial symptoms of left ventricular heart failure may be coughing during exercise or a change of vertical position body to horizontal. The occurrence of shortness of breath can be a signal for the development of cardiac decompensation, and if it appears at rest at night, it is always considered pathological. Heart failure of the right ventricular type at the onset of the disease can be manifested by mild dyspeptic disorders and swelling of the legs and feet. However, they should be distinguished from swelling caused by diseases of the joints and veins.

Respiratory diseases

Manifestations of pulmonary chronic diseases in the elderly differ in characteristic features. For example, diagnosing pneumonia becomes more difficult with age. An elderly patient may not complain of chest pain, chills and fever. The clinic of the disease consists mainly of symptoms general(weakness, apathy, loss of appetite, etc.). Often there is a lack of coordination of movements. On examination, there is no enhancement voice jitter and shortening of percussion sound.

Pneumonia in the elderly is diagnosed by the presence of an acute respiratory viral infection and general symptoms(weakness, apathy, shallow rapid breathing, cyanosis of the skin of the face, lips). But the final conclusion is made on the basis of taken blood tests and X-rays. Weakened immunity, chronic bronchitis (especially in smokers), obstructive emphysema, and changes in the pulmonary vasculature complicate treatment and facilitate transition acute form disease into a chronic one.

In old age, the patient's excretory ability of the kidneys and metabolism decreases. medicinal substances in the liver, so the choice of therapy for the treatment of pneumonia is very limited. In these circumstances, do not use toxic antibacterial sulfonamides due to the fact that they are poorly tolerated. elderly people. Antibacterial drugs are prescribed in combination with cardiac glycosides and respiratory analeptics. IN necessary cases add drugs for sore throats and arrhythmias. In addition, bronchodilators, physiotherapy, herbal medicine and vitamins are often advised.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Works differently in old age digestive system. An elderly person suffers from gastrointestinal diseases in a different way than young people. stomach ulcer in old age (it is also called "senile ulcer") is most often chronic symptomatic. It is caused by trophic disorders of the mucous membrane, which are interrelated with changes that worsen biochemical processes and blood supply to the stomach.

Exacerbates in old age peptic ulcer which is chronic. Increased risk of gastric ulcer degeneration malignant neoplasms. Along with this, the likelihood of pancreatitis increases, appears chronic colitis, hemorrhoids and cholelithiasis.

Improper nutrition, excessive body weight and bad habits lead to a decrease in immunity and early aging. The processes of assimilation of nutrients and tissue regeneration are inhibited, the functioning of organs and body systems is deteriorating. For example, scientists have shown that human brain gradually decreases, the convolutions become thinner.

Nervous system

Nervous system a person changes with age. Weaken the nervous processes of inhibition and excitation. Vision and hearing become not as sharp as in youth, the analytical abilities of the brain and motor activity decrease. Age-related changes also occur in the cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory systems. The risk of cancer increases.

Angina pectoris, heart failure, arrhythmia, ischemic disease very often “accompany through life” the elderly, diseases are chronic.

In old age, the mass of the heart becomes smaller. At rest, a slow pulse is observed. And even with increased physical activity, there is no palpitations. As a result, the blood supply to the organs deteriorates, becomes chronic and leads to insufficient blood circulation of the heart muscle. Many at this age, mostly men, who have heart failure die of a heart attack.

A very common chronic disease hypertension, which develops due to a decrease in elasticity blood vessels and aorta.

A very characteristic chronic disease in old age - atherosclerosis. Its cause lies in the violation of lipid metabolism in the body and the formation of “cholesterol plaques” on the walls of the vessels because of this. This disease often heralds a myocardial infarction, and cerebral atherosclerosis leads to a stroke.

Cerebral sclerosis often causes dementia ( senile dementia) . The work of the brain is deteriorating, an elderly person gradually loses acquired practical and mental skills, with great difficulty assimilating new information.

