Nutritional Diseases

Question 1

What are the symptoms of rickets?

Answer 1

• delayed growth
• delayed motor skills
• muscle weakness
• pain in legs, spine and pelvis
• skeletal deformities: bowed legs, knocked knees, breastbone projections, thickened wrists and ankles

Question 2

what are the symptoms of scurvy?

Answer 2

EARLY: 
- fever 
- fatigue
- nausea 
- diarrhoea 
- loss of appetite 
- painful joints
- bleeding around hair follicles on scalp
LATE: 
- bulging eyes 
- severe and easy bruising 
- loose teeth 
- swollen, bleeding gums 
- loose teeth
- brown, scaly skin 
- slow-healing wounds
- easy re-opening of old wounds 
- curled hair that break off easily near the skin 
- swelling over joints

Question 3

what are the complications of scurvy?

Answer 3

• jaundice
• anaemia
• stunted growth of long bones in children (lack of vC prompts growth plates to prematurely harden)
• hemorrhagic stroke (ruptured blood vessel in brain)
• delirium
• coma
• convulsions

Question 4

how does lack of vitamin C affect the body?

Answer 4

vitamin C is essential for:

• collagen production
• iron absorption
• destruction of free radicals produced in metabolism of oxygen
• antioxidant functioning

Question 5

how does lack of vitamin D affect the body?

Answer 5

vD is needed for:

- absorption of Ca and P in bones

Question 6

what are the 2 causes of vD deficiency?

Answer 6

1. insufficient vD in diet

2. problems with vD absorption

Question 7

what are some diseases interfere with effective vD absorption?

Answer 7

• Celiac disease
• inflammatory bowel disease
• dysfunctional kidneys
• CF

Question 8

what is protein needed for?

Answer 8

• osmotic balance in gastrointestinal system – fluid balance
• building and repairing cells

Question 9

why is age a factor in developing cancer?

Answer 9

• accumulation of mutations

- tendency for cellular repair mechanisms to become less effective