Which term describes a health condition that lasts a long time?
A Chronic condition
B Short-term acute illness
C One symptom
D An isolated injury
Answer: A. Chronic condition. Chronic conditions tend to be long-lasting, although their course and effects differ.
What best distinguishes acute and chronic conditions?
A Only body location
B Time course and duration
C Only pain intensity
D Only a person’s age
Answer: B. Time course and duration. Acute and chronic describe different time courses; they do not identify a condition’s cause or severity by themselves.
How do communicable diseases spread between hosts?
A An inherited trait
B A nutrient deficiency
C Pathogen transmission between people
D An injury mechanism
Answer: C. Pathogen transmission between people. Communicable diseases spread through transmission of infectious agents, directly or indirectly.
Which broad category includes diseases that do not spread person to person?
A Contagious disease
B Communicable infection
C Transmissible illness
D Noncommunicable disease
Answer: D. Noncommunicable disease. Noncommunicable diseases are not passed from one person to another like infections.
What can a pathogen cause in the body?
A A disease-causing infection
B A health behavior
C A screening test
D A symptom pattern
Answer: A. A disease-causing infection. A pathogen is a disease-causing microorganism or agent, such as certain viruses or bacteria.
Why do antibiotics not treat an ordinary common cold?
A Colds are usually fungal
B Colds are usually viral
C Colds are mineral deficiencies
D Colds are broken bones
Answer: B. Colds are usually viral. Common colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics work against bacteria, not viruses.
Which common illness usually affects the nose and throat?
A Type 2 diabetes
B Osteoporosis
C Common cold
D Arthritis
Answer: C. Common cold. The common cold is a mild infection of the upper respiratory tract, including the nose and throat.
Compared with many colds, how does influenza often begin?
A Flu affects only the nose
B Flu is always milder
C Colds always cause high fever
D Flu often begins abruptly
Answer: D. Flu often begins abruptly. Influenza often starts more suddenly and can cause more systemic symptoms, though symptoms can overlap with other illnesses.
What can a vaccine help the immune system do?
A Recognize a specific pathogen
B Kill every pathogen instantly
C Treat every active illness
D Replace hand hygiene
Answer: A. Recognize a specific pathogen. Vaccines train immune defenses to recognize a target pathogen and help prevent disease or reduce its severity.
How is asthma generally classified?
A Contagious lung infection
B Long-term lung disease
C Vitamin deficiency
D Broken rib
Answer: B. Long-term lung disease. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways.
Can asthma pass from one person to another through casual contact?
A Yes, through shared utensils
B Only when coughing
C No, asthma is not contagious
D Only during winter
Answer: C. No, asthma is not contagious. Asthma is not an infection and cannot be transmitted from person to person.
Which statement about asthma triggers is accurate?
A They are identical for everyone
B Only allergens trigger symptoms
C Exercise never triggers symptoms
D Triggers vary among people
Answer: D. Triggers vary among people. Different people can have different asthma triggers, including allergens, irritants, exercise, or respiratory infections.
Which breathing symptom is commonly associated with asthma?
A Wheezing
B Ear pain
C Skin rash
D Toothache
Answer: A. Wheezing. Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath can occur with asthma.
Why can high blood pressure go unnoticed?
A It always causes severe pain
B It often causes no symptoms
C It always causes fever
D It cannot be measured
Answer: B. It often causes no symptoms. High blood pressure often has no noticeable symptoms, so measurement is important.
How is high blood pressure generally confirmed by a clinician?
A A symptom checklist
B One blood sugar test
C Repeated clinical measurements
D A single cough test
Answer: C. Repeated clinical measurements. Clinicians generally use blood pressure readings taken on separate occasions to confirm a diagnosis.
Which hormone helps regulate glucose in the blood?
A Hemoglobin
B Histamine
C Melatonin
D Insulin
Answer: D. Insulin. Insulin helps move glucose from the blood into cells and helps regulate blood glucose.
Which condition involves persistently elevated blood glucose?
A Diabetes
B Seasonal allergy
C Common cold
D Sprained ankle
Answer: A. Diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease involving elevated blood glucose because the body cannot make or use insulin effectively.
How does family history affect someone’s disease risk?
A It confirms diagnosis
B It raises risk, not certainty
C It prevents every disease
D It guarantees illness
Answer: B. It raises risk, not certainty. Family history can influence risk, but it does not determine that a person will develop a condition.
