Health The Ultimate Treasure Short Notes Class 8 is created from the second chapter of your new NCERT textbook, Curiosity.
These short notes are not a replacement for your NCERT textbook. It only intends to make you revise and memorise the important points.
Health: Is It More Than Not Falling Sick?
What Does “Health” Really Mean?
- Health is not just the absence of disease
- True health includes:
- Physical well-being: feeling good physically
- Mental well-being: staying positive
- Social well-being: having strong relationships
Traits of a Healthy Person
- Takes care of their body
- Maintains a positive mindset
- Enjoys social life
- Performs tasks more efficiently
- Copes well in difficult situations
- Adjusts well with peers and society
WHO Definition of Health
“A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.”
| Pillar | What It Means |
|---|
| Physical | Body functions well; free from illness |
| Mental | Positive mindset; emotional balance |
| Social | Strong relationships; good social adjustment |
Ayurveda teaches that true health is a balance of body, mind, and surroundings
Key Ayurvedic Concepts
| Term | Meaning | Role in Health |
|---|
| Dinacharya | Daily routine | Helps maintain balance |
| Ritucharya | Seasonal routine | Helps maintain balance |
| Prakriti | Body constitution | Guides food choices for individual needs |
Essential Practices for Well-being
- Eat fresh, wholesome food suited to one’s prakriti
- Regular exercise
- Cleanliness
- Restful sleep
- Calm mind
Supportive Practices
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
How Can We Stay Healthy?
What Does Staying Healthy Mean?
- Eating nutritious food
- Maintaining hygiene
- Living in a clean place
- Exercising regularly
- Getting proper sleep
- Spending time with family and friends
- Having a positive attitude
Key Habits to Build
- Eat fresh, wholesome meals
- Stay physically active daily
- Limit screen time
- Prioritize restful sleep
- Practice yoga or pranayama
- Say NO to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
| Do This | Avoid This |
|---|
| Balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains | Processed, fatty, or sugary food and drinks |
| Physical activity: playing outdoors, walking, running, cycling | Excessive screen time |
| Enough sleep for rest and recovery | Harmful substances: tobacco, alcohol, addictive drugs |
| Yoga or pranayama (breathing exercises) | |
| Spend more time in nature | |
Key Habits to Build
- Eat fresh, wholesome meals
- Stay physically active daily
- Limit screen time
- Prioritize restful sleep
- Practice yoga or pranayama
- Say NO to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
Keep the Environment Clean
Why Clean Surroundings Matter
- Clean spaces encourage play and activity
- Dirty areas attract flies and mosquitoes and increase sickness
Air and Water Quality:
- Clean air and water are essential for health
- Air pollution can cause coughing or asthma
- Air Quality Index (AQI) helps monitor air cleanliness
Mental and Social Well-being
- Health is not only about the body — feelings and relationships matter too
- Loneliness or upset feelings can affect health
- Spending time with friends and family supports a healthy mind
Simple Ways to Support Mental Health
- Connect with family and friends
- Share feelings through conversation
- Enjoy joyful activities together
How Do We Know That We Are Unwell?
Feeling unwell = something inside our body is not working properly
Symptoms vs Signs
| Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|
| Symptom | What we feel | Pain, tiredness, dizziness |
| Sign | What can be seen or measured | Fever, rash, high blood pressure, swelling |
Key Points
- Symptoms and signs indicate we are unwell
- Both help doctors understand the cause of illnesses
Diseases: What Are the Causes and Types?
What Is a Disease?
- A condition affecting the normal working of the body or mind
- Occurs when organs or organ systems stop functioning properly
Causes of Diseases
| Cause | Details |
|---|
| Pathogens | Bacteria, viruses, fungi, worms, protozoa |
| Poor nutrition | Lack of proper diet |
| Unhealthy lifestyle | Habits affecting health |
Disease Duration
- Short-term: lasts briefly
- Long-term: need regular treatment or care
Two Major Types
| Type | Cause | Spreads? | Examples |
|---|
| Non-communicable | Lifestyle, diet, environment | No | Cancer, diabetes, asthma |
| Communicable | Pathogens | Yes, person to person | Typhoid, dengue, flu, chickenpox, COVID-19 |
NCDs in India
- Rising cases: diabetes, heart disease, cancer
- Key reasons: more processed food, less exercise, longer lives
- Most deaths in India now from NCDs
How Are Communicable Diseases Caused and Spread?
