Studied by 3 people
Health
the condition in which the human body performs its vital functions normally; the body's various organ systems function optimally
Homeostasis
A state of balance among all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly; the body's organ systems normally maintain temperature, pH, blood composition, and fluid levels in a precise range and correct any fluctuations before they harm the body
What does health depend on?
homeostasis
Disease
a significant disturbance in the homeostasis of the body; a deviation from normal structure or function in the body that interrupts or modifies the performance of vital functions
(ex) diabetes
Pathology
the study of disease, especially the structural and functional changes associated with disease; the study of its causes, mechanisms, signs and symptoms, treatments, and prevention
Pathologist
a physician who studies and interprets the changes cause by disease; examining cells, tissues, organs, and lab test results
How can a disease be recognized?
through its characteristic signs and symptoms
Signs
evidence of disease observed on physical examination
(ex) abnormal pulse or respiratory rate, fever, and sweating
Symptoms
indications of disease reported by the patient
(ex) pain, dizziness, and itching
Asymptomatic Disease
a disease that causes no signs or symptoms
(ex) chlamydia
Syndrome
an abnormal structure or function characterized by a group of signs and symptoms that usually go together
(ex) AIDS, malabsorption syndrome, down syndrome
Disorder
functional abnormality not necessarily linked to a specific cause or physical abnormality
(ex) adhd, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and hemorrhoids
Do disorders need to be accompanied by specific signs and symptoms?
No. Disorders might be accompanied by specific signs and symptoms, but their presence is NOT required for a condition to be termed a disorder
Diagnosis
the process of identifying a disease or disorder
What are several different types of information that can be used for a diagnosis?
Signs and Symptoms (acquired through physical examination and interviews with a patient or patient's family)
Course and history of signs and symptoms
Results of laboratory tests (analysis of the composition of urine, blood, throat swabs, stool, sputum, etc)
Biopsy
Imaging technologies (ECG, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, etc)
What occurs during a physical exam?
Inspection
Palpation
Auscultation
Percussion
Vital signs
Inspection
a visual examination of the external surface of the body, its movements, and posture for abnormalities and/or evidence of disease
Palpation
feeling the body with fingers/hands; allows examination of the size consistency, texture, location, and tenderness of an organ or body part
Auscultation
Listening to the lungs, heart, and intestines; allows evaluation of the frequency, intensity, duration, number, and quality of sounds originating in the body.
Percussion
producing sounds by tapping on specific areas of the body with fingers, hands, or a small instrument; allows for evaluation of the size, consistency and borders of the body organs and the presence or absence of fluid in body areas.
Vital Signs
pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and temperature are measures of various physiological statistics in order to assess the most basic body functions; normal vital signs vary with age, sex, weight, exercise tolerance, and physical condition
Biopsy
surgical removal and analysis of tissue samples
What does a electrocardiogram (ECG) do?
reads the heart's electrical impulses
What does a radiography do?
uses x-rays to visualize internal structures
What does a computed tomography (CT) scan do?
uses computers and x-rays to create 3-dimensional images of internal structures
What does magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) do?
analyzes tissue responses to a strong magnetic field to create images of internal structures
What does an ultrasound do?
analyzes the interaction of low-frequency sound waves with tissues to create moving images of internal organs
What does nuclear medicine do?
uses radioactive materials to create contrast in the body and help form images of the structure and function of organs
Prognosis
the predicted course and outcome of a disease; can state the chances for complete recovery, predict the permanent loss of a function, or give probability of survival
acute diseases
diseases that have a sudden onset and short duration
(ex) Influenza, measles, the common cold
terminal diseases
diseases that will end in death
Chronic diseases
diseases that have a slower, less severe onset and a long duration of months or years
(ex) heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis
What are the ten leading causes of death in the world?
Ischemic heart disease
stroke and other cerebrovascular disease
lower respiratory infections
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
diarrheal disease
HIV/AIDS
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
Tuberculosis
Diabetes
Road traffic accidents
What is/are the leading cause(s) of death in wealthy western countries?
Chronic diseases = Overall
1. Ischemic heart disease
2. Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease
3. Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
4. Alzheimer's and other dementias
5. Lower respiratory infections
6. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
7. Colon and rectum cancers
8. Diabetes mellitus
9. Hypertensive heart disease
10. Breast cancer
What is/are the leading cause(s) of death in low income countries?
