How are health conditions categorised?
Hi all
So why did a couple of conditions appear in yesterday's list more than once? This is because of the way health conditions get categorised. This is in fact a very complicated subject, but I just want to illustrate a couple of examples of why health language can be so confusing.
A disease can be categorised by what causes it: The term autoimmune means the body's own defences destroy its own cells. Type 1 diabetes melitus (T1DM) was in our list, and it occurs when the beta cells in the pancreas are mistakingly destroyed by immune cells. T1DM can be said to be an autoimmune disease.
A disease can be categorised by the system that is affected: Because beta cells produce a hormone called insulin, and the system that regulates hormones is called the endocrine system, T1DM can be said to be an endocrine disorder.
Diseases are categorised in a lot of other ways too, but cause and system are the most common, especially for LTCs. Essentially, all these categories are just a way for health professionals to be as specific and accurate as possible; but it can sometimes seem as though there are a dozen different names for the same thing. You'll be pleased to know we won't teach you all these terms on a My Health myself course, but we will show you some ways you can help your health professional communicate more effectively with you.
Take care every one
Gavin
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