All communicable diseases are caused by pathogens
Health The Ultimate Treasure Short Notes Class 8How Pathogens Enter Body
- Through the air we breathe
- By consuming contaminated food or water
Modes of Spread
| Mode | How It Happens |
|---|
| Air | Infected person coughs or sneezes |
| Direct contact | Shaking hands with infected person |
| Indirect contact | Sharing personal items of infected person |
| Contaminated food/water | Eating or drinking infected items |
| Vectors | Insects like mosquitoes, houseflies |
Vectors: Insects that carry and spread pathogens
Prevention Precautions
- Keep yourself and your surroundings clean
- Practice basic hygiene daily
- Wash your hands with soap and water
- Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing
- Wear a mask in crowded places
- Avoid sharing personal items (towels, handkerchiefs)
- Keep home, food, and water clean
- Stay home and rest when unwell
Worm Infections
- Caused by worms (parasites) in the digestive system
- Worms feed on nutrients from the body
- Spread via:
- Contaminated food
- Contaminated water
- Contaminated soil
- Contact with infected people or animals
Health The Ultimate Treasure Short Notes Class 8How are non-communicable diseases caused?
What Are NCDs?
- Linked to lifestyle, diet, and environment
- Examples: cancer, diabetes, asthma
- The most common cause of death in India
Deficiency Diseases (Also NCDs)
| Disease |
|---|
| Scurvy |
| Anaemia |
| Goitre |
Chronic Diseases
- Persist for a long time (more than 3 months)
- Examples: cancer, diabetes, asthma
Diabetes: Key Facts
- Rising in adults and children
- India has one of the highest numbers globally
- Causes:
- Hormonal imbalances
- Unhealthy eating habits
- Lack of physical activity
- Overweight or obese
- Other reasons
How to Prevent and Control Diseases?
- Prevention is better than cure
- Protect against both communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Good sanitation reduces spread of communicable diseases
Immunity: Body’s Defence
- Immunity: Natural ability of the body to fight diseases
- Immune system: A special system that helps fight diseases
- Differences in immunity explain why some get sick more often
Vaccines: Building Protection
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Vaccine | Drops or injections to prevent serious infections |
| Acquired immunity | Protection after exposure to a pathogen or a vaccine |
How Vaccines Work
- Train the immune system to recognise and attack harmful germs
- Made from:
- Weakened or dead pathogens
- Inactive or harmless parts of the pathogen
- Instructions for body cells to make a harmless part of a germ
Example:
Tetanus Shot
- Given after injury
- Contains inactivated bacterial toxin
- Builds protection without causing disease
Historical Milestone: Edward Jenner
| Discovery | Impact |
|---|
| People with cowpox did not get smallpox | Led to first vaccine in late 1700s |
| Used cowpox to protect against smallpox | Helped eliminate deadly smallpox disease |
Key Facts
About Vaccines
- Protect all ages — infants to elderly
- Prevent illnesses, reduce spread, save lives
- Preventive, not curative — work before disease occurs
- Tested for safety by scientists and doctors
- Vaccination protects you and people around you
Treatment of diseases
Antibiotics: Key Facts
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Target | Kill bacteria |
| Mechanism | Attack parts of bacterial cells different from human cells |
| Effective against | Bacterial infections only |
| Not effective against | Attack parts of bacterial cells that are different from human cells |
Antibiotic
Resistance
- Cause: Indiscriminate use of antibiotics
- Effect: Bacteria survive treatment and multiply
- Consequences:
- Infections are harder to treat
- Higher risk of complications
- Prolonged illness or death
Traditional Medicine Systems (India)
| Systems | Tools Used |
|---|
| Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani | Herbs, oils, minerals |
- Focus: Healthy lifestyle + balanced diet
- Useful for: Everyday well-being, some conditions
- Limitation: May not work for all diseases or stages
Treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases
Goal: Manage symptoms, improve quality of life
Approach
- Medication
- Lifestyle changes
- Rehabilitation
Key to Control
- Early diagnosis
- Continuous care
