Respiratory, Digestive and Cardiovascular Diseases and Infections Flashcards
What is emphysema?
Excess high levels of irritating particles taken into the lungs
What is the pathophysiology of emphysema?
- irritating particles damage alveoli : they lose elasticity (epithelial tissue is replaced with fibrous tissue)
- break down of alveoli decreases surface area of lungs = less surface area for gas exchange
- loss of elasticity means that lungs are constantly inflated and breathing out requires voluntary effort
What are the symptoms of emphysema?
- coughing and wheezing (most people that have emphysema also have bronchitis - coughing clears mucous from airways)
- shortness of breath (due to effort needed to breath out - shallow breathing, and destruction of alveoli)
What are the lifestyle factors that effect emphysema?
- smoking (smoke particles break down lungs and irritate airways)
–>also causes inflammation and damages cilia causing mucous production and swollen airways - exposure to fumes or dust (damage lining of lungs and airways = break down elasticity)
What is lung cancer?
development of mass of cells, that divide uncontrollably starting in the lungs - a tumour
What is the pathophysiology of lung cancer?
- particles irritate mucous membrane causing excessive mucous production
- cells at base of mucous membrane rapidly divide and mucous build up cannot be removed = rupturing the alveoli, pleural effusion = build up of fluid between lung and chest wall
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
- coughing or wheezing (body clearing out chemicals and mucous from airways)
- shortness of breath (pleural effusion, if cancer blocks airways)
- coughing blood (a sign of tissue destruction and inflammation in the airway)
What are the lifestyles factors of lung cancer?
- smoking (carcinogens in cigarettes change tissue in lungs)
- At first cells may be able to repair themselves but after continuous exposure they become too damages and turn into cancerous cells
What is pneumonia?
infection caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi
What is the pathophysiology of pneumonia?
-inflammation of alveoli causes it to be filled with fluid and mucous = reducing amount of air contained
- surface area of alveoli decreases = surface for gas exchange decreases
What are the symptoms of pneumonia?
- coughing and wheezing (attempt to clear mucous from air ways)
- difficulty breathing (not enough surface area for efficient gas exchange)
- fever (high body temperature in order to kill of bacteria, fungi or virus)
What are the lifestyle factors of pneumonia?
- smoking (damages body’s natural defence against infection)
- Arise due to other respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis
What is tuberculosis?
An infection caused by mycobacterium, top 3 infectious diseases causing death
What is the pathophysiology of tuberculosis?
- destroys epithelial tissue in lungs and other parts of body
- TB travels through the bloodstream to other parts of the body
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
- coughing blood (a sign of tissue damage and inflammation in airway)
- chills, fatigue, fever (fight of bacteria)
- shortness of breath (pleural effusion, build up of fluid between chest wall and lung)
What are the lifestyle factors of tuberculosis?
- close contact with an infectious person: spread by tiny droplets that are inhaled into the lungs
What is asthma?
Medical condition that causes difficulty breathing due to narrowing of airways
What is the pathophysiology of asthma?
- muscles in the bronchioles go into spasm by triggers = narrowing airways
- irritation of membranes causes excessive mucous production
What are the symptoms of asthma?
- coughing or wheezing (clear out airways of mucous)
- shortness of breath (narrow airways, reduced volume of air)
What are the lifestyle factors of asthma?
- smoking (destroys lung tissue and irritates airways, triggers spasms)
- family history
- exposure to fumes or dust (also triggers spasms)
- air pollution
What is the treatment of emphysema?
emphysema cannot be cured, but treatment can be used to relieve symptoms and slow progression of disease:
- lifestyle changes
- bronchodilators (relax constricted airways)
- inhaled steroids (reduce inflammation)
- antibiotics
- supplemental oxygen
- surgery (lung transplant, or volume reduction)
What is the treatment of lung cancer?
Depending on type of lung cancer and how far it has spread:
- surgery (to remove cancerous cells)
- radiotherapy (radioactive waves to kill cells)
- chemotherapy (medicine to shrink and kill cells)
- targeted therapy (drugs to block growth and spread)
What is the treatment of pneumonia?
depends on whether caused by a bacteria or a virus
bacteria:
- antibiotics
virus:
- oxygen therapy
- prevented through vaccines
What is the treatment of tuberculosis?
- antibiotics (used to fight off bacteria)
but often multiple drugs need to be taken at the same time
What is the treatment of asthma?
No cure, but treatment can help symptoms:
- inhalers (relax constricted airways)
What is bronchitis?
Inflammation of lining of bronchial tubes
Pathophysiology of bronchitis?
- bronchi become inflamed and scarred
- bronchi produce large amounts of mucous
- making it harder for your lungs to move air in and out of your lungs
Symptoms of bronchitis?