One form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. This degenerative disease It only gets worse with age. It is almost impossible to diagnose the early stage, it most often develops in people over the age of 65 years.

trembling paralysis, or Parkinson's disease- Another misfortune that accompanies old age. The disease is most pronounced after seventy years. The disease is diagnosed early stage, and with the help modern therapy the severity of his symptoms is quite easily reduced. Paralysis occurs due to a lack of a certain chemical compound (dopamine) in the human central nervous system. As a result, control of movements is partially lost, the gait becomes uncertain, hands begin to tremble involuntarily.

After forty years, the absorption of calcium by the body noticeably worsens, it begins to “wash out” from the bones. Partly for this reason, osteoporosis (bone tissue disease) occurs, leading to skeletal deformity and frequent fractures. In most cases, the disease "overtakes" women over sixty years old, but it can "happen" in men.

Many older people have weakness Bladder , which is chronic. The disease can be caused by kidney dysfunction, tumors in the genitourinary system that press on the bladder and cause uncontrollable urination. Quite often, in older women, genital prolapse occurs, leading to urinary incontinence during sudden movements, as well as when laughing, sneezing or coughing.

Many older people experience causeless fear, stress - anxiety states. This can be caused by age-related changes in the human psyche and be chronic.

General Treatments for Chronic Diseases in the Elderly

It turns out a rather ugly picture of the life of the elderly, "concerned" with numerous problems due to steadily deteriorating health. But not everything is as hopeless as it might seem at first. Effective ways to prevent many diseases and treat chronic diseases that have already been “accumulated over the years” are an active and mobile lifestyle, good nutrition rich in vitamins and all essential trace elements.

Doctors recommend A complex approach to solving health problems. For example, back pain cannot be cured with medication alone. It is necessary to strengthen the immune system and the human nervous system. Hence, it is of great importance good vacation, feasible physical and sports activities and occupational therapy.

Modern medicine currently has access to various, including preventive, measures aimed at minimizing the symptoms of chronic diseases in old age, relieving pain syndromes, and, psychologically, assisting in adapting to society. At the present time, unfortunately, we cannot expect any cardinal changes in this direction.

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Round-the-clock care for the elderly by professional nurses (all staff are citizens of the Russian Federation).

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Individual work of psychologists: art therapy, music lessons, modeling.

Weekly examination by specialized doctors.

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At any time of the day or night, the elderly will always come to the rescue, no matter what problem worries them. In this house, all relatives and friends. An atmosphere of love and friendship reigns here.

The concept of "disease"

The development of general concepts of disease has varied throughout the history of medicine. Hippocrates considered the cause of the disease to be an incorrect mixing of the four main body fluids: blood, mucus, yellow and black bile ( deoxygenated blood). Around the same time, on the basis of the atomistic teaching of Democritus, the idea arose that the disease develops due to a change in the shape of atoms and their incorrect arrangement. At the end of the old and the beginning new era and especially in the Middle Ages, idealistic views on the doctrine of disease appeared, according to which the soul, or a special kind of life force ("archaea"), determines the body's struggle with the changes caused by the disease. Materialistic views on the disease in the Middle Ages were developed by Ibn Sina (the emergence of the disease under the influence of invisible beings, "male and female demons"), the development of the disease depending on the structure of the body (diseases of thin vs diseases of fat men; undersized vs tall). In these views, some see an anticipation of the idea of microorganisms and the correlation of the constitutional features of the organism with the course of the disease. In the XVII-XIX centuries, a great contribution to the doctrine of the disease was made by J. B. Morganyi (Italian)Russian(the idea of the relationship of the disease with anatomical changes in the organs), M. F. K. Bisha (description of the pathoanatomical picture of a number of diseases), Rudolf Virchow (the theory of cellular pathology), C. Bernard (disease is a violation of the physiological balance of the body with the environment), etc. SP Botkin , VV Pashutin , IP Pavlov , AA Ostroumov connected the disease with violation of the conditions of human existence and developed the idea of the disease on the basis of the idea of nervism .

Despite the abundance of works on the problem of the disease, this concept is still not exactly determined. Some authors deny the qualitative features of the disease in comparison with health. So, A. A. Bogomolets expressed the idea that the disease does not create anything essentially new in the body. Others include only biological patterns in the concept of disease. According to P. D. Horizontov, the disease is a general complex reaction resulting from a violation of the relationship between the organism and the environment. The disease is accompanied by the development of pathological processes, representing local manifestations general reaction organism. In the works of Davydovsky, the position is defended, according to which there is no fundamental differences between physiology and pathology. Pathological processes and disease, in his opinion, are just features of adaptive processes associated with subjective suffering. According to the concept of G. Selye about the general adaptation syndrome, the disease is a tension (“stress”) that occurs in the body when it is exposed to an extreme stimulus.

Important for a sick person is his own attitude towards the disease. This attitude can be different from “I have serious disease- a cold and I will most likely die" to "I will get better soon, cancer tumor- it's not scary. Such an attitude towards the disease is called the personal meaning of the objective disease and can program a person both for recovery and for aggravation of the condition.

disease factors

The causes of diseases are varied, but they can all be summarized in groups:

mechanical
physical
chemical
biological

Any of these factors causes a state of illness if it is inadequate (that is, extraordinary, unusual) for the body. Inadequacy can be quantitative (the amount of the stimulus is excessive for the body), qualitative (the body is affected by a factor in relation to the quality of which the body has not developed protective and adaptive mechanisms), temporary (quantitatively and qualitatively adequate stimulus acts for a long time or at such intervals and in a rhythm that is unusual for the body) and depending on individual properties given organism(that is, determined by the individual reactivity of a given organism in the form of hypersensitivity).

In the modern view, the disease is characterized by the following main features:

In the development of the disease, the external environment plays a leading role, and for a person it is primarily social (see Social diseases). Changes in the internal properties of the body, caused by environmental factors and firmly fixed (including hereditary mechanisms), in the future themselves can play a leading role in the onset of the disease (see Medical Genetics).
Of great importance in the development of the disease, in addition to the etiological factor (that is, the cause of the disease) and external conditions have protective and adaptive mechanisms of the body. The development of the disease largely depends on the perfection of these mechanisms, the volume and speed of their inclusion in pathological process. In humans, the development and course of the disease big influence exerts a psychogenic factor.
Illness is the suffering of the whole organism. There are no organs and tissues completely isolated by the disease, that is, local diseases. With any disease, the whole organism is involved to a greater or lesser extent, which does not exclude the presence of a main lesion in one or another organ or part of the body.

Distinguish next periods diseases:

Latent, or latent (for infectious diseases - incubation), - the period between the onset of exposure to a pathogen and the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. It can last from a few seconds (for example, when poisoning with strong poisons) to tens of years (for example, with leprosy).
The prodromal period is the period of the appearance of the first signs of the disease, which may be of an indefinite non-specific nature (fever, fatigue, general malaise) or in some cases be typical for this disease (for example, Filatov-Koplik spots with measles).
The period of full development of the disease, the duration of which ranges from several days to tens of years (tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy).
The period of completion of the disease (recovery, convalescence) can proceed quickly, critically (see Crisis) or gradually, lytically (see Lysis). Depending on the duration of the course and the speed of growth and disappearance of the manifestations of the disease, acute and chronic are distinguished. The addition of additional changes to the main manifestations of the disease, not related to the immediate cause of the disease, but developing as a result of its course, is called a complication. It can occur at the height of the disease and after its main manifestations have passed. Complications aggravate the disease, and sometimes cause an unfavorable outcome. The outcome of the disease can be: complete recovery, recovery with residual effects, persistent changes in organs, sometimes the emergence of new forms of the disease in the form of long-term consequences and death. Death as the end of the disease can come suddenly, after a brief agony, or gradually, through a more or less prolonged agonal state.

In cases of insufficient reactivity of the body, the disease can become chronic.

Classification of diseases

Classification of human diseases is carried out by the nature of the flow:

sharp
chronic

according to the level at which specific pathological changes with illness:

by etiological factor:

caused by mechanical
physical
chemical
biological
psychogenic factors

according to their treatment

therapeutic
surgical, etc.

