Infection + diseases (part 2) P1 Flashcards
communicable vs non-communicable disease + health def
communicable = diseases which can be spread from person to person (infectious)
- spread by pathogens like bacteria and viruses (e.g measles)
non-communicable = diseases which cannot be passed from person to person
- biggest illness (e.g coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, most cancers)
health = the state of physical and mental wellbeing
How do diseases interact?
1) diseases can lead to ither diseases
e. g HPV can lead to cervical cancer
2) diseases can be triggered by the immune system
e. g asthma, body infected by a pathogen which immune system fights off, person left with an allergy
3) mental illness can be caused by a physical illness
e. g arthritis a person unable to move and live a normal life -> can make them feel isolated and depressed
Correlating risk factors (e.g lung cancer and cigaretts)
- causal mechanism ? / correlations
- epidemiology
a correlation does not prove cause ( e.g it simply suggests smoking can be LINKED to lung cancer)
Causal Mechanism : finding out if there are any scientific explanations to how something happens
e.g discovered that cigarett smoke contains chemicals which damage DNA and increases risk of cancer
carcinogens - something that increases the risk of cancer
epidemiology + PROBLEMS
studying patterns of diseases to determine risk factors
problems:
- sample size -> ungeneralisable as cannot sample everyone, can be culturally biased as some ppl in certain areas may exercise more , or are exposed to certain pollution in certain towns
- to avoid bias = take large sample as possible, random sample
Cardiovascular Diseases (what is it) + examples (NOT TREATMENTS)
= diseases of the heart and lungs
= non-communicable (not infectious)
1) Coronary heart disease
- when layers of fatty material build up inside the coronary artery causing them to narrow, reducing the blood flow meaning a lack of oxygen to muscles and heart
2) Faulty heart vales
- valves do not fully open so heart must pump harder than usual to get blood through, causes heart to enlarge
- leaky valves which causes weakness and fatigue
3) Heart failure
- heart cannot pump enough blood around the body
Treatments of Heart failure (2 types) cons
1) donated heart
cons:
not enough donors for each patient
patient must take drugs to stop the donated heart from being rejected by bodys immune system
2) artificial heart
cons:
only a temporary solution to allow heart to rest/ wait for a donor heart
increased risk of blood clotting
Treatments of Faulty heart valves (2 types) pros/cons
1) Mechanical valves pros: last a life time cons: increased risk of blood clot so have to take anticlotting drugs
2) Animal valves
pros:
no drugs needed to be taken
cons:
do not last as long
may need replacing
Treatments for coronary heart disease (2 types) pros/cons
1) statins (drugs) -> reduce the level of cholesterol in blood which slows down the rate that the fatty material can build up
pros:
effective - proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
cons:
can cause liver problems
2) stent -> a tube which is inserted into coronary artery to keep it open so blood can flow normally
pros:
allows blood to flow normally
cons:
will not prevent other region or coronary artery from narrowing (does not treat the underlying causes)
carcinogens
something that increases the risk of cancer
Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
- diet high in fat, low in veggies
= increases risk of cholesterol build up in blood ( fatty material build up)7 - diet high in salts
= increases blood pressure, increasing risk of developing cardio diseases
-smoking
Risk factors for lung disease/cancer
- smoking as cigarette smoke contains chemicals which can trigger cancer (carcinogens)
- radon (radioactive gas)
Effects of smoking/drinking on unborn babys
smoking:
- increased risk of miscarriage/ premature birth
- baby being born with a low body-mass
alcohol:
- fetal alcohol syndrome -> learning difficulties
Effects of drinking on adults
- increased risk of liver cancer
- effects brain -> addiction, loss of memory
Type 2 diabetes / link with obesity/alcohol?
Drinking a lot of alcohol can lead to obesity which can lead to type 2 diabetes ( struggle to control blood glucose levels)
four types of pathogens/ what is it/ how they are spread
viruses
bacteria
fungi
protist
pathogen: a microorganism that causes infectious disease
- air (e.g influenza)
- water (e.g cholera)
- direct contact (e.g HIV)
How do bacteria make us ill?
1) once inside the body, bacteria reproduce very rapidly
2) bacteria release harmful chemicals called toxins
3) toxins damage tissues and make us feel ill