- coughing or wheezing (to clear mucous from airways)
- shortness of breath (destruction of alveoli)
Lifestyle factors of bronchitis?
- smoking (destroys lung tissue and irritates airways)
- damages cilia = excess mucous production not able to be moved up and out of airways
- exposure to fumes and dust
Treatment of bronchitis?
there is no cure but treatment prevents and treats symptoms:
- bronchodilators (relaxing constricted airways)
- inhaled steroids
- antibiotics
- supplemental oxygen
- surgery (lung transplant)
What is constipation?
the passing of hard stool, that may be infrequent
Pathophysiology of constipation?
- stool sits in the large intestine for too long, causing too much water to be absorbed
Symptoms of constipation?
- stomach pains
- passing hard lumpy stool
- not having bowel movements as often
Lifestyle factors of constipation?
- dehydration (if you do not have enough fluids your intestine will remove extra fluid from your stool)
- poor nutrition (not eating enough fibre that aids in bowel movement)
- not enough physical activity (also helps with bowel movement)
Treatment of constipation?
- laxatives
- fibre supplements
- drink more water
- more exercise
What is Diarrhoea?
Frequent defecation of watery faeces
Pathophysiology of diarrhoea?
- irritation of intestine increases peristalsis so content inside intestines move through before adequate absorption of water
-may be result of bacteria, parasite, virus, intolerance etc.
Symptoms of diarrhoea?
- watery faeces
- stomach pain
- weakness and fatigue
- fever (high body temperature to fight off infection)
lifestyle factors of diarrhoea?
- bacterium, virus, parasite, intolerance
- sudden change in diet (e.g. spicy foods)
- intolerance or allergy
- reaction to medication
Treatment of diarrhoea?
- plenty of fluids (prevent dehydration)
- antibiotics
What is bowel cancer?
uncontrolled growth of cells in the large intestine
Pathophysiology of bowel cancer?
- grows from inner lining of the bowel
- usually develops from small growth called polyps (most polyps are benign but can eventually turn cancerous)
- it can grow deep into the layers of the bowel and spread to other organs
Symptoms of bowel cancer?
- anal/rectal pain
- change in bowel habit (tumour leaks fluid, or obstruction and overflow around tumour)
- blood in stool
- lump in anus or rectum
- abdominal pain
Lifestyle factors of bowel cancer?
- smoking (more likely to develop polyps
- high alcohol consumption (increase levels of hormones that encourages cells to divide)
- diet high in red meat, processed meat and little to no fibre (damages cells lining bowel, fibre helps maintain healthy weight)
- obesity and physical inactivity (excess weight increases insulin production = promotes cell growth)
Treatment of bowel cancer?
- surgery (cut out cancerous cells)
- chemotherapy (special medicine to kill cells)
- radiation therapy (high energy rays to kill cancer)
What is coeliac disease?
An autoimmune disease that causes damage of villi in small intestine due to ingestion of gluten
pathophysiology of coeliac disease?
- When gluten is ingested, their immune system responds by breaking down the villi in the small intestine
- because of the damaged villi, nutrients is not able to be absorbed efficiently, and surface area of small intestine decreases
symptoms of coeliac disease?
- weight loss, malnutrition
- anaemia (lack of red blood cells because iron is not able to be absorbed)
-tiredness, fatigue
-stomach pain - diarrhoea
lifestyle factors of coeliac disease?
- it is hereditary, passed down from generation to generation
treatment of coeliac disease?
- follow a strict gluten free diet
- steroids (can suppress symptoms while intestine has time to heal)
What is heart failure?
The heart muscle is not able to efficiently pump blood as efficiently as it should
Pathophysiology of heart failure?
- blood backflows and blocks the veins that are trying to carry oxygenated blood into the heart
- heart conditions can leave heart to weak or stiff to fill up with blood
Symptoms of heart failure?
- shortness of breath (build up of fluid in lungs)
- fatigue (not enough red blood cells)
- heart palpitations (heart speeds up to compensate for its failing ability to pump blood)
lifestyle factors of heart failure?
- can be hereditary (genes work together to increase chances)
- smoking (causes blood to thicken and cause clots inside veins and arteries)
- unhealthy diet (high in fats can rise blood pressure causing heart to work harder)
- lack of physical activity (fatty material build up in arteries)
Treatment of heart failure?
- combination of medications
- coronary bypass surgery (healthy blood vessel from somewhere else in the body connected to blocked artery)
- heart valve repair or replacement
- cardiac resynchronization (sends electrical signals to tell chambers to squeeze in a more coordinated way)
- ventricular assist device (helps pump blood from ventricles to rest of body)
- heart transplant
