non communicable diseases Flashcards
risk factors of non communicable diseases
- genes
- aspects of your lifestyle
- substance that are present in the environment
- exposure to carcinogens
what is a correlation
the link or relationship between two factors
what is a casual mechanism
- explains how one factor influences the other through a biological process
why do scientist need to find a casual mechanism to prove that one thing causes the other and not just use a correlation
as a correlation cannot prove that one thing is the cause of the other
examples of casual mechanisms and their proven risk factor
- cardiovascular disease - lack of exercise/ smoking/ high saturated fat
- type 2 diabetes- obesity
- lung disease - smoking
- liver and brain damage - excessive alcohol intake
- low birth weight babies - smoking during pregnancy
- brain damage in babies - excessive alcohol intake during pregnancy
impacts of non communicable diseases
- diseases will have financial cost especially if the wage earner is ill and cannot work
- diseases cost nations fortunes either by having to pay to treat the ill or by losing money when a large populations is ill
- the global economy is affected when the young working population is ill
- non communicable diseases affect more ppl than communicable diseases so it has the greatest affect on both human and economic level
what is cancer caused by
uncontrolled cell division which can form masses of cells called tumours
what are tumours
masses of abnormally growing cells
how are tumours formed
when cells don’t follow the normal mechanism that control a cell cycles as they divide rapidly with a very little non dividing time for growth between each division
two types of tumours
benign tumours
malignant tumour
characteristics of benign tumour
- they are growths of abnormal cells in one place, usually with a membrane
- they do not invade other parts of the body
- can grow very large quickly
- if it causes pressure or damage to an organ it can be life threatening
characteristics of malignant tumour
- often referred to as cancer
- the tumour may split up, releasing small clumps of cells into the bloodstream or lymphatic system to different part of the body
- they circulate and are carried to different pats of the body where they lodge into different organs forming a secondary tumour
- they divide rapidly and live longer
- it disrupts the normal tissue and if left untreated it will kill the person
- very difficult to treat
what are the causes of cancer
- mutations (changes to the genetic material) and this can trigger the formations of tumours
- ionising radiation van disrupt the normal cell cycle and cause tumours to form
- virus infections
ways to treat cancer
radiotherapy - when cancer cells are destroyed by targeted doses of radiation, this stops mitosis in the cancer cells but can harm healthy cells
chemotherapy - where chemicals are used to stop cancer cells from dividing or making them self destruct
what are carcinogens
cancer causing agents
what is nicotine
an addictive but relatively harmless drug found in tobacco cigarettes
how does nicotine affect you
- it makes you feel calm, well being and “being able to cope” which is why ppl like to smoke
what harmful chemical does tobacco smoke contain
- carbon monoxide
why is carbon monoxide dangerous
as its poisonous since it can be replaced with your oxygen in your red blood cells which can cause death, serious tissue damage or a shortage of oxygen
what is a common problem for women who smoke during pregnancy
- oxygen shortage
why is it dangerous for a women to smoke during preganancy
- as during pregnancy a women is carrying oxygen for her foetus and herself so if carbon monoxide enters the blood the foetus will not have enough oxygen to grow properly
what can smoking during pregnancy result into
- premature births
- low birth weight babies
- still births
what does the cilia in the trachea and bronchi do
moves bacteria mucus and dirt away from the lungs
what do chemicals in tobacco smoke do the the cilia in the trachea and bronchi
- they are anesthetized by chemicals in the tobacco smoke this makes them stop working for a certain period allowing dirt, bacteria and mucus down in the lungs, increasing a risk of infections and the build up of mucus can also cause coughing
what is tar
- a sticky black chemical in tobacco cigarettes which can accumulate in the lungs and turn them from pink to grey
what can tar do to smokers
it makes them more likely to bronchitis (the infection and inflammation of the bronchi)
what can tar cause to smokers
it makes them more likely to bronchitis (the infection and inflammation of the bronchi)
what can the build up of tar in the lung tissue cause
the build up of tar in the lung tissue can lead into the break down in the structure of the alveoli leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
what does COPD do to the lungs
