WHAT ARE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SCIENCE TO THE CARE AND CONSERVATION OF HEALTH? - SCIENCE - 2024

The contributions of science to the care and conservation of health throughout history have guaranteed an improvement in the prolongation of human life, as well as have served to facilitate full development in the face of diseases and illnesses.

The development of science and technology in order to simplify human life has taken on great importance in areas such as medicine, the automotive and pharmaceutical industry, telecommunications or transportation.

One of the main concerns of human beings has been to have the ability to guarantee their physical integrity and, at the same time, that of the environment that surrounds them.

Scientific development has sought to counteract the damage done to the environment in order to guarantee the human future.

Today simplification is pursued tied to maximizing effectiveness, with the least amount of resources possible.

However, it must be recognized that alternative efforts for health conservation are still considered a minority compared to traditional methods that are still being applied in a massive way.

Main contributions of science in health

Treatment of new diseases

One of the greatest contributions that science has made to the areas of medicine and pharmacy has been the continuous ability to develop compounds capable of dealing with the greatest number of diseases that affect the human body.

Diseases that only a century ago were considered deadly today have found their cure in the form of a pill or injection; some have even been eradicated from the environment.

The appearance of new diseases has also presented a challenge, and we have sought to counteract them in the most effective way possible.

Today the alternatives are many; Even in the face of incurable diseases, there are methods to carry out treatments that keep the fatal outcome of the disease suppressed, prolonging the life of the affected person.

Prosthetic advances

The physical integrity of the human body has been one of the factors that has suffered the most when it comes to being affected by degenerative, expansive or incurable diseases.

The advancement of science and technology has allowed the development of increasingly advanced prostheses, reaching the point of being able to receive nerve signals to guarantee their movement.

Although this type of project is not yet applied on a massive scale, the existing cases to date have shown a high percentage of effectiveness, which reduces the social and work limitations of a person who must be deprived of any limb or body part.

Food chemistry

Once the chemical composition of the foods that man is used to consuming was discovered, specialized areas of chemistry began to work on the intervention and manipulation of food with the aim of optimizing its effects on man.

The discovery of elements such as gluten, which internally affects those who are allergic to it, has generated new alternatives for food and food production; as well as the establishment of new regulations worldwide that ensure proper food handling.

The genetic intervention of basic foods, practiced en masse by the great powers, has been involved in a worldwide controversy.

While it has shown scientifically important results for nutritional maximization, the chemical compounds used have also shown a long-term harmful nature for the human body.

Healthier work dynamics

Decades ago, the working conditions of certain industries could be highly harmful to health. Work in the mining, chemical, oil industry, etc. It could harm a person's health and progressively accelerate its deterioration.

Between the 20th and 21st centuries, by having a greater knowledge of all the processes involved in industrial areas, and in order to provide the best working, social and economic conditions to modern man, new international regulations have been imposed as a result of research that demonstrated the harmful character of certain labor industries.

The application of new techniques, the replacement of man by machine in high-risk tasks, the simplification of other processes, have produced a better work scenario in high-risk areas today.

Electronic devices for health care

Science has been behind almost all electronic devices used today; some of these are intended to allow men to monitor their body's internal patterns, such as heart rate, and have a better sense of their health.

This type of artifact has popularized self-observation, which has allowed the common citizen to develop their perception of their ills and how they can try to overcome them.

Chemical simplification of products

The effectiveness of many domestic and industrial products was linked to the strength of the elements that compose them.

Once known the damage that these can do (in the form of polluting gases toxic waste), the industries have devoted themselves to guarantee the same effectiveness of their products, doing minimal damage to the environment and human health.

Healthier alternative energy sources

Since its discovery, oil and its derivatives have become one of the main fuels applied to industrial, energy and transportation areas.

The use of oil and the release of carbon dioxide contribute to global warming and climate change, phenomena that have repercussions on health.

Once the environmental and health damage that its waste was capable of causing became evident, work began on sustainable and equally effective alternatives.

The creation of new types of fuels has made it possible to reduce dependence on oil, working with controlled organic matter as a new source of energy.

The use of natural gas in automobiles and other forms of transportation has become popular in various Western societies.

The production of energy, through wind, hydroelectric or solar processes, has served to guarantee the energetic demand of a good number of territories, as well as the ability to reduce polluting emissions from thermoelectric plants.

References

1. Blumenthal, S. (May 25, 2011). How Science Is Crucial To Improving Health Worldwide. The Huffington Post.
2. Council of Healthcare Science in Higher Education. (sf). The Impact of Healthcare Science Research. London.
3. Garcia, ES (2000). Science and Technology and their Role in Human Health in Developing Countries. Memories of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, 5-7.
4. T., A. (2007). Science and technology for wealth and health in developing countries. Global Public Health, 53-63.