Medicine is the practice of dealing with diseases and
injuries to the body. One of its most important aspects is PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE, which recommends measures to stop diseases from developing.
Two aspects of how doctors deal with existing disease are DIAGNOSIS – working out exactly what is wrong with an ill person
– and TREATMENT.
Penicillin is an important antibiotic (natural bacteria-fighting substance). Since the
discovery of penicillin in the 1920s, many antibiotics have been developed to
target disease-causing bacteria. They have hugely increased life expectancy
across the world.
An important aspect of medicine is education about the causes and
avoidance of disease. Relevant topics for education vary in different parts of
the world. In developed countries, key areas for education include the
importance of not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and taking regular
exercise.
Many measures can be taken to reduce the risk of illness,
from adopting a healthy lifestyle to having the appropriate vaccinations
against diseases such as polio, mumps, and measles. Doctors provide advice on
medical tests to have at different ages. These may include eye tests, blood
pressure checks, and procedures such as mammograms (breast X-rays), which aim
to detect disease at an early, treatable stage. People at special risk of a
disease (one that runs in the family, for example) may be offered special
tests.
Polio is
an infectious disease that has been eradicated from many countries through
vaccination programmes. Some vaccines are offered routinely in childhood.
Others may be advised when travelling to parts of the world where there is a
special risk of a disease. Most are given by injection, although one form of
polio vaccine is given by drops (onto the tongue), for swallowing.
To make a diagnosis, the doctor first talks to the
patient about his or her symptoms and other relevant matters, such as the
patient’s family, occupation, and lifestyle. This may be followed by a
physical examination. The information gained will guide the doctor on what
tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. These may include laboratory
tests and imaging.
Blood tests are the most common laboratory tests and can provide
much information about the functioning of the body. They can be arranged for
various reasons, for example, to assess the function of the liver. Urine may
also be tested, often to look for infection.
X-rays are the most commonly used imaging method. They can be used
to examine bones, often to look for and clarify the extent of a fracture, such
as this one of an upper arm bone. They are also often used to examine the
chest, in particular, to look for any infection in the lungs and to assess the
heart.
Doctors and their colleagues select from a number of
different types of treatment when attempting to cure illness. These include
drugs, physiotherapy, surgery, and speech therapy. Some therapies are concerned
mainly with treating mental rather than physical health. These include
counselling, which encourages individuals to talk through their anxieties and
concerns.
Modern drug treatment aims to relieve symptoms or to cure or
control disease by correcting disturbances in body chemistry. Substances used
as drugs range from relatively simple molecules, such as aspirin, to huge,
complex protein molecules.
Physiotherapy uses forms of physical energy, such as heat,
exercise, electricity, or sound energy, to promote healing or to improve
strength and flexibility. Here, ultrasound (high frequency sound waves) is
being used to speed up healing after a knee injury. Other types of
physiotherapy include massage, hydrotherapy, heat treatment, and various
exercise regimens.