The most accepted is the nosological principle, that is, such a classification of diseases, which is based on the grouping of diseases according to related characteristics (see Nosology). It should be noted that none of existing classifications disease is not completely satisfactory. So, when classified according to the nosological principle, pneumonia, for example, can be attributed to diseases of the respiratory system, to infectious diseases and allergic conditions. But at the same time, there is generally accepted classification of diseases:

Prevention

A complex of various kinds of measures aimed at preventing a phenomenon and / or eliminating risk factors. Preventive measures are the most important component of the health care system, aimed at the formation of medical and social activity among the population and motivation for a healthy lifestyle. Allocate public, including a system of measures to protect the health of collectives and individual prevention, providing for the observance of the rules of personal hygiene at home and at work. Individual - includes measures to prevent diseases, maintain and promote health, which are carried out by the person himself, and practically come down to observing the norms of a healthy lifestyle, to personal hygiene, hygiene of marriage and family relations, hygiene of clothes, shoes, rational nutrition and drinking regime, hygienic education the younger generation, a rational regime of work and rest, active physical education, etc. Public - includes a system of social, economic, legislative, educational, sanitary-technical, sanitary-hygienic, anti-epidemic and medical measures systematically carried out by state institutions and public organizations with the aim of ensuring the comprehensive development of the physical and spiritual forces of citizens, eliminating factors that adversely affect the health of the population. Measures public prevention aimed at providing a high level public health, the eradication of the causes of diseases, the creation of optimal conditions for collective life, including working conditions, rest, material support, housing and living conditions, expanding the range of food and goods consumer goods, as well as the development of health care, education and culture, physical education. The effectiveness of public prevention measures largely depends on the conscious attitude of citizens to the protection of their own health and the health of others, on the active participation of the population in the implementation of preventive measures, on how fully each citizen uses the opportunities provided to him by society to strengthen and maintain health. The practical implementation of public prevention requires legislative measures, constant and significant material costs, as well as joint actions of all levels of the state apparatus, medical institutions, industrial enterprises, construction, transport, agro-industrial complex, etc.

Therapy

Etiotropic therapy is aimed at eliminating causes diseases (for example, antibiotic therapy for infectious diseases).

pathogenetic therapy is aimed at mechanisms the development of the disease. It is applied when etiotropic therapy (eg. replacement therapy insulin in diabetes mellitus due to insufficient production of this hormone by the pancreas and the impossibility, at the current level of development of medicine, to restore this function).

symptomatic(palliative) therapy is used to eliminate individual symptoms of the disease (for example, the use of analgesics for pain, antipyretic drugs for "high temperature", etc.) It can be used in addition to etiotropic And pathogenetic therapy. Symptomatic therapy in case of impossibility of a radical cure (for example, terminal stage oncological disease etc.) is carried out within the spectrum of medical and social activities, called palliative care.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology(ancient Greek ἐπιδημία - having a nationwide distribution; λόγος - doctrine) - a general medical science that studies the patterns of occurrence and spread of diseases various etiologies in order to develop preventive measures (premorbid, primary, secondary and tertiary prevention). The subject of study of epidemiology is morbidity - the totality of cases of a disease in a certain territory at a certain time among a certain group of the population.

Over the entire period of development after bacteriological discoveries, epidemiology has emerged as a science that studies the patterns of the epidemic process in the interests of eliminating it and preventing it. As the frontiers of prevention expand beyond infectious pathology there was a need for a population approach in the study of not only infectious, but also non-communicable diseases. The most representative epidemiological study that evaluates the epidemiology of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases is the Global Burden of Disease study sponsored by the World Health Organization. At present, its next stage is being completed, which makes it possible to assess the occurrence, prevalence and lethality of the main groups of diseases throughout the world and in individual regions for the period 1980-2010.

Target epidemiology is to identify the patterns of occurrence, spread and cessation of human diseases and the development of measures for the prevention and control of them (Pokrovsky V. I., Bolotovsky V. M., Zaritsky A. M. et al., 1993).

