HOSA Nursing Assistant: Disabilities & Disorders

blind

unable to see

Otitis Media

infection of the middle ear due to viruses or bacteria

- can be acute or chronic; damaging the tympanic membrane which could lead to permanent hearing loss

tinnitus

ringing or buzzing in the ears

vertigo

dizziness

Meniere's Disease

disorder of inner ear causing vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss

hearing loss

not being able to hear the normal range of sounds associated with normal hearing

deafness

the most sever form of hearing loss in which it is impossible for the person to understand speech through hearing alone

cerumen

ear wax

aphasia

the total or partial loss of the ability to use or understand language due to damage to parts of the brain responsible for language

apraxia of speech

the brain cannot coordinate the speech muscles therefore, cannot use the speech muscles to produce understandable speech

dysarthria

damage done to the nervous system affecting the mouth and face muscles resulting in difficult or poor speech

expressive aphasia (motor aphasia, Broca's aphasia)

the difficulty expressing or sending out thoughts due to the inability of speaking words. results in difficult speaking, spelling, counting, gesturing, or writing

receptive aphasia (Wernicke's aphasia)

the difficultly understanding language orally or literally. results in speaking with no meaning, or not being able to identify what's been said

expressive-receptive aphasia (global aphasia, mixed aphasia)

the difficulty speaking and understanding language

glaucoma

increased intraocular pressure results in damage to the retina and optic nerve with loss of vision

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

a condition in which the macula degenerates, gradually causing central vision loss; a blind spot in the center of the eye

Wet AMD

abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula and can leak blood and fluid, raising the macula and impairing central vision. As the macula is displaced, straight lines may look wavy

Dry AMD

most common type of AMD; causes deposits of yellow-colored extracellular material within the macula of the eye, causing possible atrophy of the retina and a gradual loss of central vision

diabetic retinopathy

occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina, causing blood to leak into the posterior segment of the eyeball

low vision

eyesight that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, drugs, or surgery

braille

a system of writing that uses raised dots which are read by the fingertips of a blind person

cancer

any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division

tumor

a mass of abnormal cells that develops when cancerous cells divide and grow uncontrollably.

malignant tumors (cancer)

invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other body parts; they can grow back after removal (life threatening)

benign tumors

rather large tumors that do not spread to other body parts; do not grow back after removal (rarely life threatening)

metastasis

the spread of cancer to other body parts; occurs when cancer is not treated and controlled

radiation therapy

treatment of cancer with a radioactive substance, x-ray, or radiation

chemotherapy

the use of drugs to treat diseases such as cancer

hormone therapy

treatment of cancer with natural hormones or with chemicals that produce hormone-like effects

biological therapy

use of the body's own defenses to destroy tumor cells

immune system

a complex response system that protects the body from bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances

immune system disorders

autoimmune responses, as well as progressive weakening of immune response

autoimmune disorders

cause the body's immune system to assault its own cells, tissues, or organs as if it were a foreign invader

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

the most advanced, and fatal, stage of an HIV infection. it attacks the immune system, therefore destroying the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

the virus that causes AIDS by spreading through body fluids- blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. although, it is very fragile and canot live outside the body

shingles

viral disease that affects the peripheral nerves and causes blisters on the skin that follow the course of the affected nerves

stroke, brain attack (cerebrovascular accident CVA)

a disease that affects the arteries that supply blood to the brain

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain

hemiplegia

paralysis of one side of the body

Parkinson's disease

a slow, progressive disorder with no cure due to the area of the brain that controls muscle movement is affected

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

destruction of the myelin sheath on neurons in the CNS and its replacement by plaques of sclerotic (hard) tissue

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem

Head Injury

trauma that leads to injury of scalp, skull, and/or brain

Spinal Cord Injury

trauma to the vertebral column

Autonomic Dysreflexia

patients with spinal cord injuries are at risk for developing autonomic dysreflexia (T-7 or above)

Arthritis

inflammation of a joint

osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease)

form of arthritis marked by progressive cartilage deterioration in synovial joints and vertebrae

rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

chronic joint condition with inflammation and pain; caused by an autoimmune reaction against joint tissue, particularly the synovial membrane

