Health and Deficiency Diseases - Class 5 Notes & Olympiad Questions

Balanced Diet

a) A balanced diet is the food we consume every day, which should provide our bodies with all the essential nutrients they need.
b) These nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, water, and fibre, and they should be present in the right amounts.
c) Having a balanced diet is crucial for supplying energy, supporting proper growth and development, and maintaining good health and fitness.

What is Deficiency?

a) A deficiency refers to a lack or inadequate amount of a particular nutrient in the body.
b) Deficiencies can occur for various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and others.
c) When the body lacks a specific nutrient, it can lead to a range of health problems and symptoms.

Malnutrition

a) Malnutrition is a condition that occurs when children do not consume an adequate amount of starchy carbohydrates and protein-rich foods, leading to negative effects on their growth.
b) One noticeable sign of malnutrition is a large bulging belly. These children often have weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases.
c) Their diet lacks the necessary balance and quantity of nutrients needed for proper nourishment.

Protein and Carbohydrate Deficiency

a) Lack of proteins in the diet can lead to a disease called Kwashiorkor, which is more commonly observed in children between six months and three years of age.
b) Symptoms of Kwashiorkor include swelling (oedema), diarrhoea, anaemia, and an enlarged liver.
c) On the other hand, a lack of both carbohydrates and proteins can cause Marasmus, resulting in overall weakness and poor physical development.

It is important for children to have a well-balanced diet that includes sufficient quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. This helps ensure proper growth, development, and overall health while reducing the risk of malnutrition-related conditions.

Vitamins and Minerals Deficiency

Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can lead to specific diseases or disorders and produce noticeable symptoms.

List of Deficiency Diseases

Here are some examples of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, along with their associated diseases/disorders and symptoms.

Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases, also known as infectious diseases, are illnesses caused by germs or disease-causing microorganisms that can be transmitted from one person to another.
Different ways in which infectious diseases can spread are:

1. Through Air

a) When a person infected with a disease coughs or sneezes, millions of disease-causing germs are released into the air. These germs can travel through the air and be inhaled by people nearby, leading to infection.
b) Examples of diseases that spread through the air include measles, chickenpox, colds, influenza, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.

2. Through Water

a) Germs can contaminate water sources, and when people drink or come into contact with contaminated water, the germs can enter their bodies and cause infection.
b) Diseases such as typhoid, cholera, polio, jaundice, and diarrhoea are spread through contaminated water.

3. Through Food

a) Many diseases affecting the digestive system can be spread through the consumption of contaminated or polluted food.
b) Flies, which carry germs, can land on faecal matter and then transfer the germs to exposed or uncovered food.
c) Diseases caused by contaminated food include diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, and bacillus dysentery.

4. By Direct Contact

a) Continuous contact with an infected person can result in the transmission of diseases.
b) Sharing items such as utensils, towels, soaps, combs, and blankets with an infected person can facilitate the spread of disease.
c) Skin conditions like scabies and ringworm can be contagious and spread through touch or direct contact.

5. By Insects

a) Certain diseases are transmitted through the bites of insects that carry disease-causing pathogens.
b) Pathogens are microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, that can cause disease in humans, animals, or plants.
c) For example, malaria is spread by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites a person with malaria, it takes in the malaria pathogens with its blood. If the same mosquito bites a healthy person, it can inject pathogens into their body, leading to infection.
d) Other examples include fleas spreading the plague and tsetse flies spreading sleeping sickness.

Prevention of Communicable Diseases

a) It is important to practice good hygiene, maintain cleanliness, and take precautions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
b) This includes measures such as proper handwashing, safe food handling, avoiding close contact with infected individuals, and using mosquito nets or insect repellents in areas where vector-borne diseases are prevalent.