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PRIMARY 3 SECOND TERM SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON NOTE
WEEK 1
WAYS OF PREVENTING COMMON ILLNESS
Behavioral Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- define illness and common illnesses.
- identify at least five common illnesses in your community.
- mention the symptoms of common illnesses in your community.
- identify causes of common illnesses.
- mention ways of preventing common illnesses.
CONTENT
Meaning and examples of common illnesses
Illness is when a person is not feeling healthy and well. Such a person may have a headache, malaria fever, pain or stomachache.
When someone is ill, we sometimes say that he is suffering from a disease.
It is a medical doctor who tests a person and finds out the disease he is having.
Common illnesses are the diseases that many people have in the community. They can be noticed in all parts of the community.
Examples of common illnesses
The following are examples of illnesses and diseases that are common in our environment.
1 Malaria – Malaria is an illness that is caused by mosquitoes.
Anopheles mosquito is the carrier of the parasite that causes malaria. The parasite is called plasmodium. If a mosquito bites us, we may have malaria
2 Dysentery – A person has dysentery when he visits the toilet very frequently to pass excreta. The excreta is usually watery and contains blood. Dysentery is caused by eating contaminated food. Contaminated food is food that has been exposed to bacteria and a dirty environment.
3 Diarrhea – This is an illness in which excreta in liquid form and water are passed out more frequently than normal. If we come in contact with somebody who has diarrhea, it can infect us. Diarrhea can also be caused by eating contaminated food. The difference between diarrhea and dysentery is that diarrhea does not contain blood while dysentery does.
4 Cholera – Cholera is when a person is excreting and vomiting at the same time. This is done frequently. It is a disease that is caused by germs carried by houseflies. It can kill very fast
5 Cough – Although ordinary cough is not a disease it is a symptom of diseases in the body. Cough is when someone tries to remove disturbing mucus from the lungs through the mouth. Exposure to cold, smoking, and inhaling dust can cause cough.
6 Toothache – This is a type of illness that gives someone pain in or around a tooth or jaws. It can be caused by eating plenty of sweets or sugar, and poor dental habit (not washing one’s mouth regularly).
7 Headache – A headache is a continuous pain in the head. The pain can be anywhere in the head or neck. If we overwork ourselves, it can cause headache. Someone who hits his/her head against a hard object will also have a headache. Headache may also be a symptom of other diseases like malaria.
8 Typhoid fever – It is a type of illness that causes diarrhea and rashes. It is caused by taking contaminated food or water. We can also get typhoid if we stay close to an infected person.
Other common illnesses are:
- Chicken pox
- Catarrhs
- Cold
- Stomachaches
- Measles
Symptoms of common illnesses
Generally, common illnesses present almost the same symptoms.
Some of them are:
1 General weakness – This is when someone is tired and finds it difficult to walk, work and even talk.
2 Lack of appetite – If someone does not have appetite, it means he/she does not have desire for food. The person may be hungry but may not feel like eating. When this happens, it is a sign of common illness.
3 Headache or cold – Headache or cold may be a symptom of malaria, typhoid, toothache or other common illnesses.
4 General itching of the body – This may be a symptom of skin diseases like eczema and ring worm. Itching gives discomfort on the skin or body and it makes someone to scratch it all the time.
5 Dizziness – Dizziness can happen in two different ways:
- a) When someone feels like fainting.
- b) When it looks as if the surrounding is moving.
If we lose too much blood and water in the body, we may feel dizzy. This may be because of dysentery or diarrhoea.
7 Vomiting – This is when someone throws up, that is, pouring out what he/she has eaten through the mouth or nose. Vomiting is a symptom of serious common illnesses.
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