malfunctions

• Stroke


  Symptoms and effects:

  • Face: The face may have dropped on one side
  • Arms: the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there.
  • Speech: The person's speech may be slurred or garbled, or they may not be able to talk at all.
  • Other symptoms: Dizziness, confusion, problems with balance and co-ordination, difficulty swallowing, a sudden and very severe headache resulting in blinding pain.
• Stroke


  Biological explanation:

  • Ischaemic strokes: A blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. The clots form in areas where arteries are narrowed and blocked over time by fatty deposits known as plaques.
  • Haemorrhagic strokes: Also known as cerebral haemorrhages.Occur when a blood vessel in the skull bursts and bleeds into and around the brain.
• Stroke


  Possible causes:

  • The main cause of haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure, which can weaken the arteries in the brain. Risk factors are coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stress.
  • Lifestyle factors such as smoking, a high fat diet, a high sugar diet, excess alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise. Being aged over 65 and having a close family member who has had a stroke also increases the risk.
• Monitoring, treatment and care needs for a stroke

  Medication:

  • Alteplase dissolves blood clots and restores blood flow.
  • Aspirin is an antiplatelet that, if taken regularly, reduces the chance of another clot forming.
  • Warfarin is an anticoagulant for long-term use; it prevents clots forming.
  • Medication to treat high blood pressure - beta-blockers.
  • Statins if cholesterol level is too high.
• monitoring, treatment and care needs for a stoke

  Surgery:

  • Thrombectomy removes blood clots and restores blood flow to the brain.
  • Surgical stents
  • Supportive treatments:
  • Feeding tube if having difficulty swallowing
  • Mobility aids
  • Physiotherapy.
  • Treatment and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms and reduce the chances of problems. PIES impact on being able to complete daily living tasks; emotional and social impacts due to incontinence - depression, angry outbursts and fatigue, for example.
• Multiple sclerosis


  Symptoms and effects:

  • The main symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, numbness or tingling in different parts of the body, and muscle stiffness and spasms. There can be problems with balance and co-ordination and in controlling the bladder, and mobility problems.
  • Blurred vision and problems with thinking, learning and planning.
• multiple sclerosis


  • MS is an autoimmune disease. the immune system attacks the myelin sheath in the brain and/or the spinal cord. This causes the myelin sheath to become inflamed in patches, which disrupts the messages travelling along the nerves. This disruption leads to the signs and symptoms of MS.
  • When the inflammation clears, scarring is left behind on the myelin sheath. This can lead eventually to permanent damage to the underlying nerves.
• multiple sclerosis


  Possible causes:

  • It is thought that MS is caused partly by genes and partly by outside factors. Though not directly inherited it is estimated that there is a 2-3 per cent chance of developing it if you are related to someone with the condition. People who smoke are about twice as likely to develop MS as non-smokers. Low vitamin D levels may play a role in the condition, though it is not clear whether vitamin D supplements can help prevent MS.
• multiple sclerosis


  Monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • The disease progresses with phases of severe symptoms and periods of remission. Many individuals continue to lead normal lives for a number of years, while others rely on a wheelchair and receiving daily care within a couple of years, with symptoms and effects getting steadily worse.
• multiple sclerosis


  Monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • There is no cure, so the need is to treat symptoms. Steroid medication is used to treat relapses. The individual will be supported by a specialist MS team, including an MS nurse. Others involved include a physiotherapist, a speech and language specialist and a neurology specialist.
• Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

  Symptoms and effects:

  • Feeling very thirsty; feeling very tired; urinating more often than usual; unexplained weight loss. Blurred vision, cuts or wounds that heal slowly and frequent episodes of thrush can also be symptoms.
  • The long-term complications are a common cause of vision loss and blindness, kidney failure and lower-limb amputation.
• Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

  Biological explanation:

  • Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland found behind the stomach. Insulin controls the body's glucose levels by moving glucose from the blood into body cells, where it is converted into energy.
• Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

  biological explanation:

  • Type 1 diabetes is autoimmune - the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin.
  • Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body's production of insulin is insufficient to control glucose levels. This means that glucose stays in the blood and is not used as fuel for energy. Untreated, this can cause organ damage.
• Possible causes of diabetes

  • Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for Type 2; it has been found that fat around the abdomen releases chemicals that can upset the body's cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
  • having a relative with diabetes is also a risk factor (for both Type 1 and Type 2); the closer the relative, the greater the risk. An individual's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases with age, maybe because people gain weight and exercise less as they get older.
• Monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • Individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 will have to monitor their glucose levels with frequent blood tests. They also have to attend diabetic eye-screening because of the risk of diabetic retinopathy. Insulin (usually injected) is required multiple times a day in Type 1, and may be required in Type 2. Healthy eating and regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight, especially for Type 2.
• Nephrotic syndrome


