Japan 高校1年 Health (part 1)
Chapters: 2
1. Modern society and health
Concepts of health · Modern infectious diseases and prevention · Preventing and recovering from lifestyle diseases · Smoking, drinking, drug abuse · Prevention of and recovery from mental illness
- Infectious Diseases: How Germs Spread and How We Stop Them – An infectious (communicable) disease is caused by a tiny living thing called a pathogen: a bacterium, virus, fungus or protist. It passes from one person to another through air, water and food, touch, or a vector such as a mosquito. The body fights back with skin, mucus, stomach acid and white blood cells. Vaccines train the immune system in advance. Hand washing, clean water, cooking food well, mosquito nets and staying home when sick all cut the spread.
- Lifestyle Diseases: How Daily Habits Build or Break Your Health – Lifestyle diseases are long-lasting illnesses that are strongly linked to how we live: what we eat, how much we move, how we sleep, and whether we use tobacco or alcohol. Major examples are heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity and many cancers. They develop slowly over years, so good habits started young, plus regular check-ups and cancer screening, prevent most of them. After illness, treatment together with healthy habits helps recovery.
- Addiction: How It Starts and How to Stay Free – Addiction is losing control over a substance or a behaviour, even when it causes harm. It can be to substances (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, misused medicines) or to behaviours (gaming, gambling, social media). Each use gives the brain a burst of dopamine, which teaches it to repeat the action; with time tolerance grows and you need more. Warning signs are craving, loss of control, compulsion and carrying on despite harm. Protection comes from refusal skills, healthy rewards, sleep and routine, and asking for help early. Addiction is treatable.
- Mental Health: Feelings, Stress and Support – Mental health is how we think, feel, cope and get along with others. Like physical health, everyone has it and it moves up and down. Emotions are useful signals. Stress adds up like water in a bucket; healthy coping (sleep, movement, talking, calm breathing, planning) lets it drain. Self-esteem and good relationships protect us. If feelings stay very heavy for two weeks or more, or stop daily life, talk to a trusted adult or a professional — asking for help is a sign of strength.
2. Safe social life
Building a safe society (traffic safety, disasters) · First aid (CPR, AED)
- First Aid: What to Do in an Emergency – First aid is the help you give an injured or ill person until trained help arrives. Its aims: preserve life, stop things getting worse, help recovery. Follow DRABC: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, CPR/Call. Breathing but unresponsive → recovery position. Not breathing normally → CPR 30:2 at 100-120 pushes a minute, 5-6 cm deep, and an AED. Bleeding → direct pressure. Burns → cool running water 20 minutes. Choking → back blows and abdominal thrusts. Sprains → RICE.