It is quite common to hear about diseases, syndromes and disorders. Often used interchangeably, these terms can be misused by the population. Next, let's differentiate each of them.
→ Illnesses
In general, the illnesses are defined as a state of lack of health, but this definition is not very objective. We can characterize a disease as the alteration in a certain organ, in the psyche or even in the organism as a whole, which leads to specific symptoms and has known causes.
- Example of illness: Dengue. Dengue is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquito bites Aedes aegypti. Its symptoms are high fever, skin patches, and muscle and joint pain. In some severe cases of this disease, hemorrhages are observed.
→ Syndromes
Syndromes are defined as a set of signs and symptoms that occur at the same time in the patient and can have different causes. This means, then, that syndromes have different causes, and not just a definite one, and they are determined by a set of symptoms, thus differentiating themselves from diseases that have known causes and symptoms. specific. Normally,
are called syndrome also those alterations of which the cause is not yet known.- Syndrome example: Down's syndrome. This syndrome is due to a trisomy of chromosome 21, which can have several causes. People with this genetic disorder usually have a flat face, low ear set, small mouth with a protruding tongue, and small, thick hands and feet. In addition, heart disease is common in patients with Down, who are also people at increased risk of developing leukemia.
→ Disorders
Disorders, a term widely used in psychology and psychiatry, refer to changes in the normal state of health, causing discomfort to the affected person. They can Orunr in the context of mental health and he takesr compromising the patient's day-to-day actions and his personality, causing him suffering or incapacitation. It is noteworthy that, when we analyze mental clinical conditions, there are few cases that can be treated as a disease, as it is difficult to establish the specific symptoms and causes of all.
Example of disorder: Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity. This disorder is characterized by a classic symptomatological triad: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. People with this disorder may find it difficult to concentrate on their activities, follow instructions, perform tasks and organize themselves. They may still have agitation and difficulty developing their activities silently, respond hastily to questions and have difficulty waiting their turn.
Heads up: A Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is so called for historical reasons, however, its causes and the way in which it affects the person's body contaminated by the virus are well known and, therefore, it is considered a disease.
By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/doencas/diferenca-entre-doencas-sindromes-transtornos.htm