A
disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that affects part or all of an
organism. The causal study of disease is called
pathology. Disease is often construed as a
medical condition associated with specific
symptoms and
signs. It may be caused by factors originally from an external source, such as
infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as
autoimmune diseases. In humans, "disease" is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes
pain,
dysfunction,
distress,
social problems, or
death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes
injuries,
disabilities,
disorders,
syndromes,
infections, isolated
symptoms, deviant
behaviors, and atypical
variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. Diseases usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with a disease can alter one's perspective on life, and one's personality.