Arthroplasty

surgical repair or replacement of a joint

osteoporosis

a condition in which the body's bones become weak and break easily.

fracture

broken bone

closed fracture (simple)

broken bone does not penetrate the skin

open fracture (compound)

broken bone penetrates through the skin

traction

a pull to the arm or leg muscles to bring a bone back into place when it is dislocated or fractured

amputation

a surgical removal of all or part of a limb

cardiovascular disease

a disease of the heart and blood vessels

hypertension

high blood pressure

congenital heart defect

a defect or malformation of the heart or its major blood vessels, present at birth

hypotension

low blood pressure

pre-hypertension

when the systolic pressure is between 120 and 139 mm Hg or the diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89 mm Hg

in hypertension, the diastolic pressure is...

is 90 mm Hg or higher

in hypertension, the systolic pressure is...

is 140 mm Hg or higher

coronary artery disease (CAD)

a treatable disease in which the coronary arteries surrounding the heart become hardened and narrow, resulting in the loss of blood and oxygen to the heart muscles

cardiac rehabilitation

a medically supervised program to help heart patients recover quickly and improve their overall physical and mental functioning with exercise training and education, counseling training

angina

a chest pain due to the reduced blood flow and oxygen to the part of the heart muscle

myocardial infarction (MI)

sudden death of the heart muscles due to the sudden blockage of blood flow resulting in damage to that specific area

heart failure

congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when the heart is weakened and cannot pump normally resulting in tissue congestion and blood backing up

pulmonary edema

fluid in the air sacs and bronchioles

respiratory disorders

conditions interfering with oxygen being inhaled into the lungs and carbon dioxide being exhaled from the body

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

a disease that results in a gradual loss of lung function, obstructing airflow

chronic bronchitis

inflammation of bronchi persisting over a long time; type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

emphysema

hyperinflation of air sacs with destruction of alveolar walls; type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

asthma

the inflammation and narrowing of the airways, resulting in extra mucus being produced and dyspnea; could be mild to sever

influenza

respiratory infection caused by viruses

pneumonia

sudden inflammation and infection of lung tissues

tuberculosis (TB)

a bacterial infection of the lungs that is the most significant opportunistic infection associated with HIV

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

a disease in which stomach's acid contents flow back from the stomach into the esophagus

esophagitis

inflammation of the esophagus

vomiting

expelling stomach contents through the mouth ; signaling illness or injury

vomitus (emesis)

food and fluids expelled from the stomach through the mouth

diverticular disease

condition in which bulging pouches (diverticula) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract push the mucosal lining through the surrounding muscle; cause abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower left abdomen

gallstones

form when the bile in the gallbladder hardens into stone-like pieces which results in a blockage of the flow of bile

hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection, that causes fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, fatigue, and altered liver function; mild or can cause death

hepatitis A

inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), usually transmitted orally through fecal contamination of food or water

hepatitis B

inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is transmitted sexually or by exposure to contaminated blood or body fluids

hepatitis C

inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is transmitted by exposure to infected blood; this strain is rarely contracted sexually

hepatitis D

inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV)

hepatitis E

spread through food or water contaminated by feces from an infected person; spread through a fecal-oral route

endocrine system

glands secrete hormones that regulate processes such as growth, reproduction, and nutrient use (metabolism) by body cells.

diabetes

a disorder in which the body cannot produce or use insulin properly resulting in high blood glucose

type 1 diabetes

diabetes of a form that usually develops during childhood or adolescence and is characterized by a severe deficiency of insulin, leading to high blood glucose levels.

type 2 diabetes

diabetes of a form that develops especially in adults and most often obese individuals and that is characterized by high blood glucose resulting from impaired insulin utilization coupled with the body's inability to compensate with increased insulin production.

gestational diabetes

a form of diabetes mellitus that occurs during some pregnancies

hyopglycemia

low blood sugar

urinary tract infection (UTIs)

common bacterial infections in one area can involve the entire system

cystitis

inflammation of bladder due to infection

oliguria

scanty urination

dysuria

painful urination (follows oliguria)

hematuria

blood in the urine

pyuria

pus in the urine