- it reduces the surface area to volume ratio of the lungs, leading to severe breathlessness and eventually death
what can tar cause and how
it can act on delicate cells of the lungs and greatly increase the risk of lung cancer and other cancers of the breathing system
what are smokers likely to suffer from
cardiovascular probles
what does smoking do to the blood vessels in your skin
narrows the blood vessels in your skin, ageing it
what does nicotine do your cardiovascular system compared to other chemicals
nicotine increases your heart rate whilst other chemicals damage the lining of your arteries
what can the damage to the lining of your arteries lead to
- can lead to coronary heart disease this is where fatty deposits build up inside your coronary arteries, narrowing them
how are coronary heart disease treated
stents - open your arteries
- statins - lower your blood cholesterol levels and slows down the rate at which fatty deposit is built up in your arteries
why are smokers more likely to cardiovascular diseases
as the mixture of chemicals in a cigarette can lead to an increase in blood pressure increasing the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease
what can be used to treat recovering patients of coronary heart disease
- clot busting enzymes
- warfarin
what happens if you eat more food than you need
it is stored as excess fat
why does your body need fat
to cushion your internal organs and act as an energy store
what health problems can obesity lead into
type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease
what happens to the food you eat
- the food you eat transfers energy to your muscles as they work from respiration so the amount you exercise will affect the amount of respiration in your muscles and the amount you eat
advantages of people who exercise regularly
- have fitter hearts and bigger lungs
- less likely to get cardiovascular disease and suffer from health problems
casual mechanism that explain why exercise keeps you healthy
- you will have more muscle tissue, increasing the metabolic rate so you are less likely to be overweight - this will reduce the risk of developing arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure
- your heart will be fitter and develop a better blood supply
- regular exercise lowers your blood cholesterol levels and helps balance different types of cholesterols this reduces the risk of fatty deposits in your coronary arteries lowering your risk of heart disease and any other health problems
what causes type 2 diabetes
when your body does not make enough insulin to control your blood sugar levels or your cells stop responding yo insulin
what happens when an alcoholic drinks
the ethanol s absorbed into the blood from the stomach and passed into the body tissue
what does alcohol affect
it affects your nervous system making thought process, reflexes and other reactions slower
what can small amounts of alcohol do to the body
makes you feel relaxed, cheerful and reduces inhibitions
what can large amounts of alcohol do to the body
can lead to a lack of judgement and self control and if the dose is too high it can lead to unconsciousness, coma and death
what can getting addicted to alcohol do to your liver
- it may form cirrhosis in the liver
- as alcohol is a carcinogen it can cause liver cancer which spreads rapidly and is difficult to treat
what is cirrhosis
a disease that destroys liver tissue so the active liver cells are replaced with scar tissue that cannot carry out vital functions
what is the long term effect on heavy drinking to the brain
- can damage the brain
- can cause the brain to become soft and pulpy, that the brain functions is lost and cannot work properly which can lead to death
what happens if a pregnant women drinks alcohol
- the alcohol passes the placenta into the developing baby which can cause:
- miscarriage, premature births and low birth weight babies
why does alcohol affect a unborn baby
as their developing liver cannot cope with alcohol so the development of the brain and body of an unborn baby can be badly affected
what can the baby develop due to drinking alcohol during pregnancy
- facial deformities
- problems with its teeth, jaw, hearing
- kidney, liver or heart problems
- learning and other development problems know as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
how to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
to not drink during preganacy
what is ionising radiation
it is a form of different electromagnetic waves and is a well known carcinogen
how does radiation effect cells
penetrates the cell causing damage in the chromosomes causing mutations to the DNA
common ionising radiation
- Ultraviolet light from the sun - increases the risk of skin cancer
- radioactive materials found in soil, water and air
- medical and dental x rays
- accidents in nuclear power generations
why is ionising radiation dangerous when taken in your body
as it allows the ionising radiation to penetrate your cells
