Maintaining Good Health

The  world health organisation defines good health as a state of physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. We can maintain good physical and mental health by

• eating a balanced diet;

• doing regular exercise to keep the various body parts in a healthy condition;

• resting the body mentally and physically through recreational activities and sleep (about 6 to 8 hours for adults , more for growing children) and

• doing work suited to our mental and physical ability.

We can achieve social well being through a well balanced family and community life.

   Bad habits like excessive smoking and drinking of alcohol, and drug addiction ruin the health of a person. So we must be careful not to acquire these habits.

   God health help us to resist more pathogenic micro organisms. This is because the body had defence mechanisms to fight against pathogenic micro organisms. These mechanism function effectively in a health person.

   The body defence mechanisms include

• a healthy skin and mucous membrane which prevent the entry of pathogenic micro organisms into the body;

• substances in tissue secretions such as team, sweat, saliva and mucous secretion, that kill or inhibit the growth of invading micro organisms;

• body natural microflora that prevent pathogens from colonizing the body;

• white blood cells that eat up or ingest the invading micro organisms and

• the ability to produce antibodies, substances that can react with the invading pathogenic micro organisms and prevent them or their toxins from harming the body.

Note : malnutrition makes the skin susceptible to injury, this enabling micro organisms to enter the body. Tobacco smoke and air pollutants weaken and injure the mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract, thereby lowering their resistance to microbial attack.

   We should also take preventive measures to ensure good health by being vaccinated against disease like poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis. A given vaccine Helps when the actual disease causing micro organisms get into the blood, the antibodies are already present or can be made quickly. This helps the body to get rid of the disease causing organisms rapidly.

   Vaccines may be injected into the body or swallowed. The vaccine may be

• a harmless form of the disease causing micro organisms, e.g. measles vaccine and BCG inoculation against tuberculosis;

• the killed disease causing micro organisms, e.g. the whooping cough vaccine and the Salk anti polio vaccine; or

• a toxoid, i.e. the inactivated form of the toxin produced by the disease causing micro organisms, e.g. the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines.