GRADE 8
BIRLA PUBLIC SCHOOL, DOHA-QATAR
2025-26
Science
Chapter 3- Health-The Ultimate Treasure
Reference Notes
What is Health?
● Health means being physically, mentally, and socially well — not just free from
diseases.
● WHO Definition: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Three Dimensions of Health
1. Physical Health: Healthy body, good diet, enough rest, and regular exercise.
2. Mental Health: Positive thinking, managing stress, emotional stability.
3. Social Health: Good relationships, teamwork, and communication skills.
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
✅ Dos
● Eat healthy and balanced meals (fruits, vegetables, whole grains).
● Drink clean water.
● Exercise regularly.
● Sleep well.
● Keep yourself and your surroundings clean.
❌ Don’ts
● Eating junk food and sugary drinks.
● Skipping meals, especially breakfast.
● Spending too much time on mobile phones or other digital screens.
● Neglecting rest and relaxation.
● Using harmful substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, and addictive drugs
Environment and Health
● A clean environment helps prevent diseases.
● Safe drinking water, clean surroundings, and proper waste disposal = good
health.
● Pollution, dirty water, and poor sanitation cause illnesses.
Air Quality Index (AQI)
● AQI tells us how clean or polluted the air is.
● It measures harmful gases and particles.
● Helps us know if the air is safe to breathe.
Diseases and Their Types
What is a Disease?
● A disease is a condition that disturbs normal body functions and causes harm
or discomfort.
● Can be:
o Acute: Short-term (e.g., cold, flu)
o Chronic: Long-term (e.g., diabetes, asthma)
Signs and Symptoms
● Signs: Can be seen by others (rash, swelling, fever).
● Symptoms: Felt by the person (headache, nausea, tiredness).
Types of Diseases
1. Communicable Diseases
● Spread from person to person.
● Caused by: Microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa).
● Spread through: Air, water, food, contact, or insects (vectors).
● Examples: Chickenpox, Measles, Cholera, Typhoid.
2. Non-Communicable Diseases
● Do not spread from one person to another.
● Causes:
o Unhealthy lifestyle (junk food, no exercise)
o Hereditary (genetic) factors
o Pollution or stress
● Examples: Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, Asthma.
Causes and Prevention of Diseases
Communicable Diseases
Type of Disease Causal Site of Main Preventive
Spread Agent Infection Symptoms Measures
Through Air Common Cold Virus Respiratory Runny Wash
/ Influenza tract nose, sore hands
throat, often, avoid
fever, sharing
cough, items,
body ache cover
mouth and
nose
Chickenpox Virus Skin, Mild fever, Isolate
respiratory itchy patient,
tract rashes, cover
blisters mouth and
nose,
maintain
hygiene,
vaccination
Measles Virus Respiratory Fever, sore Isolate
tract, skin throat, red patient,
rashes on maintain
skin hygiene,
vaccination
Tuberculosis Bacteria Lungs Persistent Avoid close
(TB) cough, contact
fever, with
tiredness, infected
people,
cover
loss of mouth,
appetite vaccination
Through Hepatitis A Virus Liver Fever, Drink
Contaminated fatigue, boiled
Water & Food nausea, water,
jaundice vaccination
Cholera Bacteria Intestine Diarrhoea, Maintain
dehydration hygiene,
eat cooked
food, drink
clean
water,
vaccination
Typhoid Bacteria Intestine Fever, Maintain
headache, hygiene,
stomach eat cooked
pain, food, drink
diarrhoea clean
water,
vaccination
Ascariasis Worms Intestine Worms in Wash
(Roundworms) stool, poor hands,
growth, maintain
anaemia cleanliness,
eat cooked
food
Transmitted Malaria Protozo Blood, skin Fever, Use
by Insects a chills, mosquito
sweating nets, wear
long
sleeves,
prevent
mosquito
breeding
Dengue Fever Virus Blood, skin High fever, Use
headache, mosquito
joint pain, nets, avoid
nausea stagnant
water, wear
long
sleeves
Non-Communicable Diseases
● Caused mainly by poor lifestyle, nutrition, or genetic factors.
● Examples:
o Diabetes: Lack of exercise, unhealthy food.
o Heart disease: Fatty diet, stress.
o Cancer: Abnormal cell growth.
o Asthma: Triggered by dust, smoke, and pollution.
Deficiency Diseases
● Deficiency diseases occur when the body does not get enough essential
nutrients (vitamins or minerals) from food.
● Nutrients are needed in small quantities but are very important for growth,
repair, and proper body function.
● Lack of a specific nutrient for a long time leads to a specific disease or
disorder.
Nutrient Deficiency Disease Symptoms
Vitamin A Night Blindness Poor vision in dim light
Vitamin C Scurvy Bleeding gums, weak immunity
Iron Anaemia Weakness, pale skin
Iodine Goitre Swelling in neck
Chronic Diseases
● Long-lasting, progress slowly.
● Examples: Diabetes, Asthma, Arthritis, Cancer.
● Need long-term treatment and lifestyle management.
Prevention and Control of Diseases
A. Preventive Measures
● Maintain personal and environmental hygiene.
● Eat balanced food and drink safe water.
● Get vaccinated.
● Isolate infected people to prevent spread.
B. Immunity
● Definition: The body’s ability to fight infections and stay healthy.
C. Immune System
● The body’s defence system, made of white blood cells, organs, and tissues
that fight germs.
D. Vaccines
● Substances that train the body to recognize and fight germs in the future.
● Provide acquired immunity (developed after infection or vaccination).
E. Smallpox Vaccine
● Developed by Edward Jenner.
● Helped eradicate smallpox from the world — a major success in disease
control.
F. Treatment of Diseases
● Antibiotics: Medicines that kill bacteria.
● Penicillin: The First antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming.
G. Antibiotic Resistance
● Happens when bacteria stop responding to antibiotics.
● Causes: Overuse or misuse of antibiotics.
● Prevention:
o Take antibiotics only as prescribed.
o Complete the full course of medicine.
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