Diseases A to Z

The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs the body’s normal functioning.

For this reason, diseases are associated with the dysfunction of the body’s normal homeostatic processes (the state of steady internal, physical, chemical, and social conditions maintained by living systems.)

Disease often refers to infectious diseases (such as measles or tuberculosis), which may be acute (short-lasting) or chronic. It can also refer to chronic disease that is not contagious (such as diabetes or arthritis.)