Difference Between Etiology and Pathophysiology

Difference Between Etiology and Pathophysiology: Any disease that affects the human body always has some cause for its occurrence, some effects that it leaves on the patient’s body, and the various levels in which the disease progresses or terminates. All these things have a specific key term in the medical field. Two such keywords used in the medical field, related to a disease, are etiology and pathophysiology. 

In simple words, etiology is the term used to define the cause of any disease while pathophysiology, on the other hand, is used to define the changes that occur in the body of the patient due to a disease. In this article, we will explore how these two terms, etiology, and pathophysiology differ from each other. But first, let us look at the basics.

Difference Between Etiology and Pathophysiology

Etiology	Pathophysiology
Defines the origin, reason or cause of a disease.	Defines the changes that take place inside a victim’s body due to a disease.
In simple terms, we can say that it is the study of the causes.	In simple terms, we can say that it is the study of the symptoms.
It helps in prevention of the disease.	It helps in recovering from the disease.
It is related to factors like age, exposure, and sex, etc.	It is related to physiological factors.
Here, the emphasis is on finding out the root causes of a disease.	Here, the emphasis is on finding out how a disease affects the body at all levels.
As example, smoking and genetics play a role in lung cancer.	As an example, high blood sugar levels are a result of a disease like diabetes.

What is Etiology?

The term Etiology is derived from a Greek word that means ‘Giving Reason For‘. This is simply why etiology means the study of origin or cause. In this context, it means the study of the origin or cause of disease. Note that this term finds usage at other places too, like physics, biology, government, etc. 

Medical etiology aims at finding out one or more factors that result in any kind of illness. This comes in really useful when a disease is widespread, as in the case of covid, to investigate how the disease will affect people based on factors like location, age, sex, etc.

The various factors considered while finding out the Etiology of a Disease are as follows-

1. Whether the disease is communicable or non-communicable. 
2. If the disease is caused by a biological factor like pathogens, parasites, or microorganisms. 
3. If the disease is caused by a physical factor like pollution or chemicals. 
4. If the disease is caused by a psychological factor like metabolic processes and hormonal levels. 
5. If the disease is caused by a genetic factor like mutations in genes. 

With the help of etiology, not only can the causes of the diseases be known but also, they can be prevented in the future with that knowledge. Moreover, the treatment of a disease is also devised on the basis of etiology. 

What is Pathophysiology?

Pathophysiology is the study of the results or causes of a disease or injury. This branch lies at the intersection of pathology and physiology. Further, Pathology is the study of conditions that are observed in a patient during a disease whereas physiology is the study of processes that place inside the human body. 

• Thus, combining these two disciples together, we say that pathophysiology is the study of changes that take place or occur inside the body of a human being due to a certain disease or injury, or ill health. 
• These changes not only include the behavior of fluids, cells, and organs of the human body but also that of infectious agents like bacteria or viruses. This knowledge of the behavior of agents inside the host body helps in devising appropriate medicines and precautions to help fight the disease.
• The various tests that help in conducting the study of pathophysiology are – biochemical tests, immune tests, and molecular biological testing methods.