Common Illnesses In The Community Basic 3 Social Studies Lesson Note

1. WHAT ARE COMMON ILLNESSES?

Common illnesses are sicknesses that many people in our community get frequently.

Why are they called “common”?

• Many people get them
• They happen regularly
• They spread easily from person to person
• We see them often in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods

Where do we find common illnesses?

• In our homes
• In schools
• In markets
• In churches and mosques
• In our neighborhoods

1. COMMON ILLNESSES AMONG CHILDREN
2. MALARIA

What is malaria?

• A sickness caused by mosquito bites
• Very common in Nigeria
• Makes people very sick

Signs of malaria:

• High fever (body becomes very hot)
• Shivering and shaking
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Weakness and tiredness
• Loss of appetite

How it spreads:

• Female Anopheles mosquitoes bite people
• Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water
• More common during rainy season

Example: Kemi has been shivering with high fever for two days. Her mother took her to the clinic and the doctor said she has malaria.

2. COMMON COLD

What is common cold?

• A mild illness that affects the nose and throat
• Spreads easily from person to person

Signs of common cold:

• Runny nose (liquid from nose)
• Sneezing frequently
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Mild headache
• Feeling tired

How it spreads:

• Through coughing and sneezing
• Touching infected surfaces
• Shaking hands with sick people

Example: Tolu started sneezing and has a runny nose. His classmates also caught the cold from him.

3. DIARRHEA

What is diarrhea?

• Passing watery stool frequently
• Can be dangerous if not treated

Signs of diarrhea:

• Loose, watery stool
• Going to toilet many times
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea (feeling like vomiting)
• Dehydration (loss of body water)

How it spreads:

• Drinking dirty water
• Eating contaminated food
• Poor hygiene practices
• Dirty hands

Example: Baby Emeka started passing watery stool after drinking water from an unclean source.

4. TYPHOID FEVER

What is typhoid fever?

• A serious illness caused by bacteria
• Spreads through contaminated food and water

Signs of typhoid fever:

• High fever for many days
• Severe headache
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness
• Sometimes red spots on body

How it spreads:

• Eating food prepared by infected person
• Drinking contaminated water
• Poor sanitation

Example: Ada has had high fever and headache for five days. The doctor confirmed she has typhoid fever.

1. COMMON ILLNESSES AMONG ADULTS
2. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

What is high blood pressure?

• When blood pushes too hard against blood vessel walls
• Common among older adults

Signs of high blood pressure:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing

Causes:

• Eating too much salt
• Not exercising enough
• Stress and worry
• Being overweight

Example: Uncle Paul feels dizzy and has headaches. The doctor said his blood pressure is too high.

2. DIABETES

What is diabetes?

• When the body cannot control blood sugar properly
• Becoming more common in communities

Signs of diabetes:

• Drinking lots of water
• Urinating frequently
• Always feeling hungry
• Unexplained weight loss
• Slow healing of wounds

Causes:

• Eating too much sugar
• Not exercising
• Family history
• Being overweight

Example: Aunty Rose drinks water all the time and goes to urinate very often. She was diagnosed with diabetes.

1. SEASONAL ILLNESSES
2. RAINY SEASON ILLNESSES

Common during wet season:

• Malaria (more mosquitoes)
• Cholera (contaminated water)
• Cold and flu (damp conditions)
• Skin infections (fungal diseases)

Why more common in rainy season:

• Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes
• Flooding contaminates water sources
• Humid conditions help germs grow

2. DRY SEASON ILLNESSES

Common during dry season:

• Cough and cold (dusty air)
• Asthma attacks (dust and harmattan)
• Skin dryness (lack of moisture)
• Eye infections (dust particles)

Why more common in dry season:

• Dusty air irritates breathing
• Dry air affects skin and eyes
• Harmattan wind brings dust

1. ILLNESSES THAT SPREAD EASILY
2. AIRBORNE DISEASES

Spread through air:

