
Convalescence is the gradual recovery of
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and strength after
illness
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ...
or
injury
An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, or ...
. It refers to the later stage of an
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable d ...
or illness when the patient recovers and returns to previous health, but may continue to be a source of infection to others even if feeling better.
In this sense, "
recovery" can be considered a synonymous term. This also sometimes includes
patient care
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health prof ...
after a
major surgery, under which they are required to visit the
doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
* ...
for regular
check-ups.
Convalescent care facilities are sometimes recognized by the acronym TCF (Transitional Convalescent Facilities).
See also
*
Rehabilitation, therapy to control a medical condition such as an addiction
*
Recuperation (recovery), a period of physical or mental recovery
*
Recuperation (sociology), a sociological concept
*
Relapse
In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or ...
, reappearance of symptoms
*
Remission
Remission often refers to:
*Forgiveness
Remission may also refer to:
Healthcare and science
*Remission (medicine), the state of absence of disease activity in patients with a chronic illness, with the possibility of return of disease activity
*R ...
, absence of symptoms in chronic diseases
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Health care
Medical phenomena