2.3 Health and disease Flashcards
What is health?
Health is the state of physical and mental wellbeing
What is a communicable disease?
A disease caused by a pathogen which can be transmitted from one person to another e.g. the flu
What is a non-communicable disease?
A disease which can not be transmitted from person to person e.g. cancer
How can diet affect health?
Too little food / lack of nutrition - anaemia, vitamin deficiencies
Too much food / too much unhealthy food - obesity, type two diabetes
How can stress affect health?
Prolonged stress is linked to a wide range of health problems including heart diseases, cancers and mental health illness.
How can life situations affect health?
Many life factors such as location, gender, financial status, ethnic group and healthcare provision can impact a person’s mental and physical health.
Give examples of how health problems can interact
● Infection with certain viruses can lead to cancer e.g. hepatitis infections can lead to liver cancer
● A compromised immune system (e.g. due to cancer)
can lead to a higher risk of infection with communicable diseases
● Immune reactions caused by a pathogen can trigger allergic reactions
● Problems with physical health can lead to mental health issues
What is a risk factor?
A risk factor is an aspect of a person’s lifestyle or a substance found in the body or the environment which can increase the risk of a disease.
What is a causal mechanism?
A mechanism which demonstrates how one factor biologically influences another
How do diet, smoking and exercise affect the development of cardiovascular disease?
Diet: High levels of LDL cholesterol causes arteries to become blocked, increasing blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack
Smoking: Nicotine increases heart rate; other chemicals damage the artery lining and increase blood pressure
Exercise: Lowers blood pressure, reducing strain on the heart
How does obesity affect the development of Type 2 diabetes?
Obesity is strongly linked with the onset of type 2 diabetes - a disease in which the body stops responding to insulin
How does alcohol affect liver and brain function?
Excessive long-term alcohol use may lead to liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
Increases risk of liver cancer
Damages brain tissue and nerve cells
How does smoking affect the development of lung disease and lung cancer?
Tar in tobacco can damage the alveoli of the lungs, leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tar also damages the cells which line the lungs, leading to lung cancer.
How do smoking and alcohol affect unborn babies?
Carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen the foetus receives, which can lead to premature birth or stillbirth.
Alcohol passes across the placenta and damages the developing foetus. Once born, the baby may have a number of deformities and health problems as part of foetal alcohol syndrome.
How do carcinogens affect the development of cancer?
Ionising radiation is a type of carcinogen which can lead to mutations in the DNA, potentially leading to cancer.