Which list names four major noncommunicable disease groups?
A Colds, allergies, sprains, cavities
B Mumps, measles, flu, chickenpox
C CVD, cancer, lung disease, diabetes
D Anemia, migraine, eczema, reflux
Answer: C. CVD, cancer, lung disease, diabetes. WHO identifies cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes as major NCD groups.
Compared with many acute illnesses, how do chronic diseases often behave?
A They always last minutes
B They always resolve overnight
C They cannot change over time
D They often persist over time
Answer: D. They often persist over time. Chronic diseases generally last a long time, though symptoms and severity may vary.
Which habit combination can help lower chronic disease risk?
A Avoid tobacco and stay active
B Take antibiotics routinely
C Skip all screenings
D Avoid every food group
Answer: A. Avoid tobacco and stay active. Avoiding tobacco and being physically active are among the steps that can prevent or delay some chronic diseases.
Among common chronic disease risks, which one is modifiable?
A Older age
B Tobacco use
C Family history
D Inherited traits
Answer: B. Tobacco use. Tobacco use is a modifiable risk factor; age and inherited factors are not directly changeable.
What is the main purpose of screening for a disease?
A Confirm every treatment dose
B Replace clinical diagnosis
C Look for disease early
D Guarantee no future illness
Answer: C. Look for disease early. Screening looks for signs of disease in people who may not yet have symptoms; a positive result may need follow-up testing.
In clinical language, what is a symptom?
A A measured blood pressure
B A lab test result
C An observed skin lesion
D A reported experience
Answer: D. A reported experience. A symptom is something a person experiences and reports, such as pain or nausea.
Which description best fits a clinical sign?
A An objectively observed finding
B An experienced feeling
C A diagnosed disease
D A treatment plan
Answer: A. An objectively observed finding. A sign is an observable or measurable finding, such as a temperature or blood pressure reading.
Why might symptoms alone be insufficient to identify a disease?
A Every disease has unique symptoms
B Many conditions share symptoms
C Symptoms never matter
D One symptom proves a diagnosis
Answer: B. Many conditions share symptoms. Many conditions can produce similar symptoms, so diagnosis may require history, examination, and tests.
Which test measures airflow and can help evaluate asthma?
A Electrocardiogram
B Eye chart
C Spirometry
D Bone density scan
Answer: C. Spirometry. Spirometry measures how much and how quickly a person can move air out of the lungs.
During an asthma flare, what may happen to the airways?
A Arteries lose oxygen
B Bones become brittle
C Stomach acid disappears
D Airways swell and narrow
Answer: D. Airways swell and narrow. Inflammation and tightening around the airways can narrow them and make breathing difficult.
How many different viruses can cause a common cold?
A More than 200
B About three
C About twenty
D Exactly one
Answer: A. More than 200. More than 200 viruses can cause colds, with rhinoviruses among the most common.
What does the term viral indicate about an illness?
A Caused by bacteria
B Caused by a virus
C Caused by a fungus
D Caused by an allergy
Answer: B. Caused by a virus. A viral illness is caused by a virus rather than bacteria or a fungus.
What does antibiotic resistance mean?
A Viruses become bacteria
B Medicine causes every infection
C Bacteria resist an antibiotic
D A person resists all treatment
Answer: C. Bacteria resist an antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria can withstand an antibiotic that previously affected them.
Why should people avoid sharing prescribed antibiotics?
A They taste different
B Antibiotics cure every illness
C Sharing prevents side effects
D Prescriptions depend on diagnosis
Answer: D. Prescriptions depend on diagnosis. The right medicine and instructions depend on the person’s infection and circumstances; sharing can cause harm and contribute to resistance.
Which everyday action can reduce the spread of cold viruses?
A Wash hands with soap
B Share used tissues
C Touch the face often
D Ignore coughs
Answer: A. Wash hands with soap. Handwashing with soap and water can reduce the spread of viruses that cause colds.
During a typical cold, which steps may ease discomfort?
A Antibiotics cure every cold
B Rest and fluids may help
C Exercise cures infection
D Sugar clears the virus
Answer: B. Rest and fluids may help. Rest and fluids may help with comfort while a cold runs its course; they do not eliminate the virus immediately.
