B2 Health Flashcards
What is a correlation?
A correlation means a pattern, relationship or link between 2 factors. It does not mean that one thing is caused by the other.
What do we mean by health?
Health means a state of mental and physical well being as well as the absence of disease.
Name the top 3 killer diseases in the world
(clue: all three are non communcable meaning that you can’t catch them)
The top 3 non -communicable killer diseases in the world are
- coronary heart disease
- stroke
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulminary disease)
How do diet and exercise affect your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
- Eating too much will make you obese. This increases the risk of heart disease.
- Exercise increases muscle mass and uses up excess energy. This reduces your risk of both obesity and heart diease.
- Exercise also reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood. This reduces the buid up of fatty plaques in your coronary artery.
Why is it dangerous to smoke whist you are pregnant?
It is dangerous to smoke whist you are pregnant because it reduces the oxygen that gets to the baby through the placenta. This can lead to stillbirth or a sick or premature baby.
How do we treat cancer?
There are two main ways that we treat cancer:
- Radiotherapy where cancer cells are killed by doses of radiation.
- Chemotherapy where chemicals are used to either stop cancer cells dividing or make them self destruct.
Why do smokers develop a cough?
Smokers cough is caused by the smoke anaesthetising the cilia which move mucous out of the lungs. This stops them moving which allows dirt, dust and microbes into the lungs and causes irritation.
What is the risk of depression in healthy and chronically ill individuals?
The risk of getting depression is generally 5% - 25% .
However, those with chronic illnesses face a much higher risk – between 25% and 33%.
The risk increases with the severity of the illness and the level of life disruption it causes.
Carbon monoxide is a chemical found in tobacco smoke. What does it do that is harmful?
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which takes up space in a red blood cell where oxygen is usually carried. This means that a smoker will be short of oxygen for respiration and have little energy.
What problems do individuals with a faulty immune system (such as people with Lupus or AIDS) have ?
Defects in the immune system mean that an individual is more likely to catch an infectious or communicable disease.
How can drinking alcohol when pregnant affect the baby?
Drinking alcohol when pregnant can affect the baby by increasing the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth and low birthweight. The developing baby can have brain damage known as foetal alcohol syndrome and damage to its developing face and body.
Give 4 risk factors for cancers.
The risk of some cancers is increased if you
- have certain genes.
- are exposed to carcinogens such as tar in tobacco or asbestos.
- are exposed to ionising radiation rays such as UV or X rays.
- are exposed to certain microbes such as HPV.
Why does ionising radiation increase the risk of developing cancer?
Ionising radiation increases the risk of developing cancer by mutating the DNA in the nucleus of the cell.
What causes allergies?
An allergy is a reaction the body has to a particular food or substance.
Immune reactions initially caused by a pathogen can trigger allergies such as skin rashes and asthma.
What is the difference between an infectious and a communicable disease?
An infectious disease is a disease caused by a microbe which may or may not be communicable. e.g. tetanus is not infectious because although it is caused by a bacteria it is caught from the environment. You cannot give it to someone else. A communicable diseases are always contageous. e.g. chicken pox.