Tasks epidemiology are reduced to (Pokrovsky V. I., Bolotovsky V. M., Zaritsky A. M. et al., 1993):

determining the medical and socio-economic significance of the disease, its place in the structure of the pathology of the population;
studying the patterns of the spread of the disease in time (by years, months, etc.), across the territory and among various groups population (age, gender, professional, etc.);
identifying the causes and conditions that determine the observed nature of the spread of the disease;
developing recommendations for optimizing prevention;
development of a forecast for the spread of the disease under study.

world sick day

International day to draw people's attention to the problems faced by sick people around the world.

Chronic diseases are diseases that are not treated. traditional methods behind short time, they can last for years and even a lifetime, accompanied by periods of remission and relapse.

Chronic most often occur without obvious severe symptoms, however, they occur regularly in the presence of provoking factors. Unfortunately, chronic diseases can accompany a person all his life. According to statistics, more than 60% of annual deaths occur precisely because of chronic problems with health.

The list of chronic diseases is very long. Diseases of the cardiovascular system lead in the number of deaths, most often they affect older people.

The most common among them:

atherosclerosis. Very common arteries. It can already be called an epidemic. As a rule, it begins in youth and gradually gains momentum. Atherosclerosis can be hereditary or acquired during life due to bad habits and against the background of other diseases. This disease destroys the walls of the arteries and leads to the formation of plaques that build up over time, causing heart attacks and sudden death.
Cardiac ischemia. This is a dangerous chronic heart disease that affects the coronary arteries and disrupts the heart. There are several varieties of this, some of them lead to myocardial infarction and death, others are more harmless. The most dangerous is the non-painful form, since a person is unaware of the disease. It can only be detected during an ECG.
Chronic myocarditis. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle, usually caused by an infection. It may be asymptomatic or accompanied by chest pain and arrhythmia. A mild form of the disease is curable, a more serious course of chronic myocarditis is fatal.
Cardiomyopathy. This disease is dangerous because its causes are still unclear. The heart muscle enlarges due to lack of nutrition, and then stretches and gradually breaks down, leading to sudden death.

Infectious diseases

Some viruses and bacteria can cause infectious chronic diseases.

The most common viral chronic infections include:

Herpes. The virus is quite unpredictable. It is able to affect almost any part of the skin, organs and tissues. It appears in a variety of places. Primary herpes is often accompanied by complications, subsequently the disease is accompanied by constant relapses in the form of a cold on the lip, genital herpes, stomatitis, etc.
Cytomegalovirus. This virus is capable of causing various diseases, provoking the immune restructuring of the body. Pregnant women are always tested for cytomegalovirus infection, as it is often congenital and is transmitted from the mother. This can manifest itself in many ways: from prematurity to developmental delay.
. It affects epithelial cells and mucous membranes. This virus causes various warts and on the human body, and can also become a provocateur of oncology.

lung diseases

Common chronic lung diseases include:

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It's a mixture of bronchitis and emphysema. She represents real threat for life, as it does not allow a person to breathe normally. The patient has shortness of breath persistent cough with phlegm. This disease can progress over the years and, unfortunately, does not lend itself to any.
Chronic lung abscess. The acute form can flow into a chronic one. Pus accumulates in lung tissue causing inflammation. An abscess is treated with antibiotics, but the most productive treatment is surgery. A section of the lung along with a purulent formation is removed.
Chronical bronchitis. Under the influence of adverse factors (smoking, dust, smoke), bronchial tissues undergo changes and become susceptible to infections. Thus, chronic inflammation of the bronchi occurs, which is constantly aggravated and lasts for years.
Bronchial asthma. This is a chronic inflammation of the airways, accompanied by periods of severe shortness of breath, coughing at the slightest irritant.

In children, the same chronic ones can occur as in adults. They can be congenital or acquired, when the acute form eventually flows into a chronic one.

Pediatricians note that in many cases the health of the child depends on the vigilance of the parents.

