Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ailment) is a state of poor health At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization , in 1948, health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Illness is sometimes considered a synonym for disease A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases.[1] Others maintain that fine distinctions exist.[2] Some have described illness as the subjective perception by a patient of an objectively defined disease.[3]
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