Pathology is ... What do you need to know?

The term "pathology" has two main meanings. The first - a synonym for the disease, a painful condition, a deviation from the norm. In the second case, pathology is a science that studies these deviations, it has many sections and narrower areas dealing with certain organs or systems of organs. There are also related disciplines: patanatomy, and pathophysiology, histology and others.

In general, this term is used in the first sense, as a synonym for the words "disease" or "painful condition." In this sense, we distinguish between congenital and acquired deviations. In the first case, violations occur at the stage of formation or intrauterine development, and in the second - during life.

As a rule, congenital pathology is the object of investigation, primarily prenatal and perinatal diagnostics, that is, problems are revealed even during pregnancy and immediately after birth. Serious violations are detected in the first or the beginning of the second trimester. In many cases, even before they are detected, or even before the fact of pregnancy is established, its self-termination occurs. Most often this indicates gross chromosomal abnormalities, but sometimes it indicates problems in the reproductive system of a woman. Acquired pathology can be due to diseases in more or less mature age - as a result of various factors. These include injuries, the effects of chemicals, diseases that have been transferred, and so on.

In general, "pathology" is one of the most popular terms in medicine. It can refer to any section: neurology, orthopedics, surgery, gastroenterology, gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and so on. In pathology, as in science, there are also several specialized sections dealing, for example, only with disruptions in the work of cells or explaining the occurrence of diseases by changing the internal environment of the organism, some disciplines even investigate the occurrence of diseases at the molecular level. There is even an experimental pathology: this direction is engaged in modeling various processes and conditions in animals. So this section of medicine is distinguished by a variety of directions.

Treatment of pathologies is carried out by specialist doctors, depending on which patient experiences the symptoms. There is one subtlety: due to various factors, the concept of norm changes, and in medicine such changes occur quite quickly and often. The fact that a couple of decades ago was considered a serious pathology, today can be a variant of the norm. On the other hand, if the deviation from the norm is treatable, why not get rid of it, even if it is not Prevents?

By the way, "pathology" is a term used not only in medicine. For example, this concept is used in sociology to refer to painful processes in society, which indicates its ill health. For example, this is the name of human actions and types of behavior that society perceives as immoral and harmful - alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, etc. Such phenomena weaken the functioning of the society, and therefore need to be countered.

So do not get scared when you read the word "pathology" in a medical card or doctor's record, because in many cases it is just a synonym for the term "disease."