disease or illness?

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Message de monik posté le 2004-08-11 20:57:54 (S | E | F | I)
Can someone tell me if there is a difference of meaning between "illness" and "disease" or if I can use it in exacly the same way... Thank you!...

ps : I'm not sick either!

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de serena, postée le 2004-08-11 21:18:09 (S | E)
hello monik!
that's really a very good question!

the word "disease" is generally used to name specifc illnesses.
for exemple : cancer, pneumonia, rheumatism and so on.

whereas we use " illness " just to mean that we are ill, we don"t feel well.
a minor, fatal or serious illness to which we don't give any specific name remains an illness.

as an exemple : - I suffer from a serious illness !
- which disease do you have?
- I have lung disease.

I hope I have explained this clearly.

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de traviskidd, postée le 2004-08-12 02:51:09 (S | E)
Serena asked for my opinion, and I think what she said is generally correct.

A "disease" has a pathological cause such as bacteria or a virus.
A "disorder" has a mental, chemical, or physical cause.

An illness is more generally any condition that causes one to not feel well. It includes diseases and disorders, and it can be applied to more transient maladies such as a cold.

But don't confuse the illness with its symptoms. Pain is not an illness, though it may be caused by an illness. A fever is not an illness, but the flu is. Sneezing and a runny nose are not illnesses, but an allergy is.

Saying "I have an illness" is usually equivalent to saying "I'm sick" (though the illness causes, rather than is, the sickness). But if you say "I have a disease" you would more likely be asked the name of the disease you suffer from.

I hope this clarifies things a little!

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de serena, postée le 2004-08-12 03:05:33 (S | E)
thank you, traviskidd

It's ok !

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de monik, postée le 2004-08-12 08:24:49 (S | E)
Thanks a lot Serena and Taviskidd for your very good explanations...
.
Tell me if it's correct to say :
The disease causes the illness.
The illness causes the sickness.
And you'd say I have an illness for I am sick.
What about : "I'm ill", what do you mean then? (isn't sick "ligter" than "ill"?)
Thank you again...

I'm sick of these words!!! (not true!)

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de traviskidd, postée le 2004-08-12 16:45:41 (S | E)
I think what you say is correct, monik. But don't try to make the rule too rigid. If you want to believe that disease, illness, and sickness are synonymous, you won't have committed a grave error.

I think "I'm ill" and "I'm sick" are essentially the same. Children use the word "sick". "Ill" is a little more formal. But you are correcct in the sense that "ill" would apply to more serious conditions.

"He is very ill. The doctor says he has no more than 6 months to live."

But even in this case, children would use "sick".

"Honey, your grandfather is very sick. You should tell him you love him, because he may not live until the morning."

And, on that depressing note, I will end

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de serena, postée le 2004-08-12 16:56:57 (S | E)
hi monik

I believe everything is all right for you now!
So please, never be sick of these words again, we don't want you to have "words disease"! ;)

We entirely remain at your disposal !

Also very many thanks for your help, traviskidd.

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Edité par serena le 2004-08-12 17:10:36

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de monik, postée le 2004-08-13 18:00:46 (S | E)
THANKKKKKK YOU... I feel so much better!...

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de dolivera, postée le 2004-08-14 19:42:48 (S | E)
Serena and Serenity no difference. thanks a lot for this precision.

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de filip19, postée le 2004-08-28 18:54:58 (S | E)
in my opinion some of you are completely stupid, you do not provide me with satisfying answers... i'm soory, but when you're not sure at all, don't give your false answer. thanks anyway

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de traviskidd, postée le 2004-08-28 19:05:58 (S | E)
Is anyone ever really sure of anything?

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de serena, postée le 2004-08-28 19:13:00 (S | E)
"please ignore" him travis !

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de rosminet, postée le 2004-08-29 14:55:10 (S | E)
I know that's English Only !!
But I give you the definition from the Oxford's dictionnary.

illness = maladie | minor/fatal/serious illness = maladie bénigne/mortelle/grave.

disease

1 (specific illness) maladie

2 (range of infections) maladies | to spread disease propager les maladies.

sickness

1 (illness) maladie | to be absent because of sickness = être absent pour cause de maladie | there has been a lot of sickness in the school lately = il y a eu beaucoup de malades à l'école récemment | the sickness of the economy = la faiblesse de l'économie | in sickness and in health = pour le meilleur et pour le pire

2 (nausea) vomissements | to suffer bouts of sickness = avoir des vomissements

3 (distasteful nature) (of joke, story) goût douteux.

Réponse: re:disease or illness? de pj, postée le 2004-08-31 15:20:24 (S | E)
A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts these may be considered distinguishable categories.

Illness can be another term used for disease or it can be a person's perception of their health without regard to having a disease. A person without any disease may feel unhealthly and believes he has an illness. Another person may feel healthy and believes he does not have an illness even though he may have dangerously high blood pressure (hypertension which may lead to a fatal heart attack or stroke).

Réponse: To rosminet de traviskidd, postée le 2004-09-01 01:03:16 (S | E)
Rosminet, you said "I know that's English Only !!"

But you should have said "I know this is English Only !!"

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