ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Flashcards
HYPOTHYROID DISEASE - DEFINITION
Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone
HYPOTHYROID DISEASE - SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Symptoms depend on the severity of the conditions
- Problems tend to develop slowly
- Tiredness
- More sensitivity to cold
- Constipation
- Dry skin
- Weight gain
- Puffy face
- Hoarse voice
- Coarse hair and skin
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
- Menstrual cycles that are heavier than usual or irregular
- Thinning hair
- Bradycardia
- Depression
- Memory problems
HYPOTHYROID DISEASE - IN INFANTS
- Feeding problems
- Poor growth
- Poor weight gain
- Jaundice
- Constipation
- Poor muscle tone
- Dry skin
- Hoarse crying
- Enlarged tounge
- Soft swelling or bulge near the belly button – umbilical hernia
HYPOTHYROID DISEASE - IN CHILDREN AND TEENS
- In general symptoms are similar to adults but they may also have:
- Poor growth that leads to short stature
- Delayed development of permanent teeth
- Delayed puberty
- Poor mental development
HYPER THYROID DISEASE - DEFINITION
Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone
HYPER THYROID DISEASE - SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Sometimes looks like other health problems
- Losing weight without trying
- Tachycardia - Fast heartbeat
- Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeat
- Pounding of the heart
- Heart palpitations
- Increased hunger
- Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
- Tremor - Usually a small trembling in the hands and fingers
- Sweating
- Changes in menstrual cycle
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Changes in bowel patterns - Especially more-frequent bowel movements
- Enlarged thyroid gland
o Sometimes called goiter
o May appear as a swelling at the base of the neck - Tiredness
- Muscle weakness
- Sleep problems
- Warm, moist skin
- Thinning skin
- Fine, brittle hair
CUSHING’S DISEASE - DEFINITION
- Cushing syndrome occurs when your body has too much of the hormone cortisol over time
- This can result from taking oral corticosteroid medication, or your body might produce too much cortisol
CUSHING’S DISEASE - CAUSE
- Cushing syndrome is caused by there being too much of the hormone cortisol in the body
- Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands and plays a variety of roles in the body, which is why Cushing syndrome has such a wide range of symptoms
CUSHING’S DISEASE - POPULATION AFFECTED
- Females, aged 20-50
- People who take steroid medication
CUSHING’S DISEASE - RISK FACTORS
- Sex - Females
- Younger adults - 20 – 50
- Taking oral steroids for long periods of time
CUSHING’S DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
o Weight gain and fatty tissue deposits, particularly around the midsection and upper back, in the face (moon face) and between the shoulders (buffalo hump)
o Pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, breasts and arms
o Thinning, fragile skin that bruises easily
o Slow healing cuts, insect bites and infections
o Acne
o Severe fatigue
o Muscle weakness
o Depression, anxiety and irritability
o Loss of emotional control
o Cognitive difficulties
o New or worsened high blood pressure
o Headache
o Infections
o Skin darkening
o Bone loss, leading to fractures over time
o Impaired growth (in children)
CUSHING’S DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION - WOMEN
o Thicker or more visible body and facial hair (hirsutism)
o Irregular or absent menstrual periods
CUSHING’S DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION - MEN
o Decreased sex drive
o Decreased fertility
o Erectile dysfunction
CUSHING’S DISEASE - PROGNOSIS
- Can be cured in most cases, although it may take some time for symptoms to ease
- If left untreated it can be fatal
- Treatment involves
o Reducing corticosteroid use
o Surgery
If its caused by a tumour
o Radiation therapy
o Medication
o Lifestyle changes
Increase activities slowly
Eat sensibly
Monitor mental health
Soothe aches and pains with hot baths, massages and low-impact exercises
ADDISON’S DISEASE - DEFINITION
- An uncommon illness that occurs when the body doesn’t make enough of certain hormones
- Also called adrenal insufficiency
ADDISON’S DISEASE - CAUSE
- Caused by damage to the adrenal glands
- Damage to the adrenal glands results in too little of the hormone cortisol, and often, the hormone aldosterone
ADDISON’S DISEASE - POPULATION AFFECTED
Women aged between 30 and 50
ADDISON’S DISEASE - RISK FACTORS
- Sex - Female
- Age - Can affect anyone, Most common between 30 and 50
- Some autoimmune diseases - Type 1 diabetes, Hypoparathyroidism
- Certain genetic defects
ADDISON’S DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Symptoms usually happen slowly, often over months
- The disease can move slowly with people ignoring the symptoms, then a stress, such as an illness or injury makes symptoms worse
- Extreme fatigue
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Areas of darkened skin
- Low blood pressure, even fainting
- Salt craving
- Hypoglycaemia
o Low blood sugar - Nausea, diarrhoea or vomiting
- Abdominal px
- Muscle and joint px
- Irritability
- Depression
- Body hair loss
- Sexual issues
ADDISON’S DISEASE - PROGNOSIS
- Most people with the condition have a normal life span and are able to live an active life with few limitations
- However, many people do experience bouts of fatigue
- People with Addison’s disease are also more at risk of having associated health problems
o Diabetes
o Hypothyroidism - Treated by replacing the missing hormones with synthetic versions of them
- Prognosis is generally good
- People with Addison’s disease will have to take medicine for the rest of their lives but they can live happy, healthy lives while on this medication
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - DEFINITION
- An auto immune disease
- Occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - CAUSE
- An auto immune disease
- Occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body
- Likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment
- It appears that people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may develop the diseasw when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus
- However the cause is unknown in most cases
- Some potential triggers include
o Sunlight
o Infections
o Medications
Certain types of blood pressure medications
Antiseizure medications
Antibiotics
People with drug induced lupus usually get better when they stop taking the medication
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - POPULATION AFFECTED
Females aged 15 to 45 from minority ethnic backgrounds
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - RISK FACTORS
- Sex - More common in women
- Age - Can affect anyone, Most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45
- Race - More common in African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Americans
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Lupus is unique in every case
- S&S may come on suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe and may be temporary or permeant
- Some people have mild disease episodes, called flares, where S&S get worse for a while the improve or even disappear completely for a time
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
o Fatigue
o Fever
o Jt px, stiffness and swelling
o Butterfly shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body
o Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure
o Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods
o Shortness of breath
o Chest px
o Dry eyes
o Headaches
o Confusion
o Memory loss
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS - PROGNOSIS
- The way lupus is treated depends on several factors including
o The symptoms and complications experienced
o Severity of the case
o Age
o Type of medications you may be taking
o General health
o Medical history - Chronic condition that will need to be managed regularly
- The goal of treatment is to get symptoms into remission (not active) and limit the amount og damage the disease does to the organs
- Lupus is unpredictable
- Common lupus medications include
o Steroids
Corticosteroids
Including prednisone
o Hydroxychloroquine
o Azathioprine
o Methotrexate belimumab
o Rituximab - No cure
- Condition can be managed to minimise the impact lupus has on your life, but it will never go away
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - DEFINITION
- A group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin
- May also cause problems in the blood vessels, internal organs and digestive tract
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - CAUSE
- Results from an overproduction and accumulation of collagen in body tissues
- Collagen is a fibrous type of protein that makes up the body’s connective tissues, including the skin
- The exact cause for this process to begin is unknown
- The body’s immune system is thought to play a role
- Most likely that scleroderma is cause by a combo of factors including
o Immune system problems
o Genetics
o Environmental factors
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - POPULATION AFFECTED
Women aged 30 – 50
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - RISK FACTORS
- Genetics
- Environmental triggers
o May be triggered by certain viruses, medications or drugs
o High exposure to certain chemicals or harmful substances - Immune system problems
o Believed to be an autoimmune disease
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Symptoms vary from person to person, depending on which parts of the body are affected
- Skin-related signs and symptoms
o Hardening and tightening of the skin
o First parts of the body that are affected are the
Fingers
Hands
Feet
Face
o In some people the skin thickening can also involve the
Forearms
Upper arms
Chest
Abdomen
Lower legs
Thighs
o Early symptoms include swelling and itching
o Affected skin can become lighter or darker in colour and may look shiny because of the tightness
o Some people also experience small red spots – telangiectasia – on their hands and face
o Calcium deposits can form under the skin
Especially at the fingertips - Raynaud’s phenomenon
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION - DIGESTIVE
o Heart burn
o Difficulty swallowing
o Bloating
o Diarrhoea
o Constipation
o Faecal incontinence
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION - HEART
o Irregular heartbeat
o Heart failure may also occur in some people
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION - LUNG
o Shortness of breath
o Decreased exercise tolerance
o Dizziness
o Pulmonary hypertension
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - PROGNOSIS
- No cure
- Can live a healthy life with this disease
- Treatment is directed at controlling and managing the symptoms
- Because scleroderma can have many symptoms, a combo of approaches is often needed to treat and manage the disease
o Skin treatments
o Digestive remedies
o Treatment for lung disease - Management for scleroderma
o Exercise
o Jt protection
o Skin protection
o Diet
o Dental care
o Stress management
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - DEFINITION
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - CAUSE
- Unknown
- Genetics- certain genes and gene variations can inc susceptibility
- Enviro exposure- virus may act as trigger
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - POPULATION AFFECTED
65+
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - RISK FACTORS
- Age- 70-80
- Women 2-3x
- Race- northern European or Scandinavian
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Usually bilateral
- Aches/P in shoulders, hip and neck
- Stiffness particularly in morning/after period of inactivity
- Mild fever
- Fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
- Depression
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) - PROGNOSIS
Most eventually recover entirely from the disease or within 5 years