  Symptoms and effects:

  • Swelling of the body tissues (oedema).
  • High levels of urine being passed.
  • A greater chance of catching infections due to the loss of protein antibodies.
  • Blood clots, as proteins that help prevent clots are passed out with theurine.
• nephrotic syndrome


  Biological explanation:

  • The kidneys do not work properly, causing large amounts of protein to leak into the urine. Loss of protein through the kidneys (proteinuria) is due to an increase in permeability of the filtering membrane of the kidney (the glomerulus) due to kidney disease (glomerulonephritis). This leads to low protein levels in the blood (hypoalbuminemia), which causes water to be drawn into the soft tissues, resulting in oedema.
• nephrotic syndrome


  Possible causes:

  • It sometimes occurs as a result of kidney damage caused by another condition, such as diabetes or sickle cell anaemia, and infections such as HIV, hepatitis or syphilis. It can also occur as a result of certain types of cancer such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma or lymphoma.
  • Congenital nephrotic syndrome is usually caused by an inherited faulty gene.
• nephrotic syndrome


  Monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • It is usually first diagnosed in children aged 2-5 years. The main treatment is steroids but additional treatments are used if needed (eg. if the side-effects of steroids are significant). Blood tests and sometimes a biopsy are needed so that kidney tissue can be examined under a microscope. Diuretic tablets, which increase the amount of urine produced, help reduce the build-up of fluid.
• nephrotic syndrome


  monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • Reducing salt in the diet to prevent water retention. In some cases doctors recommend surgery to remove both kidneys, which means the individual is dependent on dialysis until they can receive a kidney transplant.
  • Vaccinations to prevent infections. Urine needs to be monitored daily with a dipstick to check for relapses.
• cirrhosis

  Symptoms and effects:

  • Nausea
  • weight loss
  • vomiting blood
  • loss of appetite
  • jaundice
  • swelling of legs/ankles/feet/abdomen
  • very itchy skin
  • confusion
  • memory problems
  • insomnia
• cirrhosis


  Biological explanation:

  • Alcohol-related liver disease: Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by continuous, long-term liver damage. Scar tissue replaces healthy tissue and prevents the liver working properly, and can lead to liver failure.
  • Haemochromatosis: A faulty gene allows the body to absorb excess amounts of iron from food. As a result, iron builds up over time and is usually deposited in the liver, pancreas, joints, heart or endocrine glands.
• cirrhosis


  Biological explanation:

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Build-up of fat in the liver cells. The liver can become inflamed, leading over time to scar tissue forming around the liver and nearby blood vessels; this leads to cirrhosis and eventually liver failure.
• cirrhosis


  Possible causes:

  • Alcohol misuse - regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short time or drinking more than the recommended limits over many years.
  • A long-term infection with hepatitis C
  • Obesity is a cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• cirrhosis


  Monitoring, treatment and care needs:

  • There is no cure for cirrhosis but it is possible to manage symptoms and any complications and to slow the progression of the disease.Lifestyle change of cutting down or stopping drinking alcohol because drinking damages liver cells. Aim for a healthy weight.
  • If the liver damage becomes very extensive, the liver fails and a transplant is the only option.
• Impacts on lifestyle and care needs of control and regulatory systems

  General impacts on lifestyle and care needs of control and regulatory systems include:

  • Side-effects of medication or treatments.
  • Regular check-ups and monitoring appointments to attend, e.g. dialysis, diabetic eye-screening, monitoring urine.
  • Waiting for, or recovering from, surgery.
  • Waiting for a kidney or liver transplant.
  • Healthy eating, dietary changes, stopping drinking, stopping smoking.
  • May become housebound if mobility is lost.
• Impacts on lifestyle and care needs of control and regulatory systems

  • Home adaptions - grab-handles, handrails to cope with limited mobility.
  • Loss of independence due to needing assistance.
  • Problems with walking and driving - may affect ability to work, may have to change jobs or stop working.
  • Feeling tired, angry or stressed about treatment, care needs or prognosis.
  • Emotional and social effects - depression, not going out socially or taking part in hobbies and sport.
• Appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes

  • Help individuals remain active by managing symptoms and minimising effects of condition
  • Enable individuals to work and live a full and active life
• Charities


  • Provide information and support for individuals
  • Help individuals adjust and maintain independence
  • Help individuals cope with impact of illnesses and conditions
  • Empower individuals
  • Offer opportunities to meet others with same condition