Common diseases:

Chronic pyelonephritis. Moms need to carefully monitor the frequency of urination of the child. If the volume of urine has become small, it has become cloudy and has acquired a pungent odor, these are alarming. Infection, getting into the tissues of the kidneys, causes inflammation, pain, impaired urination. Even after a course of antibiotics, there is no certainty that the disease will not worsen again.
Diathesis. A fairly common childhood illness. The baby's skin becomes very sensitive. When irritants (food, drugs, dust, etc.) appear, a reaction occurs immediately in the form of a rash, redness. Doctors tend to believe that the cause is a feature of the child's immune system.
Rickets. With a lack of vitamin D or a metabolic disorder, rickets occurs, causing dangerous changes in the growing bones of the child. suffers also nervous system. The child becomes restless, irritable. The bones of the skull, legs, spine, chest are bent. The whole condition as a whole worsens: the child often gets sick, suffers from shortness of breath.
Chronical bronchitis. Bronchitis is quite common among children. This is due to poor environmental conditions and the growth of allergic reactions. Children with chronic bronchitis require special care: constant support of immunity, protection from infectious diseases. It is especially difficult for such children in the kindergarten, they often get sick for a long time.
Rheumatism. As a result of the impact streptococcal infections or hereditary factors develops a chronic disease affecting, and joints. The first symptoms may appear very slowly. The disease progresses slowly. During an exacerbation, the joints swell, hurt, and the temperature rises. It is difficult for a child to make small movements.

Kidney and Bladder

The main function of the kidneys is the purification and elimination of various substances from the body. Kidney failure leads to various complications and diseases.

Common problems:

Pyelonephritis. The infection enters the kidneys along with the blood and causes inflammation. Sometimes the cause is a weakened immune system, when bacteria and microorganisms already present in the body are activated. A person has difficulty urinating, back pain. Chronic pyelonephritis is exacerbated by hypothermia.
Chronic cystitis. Cystitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bladder. Most often, they suffer from women, which is associated with anatomical features. Chronic cystitis is rarely accompanied severe pain, its more smoothed. If the reason is chronic infection, treat first of all it is necessary for her.
Stones in the kidneys. At malnutrition and lifestyle, as well as impaired metabolism in the kidneys, stones and sand are formed. Moving along the ureters, they cause pain. may be different depending on the type, size and location of the stone: medical, surgical or endoscopic.

More information about the treatment of chronic pyelonephritis can be found in the video.

IN gastrointestinal tract includes several organs, so the list of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is quite large.

We will look at the most common:

Chronic gastritis. With gastritis, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed. There are pains in the abdomen, especially on an empty stomach and in violation of the diet. Chronic gastritis requires strict observance power mode.
Chronic pancreatitis. A very common disease, the cause of which is not always possible to establish. The outflow of pancreatic juice is disturbed, as a result of which the gland digests itself. Treatment consists of taking enzymes and diet.
Chronic colitis. The term "colitis" can hide various pathologies, processes and diseases. Most often refers to inflammation of the large intestine. The patient has abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea.

Genitourinary system

to chronic diseases genitourinary system most often lead various infections and inflammatory processes in the body:

. This is an inflammation of the urethra, sexually transmitted. In women, the symptoms of urethritis are very similar to those of cystitis. The main symptoms are pus from the urethra, itching and burning in the perineum, painful urination. In men, chronic urethritis can lead to prostatitis, in women - to. Treated with antiseptics.
Prostatitis. Chronic inflammation affects about 30% of men under the age of 50. Prostatitis can be caused by infections or fluid retention. For the first few years, no obvious symptoms appear, the man feels good and does not experience serious problems. However, after a while there are problems with erection.
Orchitis. This is a chronic inflammation of the testicle, which occurs as a result of the transition of an acute form to a chronic one. Drug therapy is aimed at relieving inflammation and maintaining the general condition of the body.
Epididymitis. Inflammation of the epididymis can occur as an independent disease or as a complication of another disease. There are pains in the perineum, the scrotum swells and turns red. Symptoms chronic epididymitis appear only during an exacerbation.
Adnexitis. Inflammation of the appendages in the first place in terms of prevalence among gynecological diseases. It is dangerous because it is asymptomatic and leads to many complications, such as purulent inflammation and adhesions on the fallopian tubes.

In the treatment of chronic diseases of the urogenital area, first of all, they begin with the treatment of the root cause, otherwise a relapse will not take long.