Health Science - What is Health Study Guide

1 Health Science Exam 1 Review (Part 1 – Chapters 1-2) Chapter 1: What is health? What does it mean to be healthy? What is wellness? What are the components of the wellness continuum? 1) Premature death, 2) Terminal illness, 3) chronic disease, 4) minor illness, 5) Physical, mental, social and spiritual health, 6) Sense of vitality, 7) Wellness What are the individual components of wellness? How is each component defined? What is Public Health? An arena in which the connections between individuals and community become concrete, and decisions about regulating personal behaviors for the good of the community sometimes lead to debate and controversy (from ch. 3). What is the “Stages of Change” model? Know the steps and examples of each of the Stages of Change model. Why is it a spiral model? What is SMART? - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound What are SMART goals? Make sure to know the steps of making SMART goals. Where would you find the most reliable source for health information? What is a health family tree? How do you build one from scratch (we did this in lecture!)? What information does it tell you? What is DNA? What are genes? What are chromosomes? What is a mutation? - When a gene, chromosome, or amino acid (ATGC) is missing, extra, or misplaced. Not all mutations are bad. What are the pros and cons of genetic testing? Cost and liability (cons) Chapter 2: Make sure to understand the function of the parts of the brain we talked about: amygdala, frontal cortex, optic nerve, corpus callosum, cerebellum, and the parts of the brain stem. P. 31 2 What are the characteristics of mentally healthy people? P. 24 What is a self-actualized person? P.25 What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? P. 25 What can you do to enhance your mental health? How is the teenage brain different from an adult brain? Not as developed/mature. What is a mental disorder? - Mental illnesses are diseases that affect the brain. A mental disorder is a pattern of behavior in an individual that is associated with distress (pain) or disability (impairment in an important area of functioning, such as school or work) or with significantly increased risk of suffering, death, pain, disability, or loss of freedom. P. 32 What is a mood disorder? What are examples of mood disorders? Also called depressive disorders or affective disorders, mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression). They are among the most common mental disorders around the world. What is an anxiety disorder? What are some examples of anxiety disorders? Most common, along with depression. Examples: Panic disorder, OCD, Generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia and social phobia. Panic disorder: Anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks along with concern about having another attack. P. 34 What are symptoms of depression? Symptoms of depression include depressed mood, as indicated by feelings of sadness or emptiness or by behaviors such as crying; a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that previously provided pleasure; fatigue; feelings of worthlessness; and a reduced ability to concentrate. If a person experiences one or more episodes of depression lasting at least two weeks, he or she may be diagnosed with major depressive disorder. What is addiction? Dependence on a substance or a behavior. Is classified as a mental disorder. All addictions in the DSM-5 are classified as substance-related and addictive disorders. The key characteristic of addiction is continued, compulsive use of the substance or involvement in the behavior despite serious negative consequences. Individuals with a substance addiction may spend a great deal of time trying to obtain the substance, give up important parts of their lives to use it, and make repeated, unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control their use. What are examples of human addictions? Sex, shopping, gambling, drugs. What is the difference between a psychological dependence and a physical dependence? A person with physiological dependence on a sub-stance experiences tolerance, reduced sensitivity to its effects such that increased doses are needed to give the same high, and withdrawal, uncomfortable symptoms that occur when substance use stops. Tolerance and withdrawal are indicators that the brain and body 3 have adapted to the sub- stance. Even without physiological dependence, the person can experience psychological dependence. What is suicide? What leads a person to suicide? P. 36 What is self-injury? P. 36 What is the difference between a psychologist and psychiatrist? What is the Stress Response? Reaction to events, like winning the lottery, etc. Stress can be defined as the general state of the body, mind, and emotions when an environmental stressor has triggered the stress response. Stress response is the Fight or Flight response. The stress response is carried out by the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary, unconscious functions like breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic branch is responsible for initiating the stress response, and the parasympathetic branch is responsible for turning off the stress response and returning the body to normal. The stress response begins when the cerebral cortex (in the front of the brain) sends a chemical signal to the hypo- thalamus, which sends a signal to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland sends adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to the adrenal glands, which release the hormones cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) into the bloodstream. Glucose and fats are released from the liver and other storage sites to provide energy. As stress hormones surge through your body, your heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, metabolism, and blood pressure all increase, and other changes occur to prepare you for fight or flight. P. 39 What is the relaxation response? Body returns to homeostasis P. 40 What is the difference between acute and chronic stress? Acute = short term, caused by the stress response. Chronic = long term. low-level stress in which the stress response continues without resolution. What are some of the effects of stress? Weakened systems (especially immune system) in the body, increased risk of illness. Stress-triggered changes in the lungs increase symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Can also lead to osteoporosis and sexual problems, such as failure to ovulate and amenorrhea (absence of periods) and sexual dysfunction and loss of sexual desire in both men and women. Can even speed up the aging process. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Can lead to psychological problems and anxiety disorders. ( see P. 42 for more) What are some stress reduction strategies? Common patterns of distorted thinking include focusing on the negative and filtering out the positive, catastrophizing (expecting the worst), thinking in polarities (black-and-white thinking), and personalizing (thinking everything’s about you). With a more realistic attitude, people can take things in stride and reduce the frequency and intensity of the stress response. Also, hardiness. Finding ways to ensure financial peace of mind is an excellent stress 4 reduction technique. Time management, relaxation techniques, exercise, and good nutrition. More: Time management, Social support, a healthy lifestyle, exercising, eating healthy. What are some relaxation techniques? Deep breathing, Progressive relaxation, Visualization, Mindfulness-based meditation (a form of meditation that involves paying attention to the present moment and letting thoughts and feelings come and go without judging them –includes yoga and focused breathing. Can lower blood pressure, improve immune system functioning, and alleviate a variety of mental and physical conditions), T’ai Chi, biofeedback, and Affirmations (positive thoughts that you can write down or say to yourself to balance the negative thoughts you may have internalized over the course of your life.). What is meditation? What physical and psychological effects does it have? What is journaling? What are the stages of death and dying? The five stages are (1) denial and isolation, (2) anger, (3) bargaining, (4) depression, and (5) acceptance. Over time, further study has shown that these stages are not linear— individuals may experience them in a different order or may return to stages they have already gone through—nor are they necessarily universal—individuals may not experience some stages at all. P. 29 What are mental and physical symptoms of grief? Numbness and shock: This phase occurs immediately after the loss and lasts for a brief period. The numbness protects you from acute pain. Separation: As the shock wears off, you start to feel the pain of loss, and you experience acute yearning and longing to be reunited with your loved one. Disorganization: You are preoccupied and distracted; you have trouble concentrating and thinking clearly. You may feel lethargic and indifferent. This phase can last much longer than you anticipate. Reorganization: You begin to adjust to the loss. Your life will never be the same without your loved one, but your feelings have less intensity and you can reinvest in life. What should you do during the grieving period to keep yourself healthy? Eat, get enough sleep, drink enough fluids. During the grieving process, it is vital that you eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, drink plenty of fluids, and get enough rest. Keeping a journal and talking about the person who has died can also be part of the healing process. Finally, you should not hesitate to ask friends for support because having a nurturing social net- work is particularly helpful in coping with loss’’’.