2.2: Explain how medicines affect body systems Flashcards
What condition is levothyroxine used to treat?
Levothyroxine - Used to treat hypothyroidism: A condition where lower levels of thyroid hormone response occurs.
2 most common causes of hypothyroidism
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (Autoimmune inflammation of thyroid).
- Iodine deficiency: Essential for thyroid hormone, usually added to salt.
2 treatments for hypothyroidism
- Thyroid surgery
- Radioactive iodine
2 medications to treat hypothyroidism
- Lithium (Inhibits thyroid hormone)
- Amiodarone
Central cause of hypothyroidism
When the pituitary gland stops producing thyroid stimulating hormone (T4 + T3).
What are the 3 thyroid hormone responses?
- Proteins involved in metabolism (Every organ system)
- Signalling proteins which increase heart rate
- Proteins that allow correct nerve development in foetus (Pregnancy)
What body systems does thyroxine hormone effect?
Virtually every organ system in the body, including the heart, CNS, autonomic nervous system, Bone, GI, and metabolism.
6 symptoms of hypothyroidism
- Feeling the cold
- Weight gain
- Constipation
- Slow heartbeat
- Tiredness
- Poor nerve development in foetus
What do beta blockers do and how?
Beta blocker slow, but do not stop, the signal travelling along the sympathetic nervous system.
They do this by reducing the number of action potential frequencies of waves of excitation along the nerve. Therefore this will slow down and not increase heart rate to reduce blood pressure in the Cardiovascular system.
Why is reducing hypertension crucial for conditions like angina and heart failure?
Angina – Chest pain caused by narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart. By slowing the heart rate, beta blockers reduce the oxygen demand of the heart and reduce the frequency of angina attacks.
Heart failure – failure of the heart to pump enough blood around the body. Beta blockers are a key part of heart failure treatment because they help the heart relax, pump more efficiently, and slow the heart rate.
How do Beta blockers also affect the CV system, CNS, Gastrointestinal and metabolic?
Central nervous system: Beta blockers can cause fatigue, depression, sleep disorders, nightmares, visual hallucinations, delirium or psychosis, Parkinson’s disease, and the risk of falling.
Gastrointestinal system: Beta blockers can cause constipation, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
What conditions is Omeprazole used to treat?
Used to treat conditions such as GERD and non cancerous stomach ulcers.
How does Omeprazole work?
- Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, controls the movement of H+ ions at the molecular level, specifically in the stomach.
- This reduces the acidity and increases pH of stomach acid in the digestive system.
- This gives the stomach / ulcers, and other body parts that were affected by conditions for example Oesophagus from Gerd time to heal.
- By reducing the acidity and increasing stomach pH this gives the right conditions for antibiotics to work as they need these specific environments.
What is amoxicillin and what is it prescribed to treat?
Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic which targets bacteria so it does not directly affect body systems.
It is given to treat a variety of infections, but is particularly useful for treating ear, nose and throat infections, respiratory tract infections and uncomplicated gonorrhoea. Therefore it would affect in a sense the respiratory system and reproductive system.