What is true about vaccines for the common cold?
A One vaccine prevents every cold
B Antibiotics prevent every cold
C No vaccine prevents common colds
D Flu vaccine prevents every cold
Answer: C. No vaccine prevents common colds. There is no vaccine that protects against the common cold because many different viruses can cause it.
When allergens trigger symptoms, what type of response is involved?
A A broken bone
B A bacterial infection always
C A vitamin deficiency
D An immune response to allergens
Answer: D. An immune response to allergens. An allergy is an immune response to a substance that is usually harmless to most people.
Why should symptoms not be used alone to self-diagnose a condition?
A Symptoms alone are not specific
B One symptom proves a disease
C All symptoms mean infection
D Symptoms never provide clues
Answer: A. Symptoms alone are not specific. Symptoms can have multiple causes. A qualified health professional can assess them in context.
When breathing becomes severely difficult, what action is appropriate?
A Wait several weeks
B Seek emergency medical help
C Borrow someone else’s inhaler
D Drive while fainting
Answer: B. Seek emergency medical help. Severe difficulty breathing can be an emergency and needs immediate medical attention.
Which symptom details are useful to share with a clinician?
A Favorite meal and color
B Brand names and prices
C Onset, duration, severity
D Unrelated travel plans
Answer: C. Onset, duration, severity. When symptoms started, how long they last, how severe they are, and what changes them can help a clinician assess the problem.
Why should persistent or worsening symptoms be medically assessed?
A All symptoms are harmless
B Only websites can diagnose
C Changes should always be ignored
D A clinician can assess causes
Answer: D. A clinician can assess causes. Persistent or worsening symptoms may have different causes and should be evaluated by an appropriate health professional.
After receiving a diagnosis, what is a sound next step?
A Follow the agreed care plan
B Stop all medicine suddenly
C Share prescriptions with others
D Change doses without advice
Answer: A. Follow the agreed care plan. Following the care plan and asking questions helps people manage a condition safely.
What makes blood pressure screening useful even without symptoms?
A Confirms every heart disease
B Finds silent high blood pressure
C Prevents all future illness
D Replaces all appointments
Answer: B. Finds silent high blood pressure. Because hypertension often has no symptoms, screening can find elevated readings that need clinical follow-up.
Untreated high blood pressure can damage which organs?
A Hair, nails, teeth, skin
B Stomach, spleen, appendix, skin
C Heart, brain, kidneys, eyes
D Ears, nose, throat, tongue
Answer: C. Heart, brain, kidneys, eyes. Long-standing high blood pressure can contribute to problems affecting the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Which condition is one of the major noncommunicable diseases?
A Common cold
B Chickenpox
C Strep throat
D Diabetes
Answer: D. Diabetes. Diabetes is one of the major NCD groups identified by WHO.
Who can make an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan?
A A qualified health professional
B A search engine
C A store clerk
D A neighbor
Answer: A. A qualified health professional. Diagnosis and treatment decisions should be made with an appropriately qualified health professional.
In chronic disease management, what is a common goal?
A Guarantee a permanent cure
B Prevent complications and support wellbeing
C Remove all follow-up
D Avoid all medicine
Answer: B. Prevent complications and support wellbeing. Ongoing management can help control a condition, prevent complications, and support health and daily functioning.
What does a risk factor change?
A It proves disease is present
B It removes every other risk
C It changes probability, not certainty
D It predicts the future exactly
Answer: C. It changes probability, not certainty. Risk factors change the likelihood of disease; they do not prove that someone has it or will develop it.
Beyond personal habits, which environmental factor can raise NCD risk?
A Hair color
B Eye color
C Hand preference
D Air pollution
Answer: D. Air pollution. WHO identifies indoor and outdoor air pollution as an environmental risk factor for several NCDs.
Which daily habit can help reduce tooth decay risk?
A Brush with fluoride toothpaste
B Share toothbrushes
C Skip dental care
D Avoid drinking water
Answer: A. Brush with fluoride toothpaste. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay; good oral hygiene and dental care also matter.
Whenever antibiotic instructions are unclear, whom should someone ask?
A Copy a relative’s dose
B Ask the prescriber or pharmacist
C Save leftovers for later
D Ignore the instructions
Answer: B. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist. A prescriber or pharmacist can clarify how a prescribed antibiotic should be taken.