Etiology is one of the branches of science that is most closely linked to different disciplines due to its applicability in different fields. Before getting into the subject, let's know the etymology of this word.
What is the origin of the word Etiology?
The much used etiology is not a word that was born recently, it is derived from the Greek language, from the word mother "Aitiology", What does it mean "give a reason for”. Having said this, let us now define what is etiology: This is recognized as a science that is responsible for analyzing and studying the causes or origins of events. Where the etiology predominates is in medicine, since it allows determining the cause of multiple diseases.
This appreciation to reach a conclusion about what is happening in the body of a person starts from the point of having known its effects and why they are. Reason why, historically, human beings go to a connoisseur, doctor, apothecary, faculty or as he is known, so that they can question them or review and diagnose their condition.
Common term between specialists and scholars
Perhaps an ordinary citizen in some street of the world does not resort to the use of this word, quite possibly he does not know it. But among doctors and specialists it is in common use. For this reason, when they find a clinical picture in which there is a disease or ailment that the cause is not known, it is stated then that of this "its etiology is unknown".
From this perspective the etiology takes on great importance and becomes a fundamental pillar, especially when faced with something unknown. Suppose that in some part of the world an outbreak of an unknown disease arises, this would force those involved in the solution to detect the origin and cause of said phenomenon, so it will be easier, in theory, to obtain a cure or preventive medicine .
Philosophers also appeal to etiology
Since the ancient times of the world, man has had a desire to know and understand the great mysteries of life, he has insistently wondered about the reality and the circumstances that surround his passage through the world. Where we come from? Where we go? Why do we exist? How are conditions and phenomena that we observe explained? And one of the questions that is formulated is perhaps the one that we have asked ourselves the most when observing a phenomenon: what is its cause?
Those who are dedicated to the study of knowledge and the reason of beings, also resort to etiology, as in the case of philosophers, for which this term has a wide use in the contexts of these professionals
In the case of the field of philosophy, it conceives etiology as a discipline that uses its efforts to study the causes that give rise to things. This branch of science gains great strength in philosophy, an example of this is when studying a related problem such as the origin of man, that is what this discipline will deal with, breaking down the different variants and edges that have to do with the man theme.
Application of etiology in the different branches:
Etiology for patients
On the etiology and its applicability in medicine We have talked at the beginning of this text, mainly to study the causes of the different diseases that affect individuals at a given time.
Medicine has always resorted to etiology, from the times of Hippocrates to the present, when a patient enters any doctor's office, the doctor resorts to a meticulous interpellation, based on three key questions or aspects:
1) .- What is happening to him?Here we understand the reason that motivated him to go to a medical specialist, what motivated him to make that decision.
2) .- Time with this condition: In this second question, it is determined from when the ailment or condition of the patient has occurred.
3) .- Cause: In the latter, the cause is determined, that is, the origin of the condition that takes you to a specialist.
This is where the usefulness of this science lies, after solving this questionnaire of three questions, it will be very useful for the doctor, after having examined the patient, to assure with more elements, first of all: What does he have, what The condition is treated and later, the most important thing, the reason for it, thus it would be fulfilling its role of guaranteeing or at least helping and guiding to take the measures so that the patient does not fall back into some situation that led him to contract the disease. disease that affects you.
Even when the etiology leads to determine the cause or origin of a situation, doctors have long debated whether it is just one factor or several that arise at the same time to generate a disease. Some spoke of environmental, external and internal factors, but this question was always discussed.
Applicability of etiology in Psychology
In the interesting field of psychology, etiology looks for the causes that an individual is characterized by having different cognitions or beliefs, as well as whether or not they perform a certain behavior.
In this field, there are challenges to be overcome by psychologists when putting etiology into practice, since the study of the causes is relatively more complex than in the previous case, in view of the fact that mental phenomena are not directly observable. It is necessary to extrapolate the data obtained from the relationships established between different variables.
Sociology and etiology
For a sociologist who resorts to etiology, he aspires to search, study and analyze the different factors that will help him to explain the origin of a certain social phenomenon. Take as an example leadership, the formation of a group and phenomena such as group polarization, the existence of groups, these are examples of topics that seek the origin in sociology.
Biology and law
The same thing happens in biology, the cause of the different biological processes that occur in our human species is analyzed, analyzing the origin of processes and phenomena, while in the legal sciences the word "etiology" is not as widely used as in health Likewise, the causes that have led to commit a crime, or to breach rules and laws are sought.
What you should know about the etiology
1.- The etiology not only determines the cause of a situation, it makes it possible to establish both the variables and the factors, which even when they are not the causes, these contributed to the origin of what was studied or made it difficult.
2.- With etiology, predisposing or protective factors that participate or reduce the appearance of, for example, a disease are also studied and analyzed. Triggers and enhancers are also worked on.
3.- That is to say, the different variables that interact to provoke a situation are analyzed and studiedn, bearing in mind that there is generally no single cause.