CBSE Class 9 Science Why Do We Fall Ill VBQs

Question. What precautions can you take in your school to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases?
Answer : (a). Trying to stay away from students who are infected.
(b). Covering mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing.
(c). Keeping the school environment clean.
(d). Consuming safe clean water.

Question. Are the answers to the above questions necessarily the same or different? Why?
Answer :The answers to the above questions are different because a person may be free of disease but not be good mentally, socially, and economically

Question. Why are we normally advised to take bland and nourishing food when we are sick?
Answer : Bland food is soft and can be easily digested and assimilated in body. Nourishing food increases resistance for disease and is essential for repair and growth of body tissue.

Question. What are the immunization programs available at the nearest health center in your locality? Which of these diseases are the major health problems in your area?
Answer : The immunization programs available at the nearest health centers are Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), polio vaccine, jaundice, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DPT), typhoid and hepatitis B.
From above typhoid and jaundice create major health problems.

Question. State any two conditions essential for good health.
Answer : (1) Better sanitation or clean surroundings
(2) Mental, social and physical well being.

Question. In which of the following case do you think the long-term effects on your health are likely to be most unpleasant?
• if you get jaundice,
• if you get lice,
• if you get acne. Why?
Answer : Jaundice causes a long term effect on our health. This chronic disease lasts for a long period of time. Jaundice develops slowly and does not spread rapidly.

Question. What are the different means by which infectious diseases are spread?
Answer : Infectious diseases are generally spread through air, water, sexual contact, vectors, physical contact with affected person and through articles of use of affected person.

Question. State any two conditions essential for being free of disease.
Answer : (1) To be free from any specific disease.
(2) Get vaccination against infectious disease whenever required.

Question. What is immunization?
Answer : The method to boost our immune system with the help of vaccines that help the body to fight against infectious diseases is called immunization

Question. List any three reasons why you would think that you are sick and ought to see a doctor. If only one of these symptoms were present, would you still go to the doctor? Why or why not?
Answer : (i) having high body temperature; (ii) having diarrhea (loose motions), and ; (iii) having cough/cold.
If only one symptom persists, then also one should go to a doctor. The doctor will diagnose on the basis of the symptoms. Doctor will also get laboratory tests done to pin point the disease further.

Exercise Question-Answers

Question. Under which of the following conditions is a person most likely to fall sick?
(a) when she is recovering from malaria.
(b) when she has recovered from malaria and is taking care of someone suffering from chicken-pox.
(c) when she is on a four-day fast after recovering from malaria and is taking care of someone suffering from chicken-pox. Why?
Answer : In condition (c) a person is most likely to fall sick. Because she is fasting, when her immune system is still weak. At this stage her body will not be able to fight against infection and if she is taking care of someone else suffering from chicken pox even she can get infected with chickenpox virus and will fall sick again.

Question. A doctor/nurse/health-worker is exposed to more sick people than others in the community.
Find out how she/he avoids getting sick herself/himself.
Answer : A doctor/nurse/health-worker take following precautions to avoid become sick themselves:
(i) Get immunization done against all the infectious diseases.
(ii) Take balanced diet (rich in proteins especially) to strengthen their immune system.
(iii) Dispose off blood samples, urine or stool, sputum, etc., carefully.
(iv) Wear masks while diagnosing mouth or chest infections.
(v) Clean their hands and wear gloves even while doing minor surgeries.

Question. A baby is not able to tell her/his caretakers that she/he is sick. What would help us to find out
(a) that the baby is sick?
(b) what is the sickness?
Answer : (a). It can be found out by observing the behavioral changes of the child such as: Improper food intake Constant crying, Mood changes frequently.
(b). The sickness can be determined with the help of symptoms or indications shown by the child. The symptoms could be loose motion, vomiting, paleness in body, and fever.

Question. How many times did you fall ill in the last one year? What were the illnesses?
(a). Think of one change you could make in your habits in order to avoid any of/most of the above illnesses.
(b). Think of one change you would wish for in your surroundings in order to avoid any of/most of the above illnesses.
Answer : I suffered last year from cough and cold (twice) and malaria (once).
(a) Change in habits : Wear suitable clothes in order to give protection to the body during changing season and against mosquito bite.
(b) Change in surroundings:
• Improve the sanitary conditions in the surroundings,
• Do not allow water to collect near the houses, because it provides the breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Question. Under which of the following conditions are you most likely to fall sick?
(a) when you are taking examinations.
(b) when you have travelled by bus and train for two days.
(c) when your friend is suffering from measles. Why?
Answer : I will be most likely to fall sick when my friend is suffering from measles and I come in contact with him because measles is contagious disease and also spreads by droplet infection.

Question. Conduct a survey in your neighborhood to find out what the three most common diseases are. Suggest three steps that could be taken by your local authorities to bring down the incidence of these diseases.
Answer : The following three are the most common diseases in any neighborhood: Cold and cough, loose motions, and malaria. Some of the preventive measures that can be taken are:
(a). By providing fresh, uncontaminated, and clean drinking water.
(b). By maintaining hygienic sanitary conditions.
(c). By educating people about various preventive measures with the help of posters, and pamphlets.