Unit 14

• Diabetes


  Disorder of insulin metabolism. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas.
• Type 1 diabetes


  -Mostly occurs in children

  -Runs in families

  -Some types of viral infections can cause insulin-secreting cells of pancreas to be damaged

  -Without insulin cells are 'glucose-proofed'
• Type 2 diabetes


  -Common in older people

  -Pancreatic cells failing to produce sufficient insulin

  -Associated with being overweight

  -Infections more common in untreated and poorly controlled diabetes
• Hypothyroidism


  -Thyroxine produced in to an underactive gland.

  -All activities are slowed

  -Less heat produced by chemical reactions. An individual with untreated hypothyroidism is always cold even in warmer months
• Hyperthyroidism


  -Overactive thyroid gland and speeds up metabolism

  -Faster chemical reactions

  -Individuals always hot and may prefer cold weather
• Parkinsons disease


  -Progressive deterioration of 'substantia niagra' in which cells slowly die

  -Causes dopamine to decline

  -Interruption of nervous function that that leads to an involuntary tremor or trembling part of the body

  -Problems with loss of smell and memory

  -Difficulty in sleeping and often depression

  -More common in men and women and mostly impacts later life stages
• Alzheimers disease


  -Progressive disease

  -May have memory loss and difficulty in thinking and solving problems

  -Amyloid plaques build up and brain cells atrophy (deteriorate) with a loss of communication between nerve cells

  -Greater risk of inheritance in family history when over age 65
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

  -Linked with middle aged adults and older service units

  -Collection of diseases like bronchitis and emphysema, nearly always resulting from smoking

  -Difficultlty breathing through their narrowed airways and mucus brought up with coughing

  -Scarring of respiratory organs is permanent and more men than women suffer from it
• Coronary heart disease


  -Affecting the blood vessels that supply heart muscle itself -Become narrowed and may become blocked by plaques of farry deposits (known as atheroma)

  -Individuals age, blood vessels become hardened (sclerotic)

  -Combined together called atherosclerosis

  -When individual under pressure, lack of oxygen rich blood causes extreme pain (angina)

  -When blood clots, heart attack occurs (Coronary thrombosis)

  -More common in middle aged and older men
• Leukaemia


  -Cancer of White blood cells

  -Caused by an overproduction of particular cells so that immature cells around the blood but don't contribute to immunity

  -Susceptible to many infections

  -Have signs and symptons of anaemia

  -Bone marrow overproducing White vl

  blood cells

  -Manufacture of red blood cells decreases

  -Can occur at any age but more common in older people
• Cancer


  -Caused by a particular group of cells multiplying out of control to form insane growths of tumours

  -Some don't spread but some may cause problems where growing

  -Malignant are life threatening

  -Non-cancerous = benign
• Bowel cancer


  -12% of cases for cancer

  -Another name for intestine

  -Can be colon, rectal or colorectal cancer

  -Causes are unknown but smoking, alcohol, family history, diet and inactivity can increase risks

  -Can be mistaken for haemorrhoids
• Prostate cancer

  -Only males have prostate glands

  -Base of bladder surrounding urethra, main function is to help production of semen

  -Glands increase as you get older so can cause symptoms of prostate cancer

  -May feel need to pass urine often

  -No exact cause found
• Mental and emotional impact of illness

  -Can cause depression and anxiety

  -Psychological changes as a result

  -Pain often associated with the fear of the unknown

  -Individuals have very different pain thresholds

  -In a few disorders, may feel intense periods of wellbeing interspersed with periods of depression (known as euphoria)
• Social impact


  -Increase or deterioration in social activity

  -Having to give up work through illness reduces social circles and friendship groups

  -May be more or less confined to their homes

  -Communication maintained through texting, calling, emails and letters

  -Could cause physical changes like loss of weight or disabilities
• Inherited traits


  -Disorders caused by genetics and run in the family

  -First developed in 20th century

  -Human Genome Project started in 1990 and took 13 years to complete

  -Mapped structure, organisation and functions of human genes

  -Led to new ways of preventing and curing disease

  -30000 genes in human genome

  -Disorders inherited by one or both parents