Disorder/Disease a distinction without a difference.

[Guest guest]

Mike wrote:

> Hmm...I see it classified as both. It being a esophageal motility

> disorder....and as a disease...so ...which is it?

>

Both, because they are the same. Some people like to think that disease

means there is an infection but that is not always the case. There are

infectious diseases and non-infectious diseases. Some may think that

disease implies a temporary problem. There are chronic diseases and

non-chronic ones. Some people may think that a disease effects the

wellness of the whole body, such as having a fever. Some diseases effect

only a very limited part of the body, such as a skin disease. Some

people may think that neurological problems are not diseases. There are

neurological diseases. likewise muscle diseases. You can do the same

thing with " disorder " and show that all diseases are also disorders.

Achalasia is a disease, disorder, condition, sickness, illness, malady

and infirmity. Generally, those terms all mean the same thing, though

" infirm " suggests a " weakness " and more of an impact on a persons

ability to do daily activities. Some people use " sick " only to mean

feeling nausea though it is not limited to that one meaning, and any

disease or disorder can be a sickness.

The Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q= " Achalasia+is+a+disease "

gives 41,300 results. The Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q= " Achalasia+is+a+disorder "

gives 32,700 results.

Many of the results will be copies of the same information on different

sites.

Searching for results from NIH and PubMed:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:nih.gov+ " Achalasia+is+a+disease "

gives 30 results. The search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:nih.gov+ " Achalasia+is+a+disorder "

gives 50 results.

You can see it is used both ways by medical professionals.

notan

[Guest guest]

Thank you Notan I was getting confused...I thought of them as one of the same

and depending on context of using it. Actually I usually use both words when I

explain what she has...

> Hmm...I see it classified as both. It being a esophageal motility

> disorder....and as a disease...so ...which is it?

>

Both, because they are the same. Some people like to think that disease

means there is an infection but that is not always the case. There are

infectious diseases and non-infectious diseases. Some may think that

disease implies a temporary problem. There are chronic diseases and

non-chronic ones. Some people may think that a disease effects the

wellness of the whole body, such as having a fever. Some diseases effect

only a very limited part of the body, such as a skin disease. Some

people may think that neurological problems are not diseases. There are

neurological diseases. likewise muscle diseases. You can do the same

thing with " disorder " and show that all diseases are also disorders.

Achalasia is a disease, disorder, condition, sickness, illness, malady

and infirmity. Generally, those terms all mean the same thing, though

" infirm " suggests a " weakness " and more of an impact on a persons

ability to do daily activities. Some people use " sick " only to mean

feeling nausea though it is not limited to that one meaning, and any

disease or disorder can be a sickness.

The Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q= " Achalasia+is+a+disease "

gives 41,300 results. The Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q= " Achalasia+is+a+disorder "

gives 32,700 results.

Many of the results will be copies of the same information on different

sites.

Searching for results from NIH and PubMed:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:nih.gov+ " Achalasia+is+a+disease "

gives 30 results. The search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:nih.gov+ " Achalasia+is+a+disorder "

gives 50 results.

You can see it is used both ways by medical professionals.

notan

[Guest guest]

Mike wrote:

>

> Thank you Notan I was getting confused...I thought of them as one of

> the same and depending on context of using it. Actually I usually use

> both words when I explain what she has...

>

I have to admit that the two words feel very different. Disease sounds

yuckier to me but it meas the same thing as disorder. They have some

other uses outside of this medical context. As adjectives diseased and

disordered are different. You would say " the disordered contractions of

the diseased esophagus " not " " the diseased contractions of the

disordered esophagus. " Perhaps that is part of the confusion. In the

context of what achalasia is I stand by that disease and disorder are

the same even if diseased and disordered are not.

notan

[Guest guest]

Ah but Notan...

  " the disordered contractions of

the diseased esophagus " not " " the diseased contractions of the

disordered esophagus. "

A contraction can be disordered if it is lacking order or regularity or reason..

 but

a contraction cannot be diseased as a contraction is an action (verb)

 a disordered esophagus could possibly be a deformed or distended esophagus as

an example.

According to the medical dictionaries.... below....    I stand corrected!

Carolyn

disorder /dis·or·der/ (dis-or´der) a derangement or abnormality of function;

a morbid physical or mental state.

Main Entry: 2disorderFunction: noun : an abnormal physical or mental

condition : ailment <an intestinal disorder> <a nervous disorder>

disease /dis·ease/ (dĭ-zēz´)

any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function

of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a

characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology,

and prognosis may be known or unknown.

Main Entry: dis·ease Pronunciation: \diz-ˈēz\Function: noun :

an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or

one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the

vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and

symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition,

industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms,

bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic

anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness—called

also morbus; compare health 1

I have to admit that the two words feel very different. Disease sounds

yuckier to me but it meas the same thing as disorder. They have some

other uses outside of this medical context. As adjectives diseased and

disordered are different. You would say " the disordered contractions of

the diseased esophagus " not " " the diseased contractions of the

disordered esophagus. " Perhaps that is part of the confusion. In the

context of what achalasia is I stand by that disease and disorder are

the same even if diseased and disordered are not.

notan