• Tuberculosis (TB) – through coughing
• Chickenpox – through droplets in air
• Measles – through sneezing and coughing

2. WATERBORNE DISEASES

Spread through contaminated water:

• Cholera – severe diarrhea
• Typhoid – prolonged fever
• Hepatitis A – liver infection

3. CONTACT DISEASES

Spread through touch:

• Skin infections – touching infected skin
• Conjunctivitis (Apollo) – touching infected eyes
• Scabies – skin-to-skin contact

1. PREVENTION OF COMMON ILLNESSES
2. PERSONAL HYGIENE

Individual prevention methods:

• Wash hands regularly with soap
• Brush teeth twice daily
• Take regular baths
• Keep nails clean and short
• Wear clean clothes

2. ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE

Community prevention methods:

• Keep surroundings clean
• Cover food and water
• Use mosquito nets
• Drain stagnant water
• Dispose of waste properly

3. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Good habits for prevention:

• Eat balanced diet
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough sleep
• Drink clean water
• Avoid overcrowded places when sick

4. MEDICAL PREVENTION

Healthcare measures:

• Get vaccinations
• Use treated mosquito nets
• Take prescribed medicines
• Visit health centers regularly
• Follow medical advice

1. WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE IS ILL
2. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS

First things to do:

• Tell an adult immediately
• Keep the sick person comfortable
• Give plenty of clean water (if conscious)
• Avoid giving medicines without doctor’s advice

2. SEEKING MEDICAL HELP

When to see a doctor:

• High fever that won’t go down
• Severe headache
• Difficulty breathing
• Continuous vomiting
• Signs of dehydration

3. PREVENTING SPREAD

Protecting others:

• Keep sick person away from others
• Cover mouth when coughing
• Wash hands after caring for sick person
• Disinfect surfaces
• Don’t share eating utensils

CLASS EXERCISES

1. List 5 common illnesses in our community:
2. Fill in the blanks:

• _______ is caused by mosquito bites
• Common cold spreads through _______ and sneezing
• _______ involves passing watery stool frequently
• High blood pressure is common among _______ people

3. True or False:

• Malaria is spread by all types of mosquitoes: _____
• Common cold can spread from person to person: _____
• Diarrhea is always harmless: _____
• High blood pressure has no symptoms: _____
• Seasonal changes affect illness patterns: _____

4. Match the illness to its main symptom:

• Malaria → High fever and shivering
• Common cold → _______
• Diarrhea → _______
• Diabetes → _______

5. Choose the correct answer: Which illness is most common during rainy season? a) Asthma b) Malaria c) Diabetes

How does typhoid fever spread? a) Mosquito bites b) Contaminated food c) Air

What should you do when someone has high fever? a) Give any medicine b) Tell an adult c) Ignore it

6. Circle the signs of malaria: High fever, Runny nose, Shivering, Sneezing, Headache, Cough, Vomiting, Sore throat
7. Group these illnesses by how they spread: Malaria, Common cold, Cholera, Tuberculosis, Chickenpox, Typhoid

Airborne: _______ Waterborne: _______ Vector-borne: _______

8. Complete these prevention tips:

• Use _______ nets to prevent malaria
• Wash _______ regularly with soap
• Drink _______ water to avoid diarrhea
• _______ food to prevent contamination

9. Answer these questions:

• Why is malaria common in the rainy season? _______
• How can we prevent the spread of common cold? _______
• What makes diabetes more common today? _______
• Why should we keep our environment clean? _______

10. Seasonal illnesses: Rainy season: List 2 common illnesses

Dry season: List 2 common illnesses

11. Prevention methods: Personal hygiene: Name 3 methods

Environmental hygiene: Name 2 methods

12. Scenarios: What illness might these people have?

• Chidi has high fever, shivering, and headache: _______
• Mary has runny nose, cough, and sneezing: _______
• Uncle John feels dizzy and has chest pain: _______
• Baby Kemi passes watery stool many times: _______