Infectious diseases = Overall
1. Lower respiratory infections
2. Diarrhea disease
3. HIV/AIDS
4. Ischemic heart disease
5. Malaria
6. Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease
7. Tuberculosis
8. Prematurity and low birth weight
9. Birth asphyxia and birth trauma
10. Neonatal infections
Remission
a period which a disease signs and symptoms subside or disappear; not a cure and can last for days, months, or years, and can recur anytime
Exacerbation
increase in the severity of a diseases' signs and symptoms
Can diseases be characterized by periods of remission, recurrence, and exacerbation?
Yes. For example, leukemia and ulcerative colitis are characterized by periods of remission, recurrence, and exacerbation.
Relapse
the return of a disease weeks or months after its apparent cure
Complication
a related disease or other abnormal state that develops in a person already suffering from a disease; may interfere with recovery from the original disease
(ex) anemia is a complication of leukemia
Sequela/Sequel
the aftermath of a particular disease
(ex) a sequela of rheumatic fever is permanent damage to the heart
Is the number of deaths caused by a disease important to monitor?
Yes, even it causes very few deaths.
Morality
the number of deaths that occur among people with a certain disease
Morbidity
the number of cases of a disease in a population; the incidence of disease
Prevalence
the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time
What are the uses of pervalence data?
1. It allows the determination of the impact and significance of a disease for a population
2. Used to direct health. care resources and research
3. See the significance of certain disease for certain demographics
Epidemiology
the study of the occurrence, transmission, distribution, and control of disease
Etiology
the cause(s) of a disease
Pathogenesis
describes how the cause of a disease leads to anatomical and physiological changes in the body that ultimately result in the disease
Idiopathic Disease
a disease in which the cause is unknown
What are the major categories of diseases?
1. Hereditary diseases
2. Congenital diseases
3. Degenerative diseases
4. Inflammation/autoimmunity/allergy
5. Infectious diseases
6. Neoplastic diseases
7. Metabolic diseases
8. Trauma
9. Nutritional-imbalance diseases
Hereditary disease
Abnormality in an individual's genes or chromosomes.
Congenital disease
Exist at or date from birth; can be acquired through heredity or acquired during development in the uterus.
Degenerative disease
Function or structure of the affected tissues or organs progressively deteriorates over time.
Inflammation/autoimmunity/allergy
Result of abnormal immune function
Infectious disease
caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses
Neoplastic disease
Result from abnormal growth that leads to the formation of tumors
Metabolic disease
Disruption of normal metabolism, the process of converting food to energy on a cellular level.
Trauma
Physical or chemical injury.
Nutritional-imbalance disease
Over or under consumption of nutrients.
Does a risk factor decrease a person's chance of developing disease?
No, it increases it
Is a risk factor equivalent to etiology?
No
If a person has (a) certain risk factor(s) for a disease, will they immediately acquire the disease?
No, it just increases the risk for developing that disease.
If a person eliminates known risk factors for a disease, will that lower the chance of developing that disease?
yes
What are the categories of risk factors?
genetic, environmental, chemical, physiological, and psychological
What are the four modifiable risk factors that are responsible for much of the illness, disability, and premature death related to chronic diseases?
Lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption
Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as how many drinks per day for men? For women?
2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women
How many times per week should you engage in strength and flexibility training?
at least 2 times per week
How many minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity does an adult need to do per week?
75 minutes
How much of your healthy plate should be fruits and vegetables?
half your plate
What are a few simple steps to decrease the risk for diseases and promote long, health lives?
-Be physically active
-Eat wisely
-Maintain a health weight
-Be tobacco free
-limit alcohol
-get recommended screening tests and immunizations
-manage stress
What is the goal of treatment?
treatment aims to cure a disease or reduce the severity of its signs and symptoms; not all diseases are curable
What is the goal of palliative treatment?
provide comfort and relieve pain
Doe treatment include medical (pharmacologic) procedures?
Yes, treatment uses specific drugs to cure or relieve signs and symptoms. For example, antibiotics kill the bacteria that cause pneumonia.
Some athletes may develop abnormally high red blood cell counts. Why? In the athlete's case, is this a sign of disease?
Abnormally high red blood cell counts can and do occur in well-trained athletes. Athletes develop increased cardiovascular efficiency and produce more red blood cells. Their hearts can handle the slightly increased viscosity of the blood and thus higher red blood cell levels may not be a sign of disease.
Chronic diseases and their major risk factors place huge economic demands on our nation. For example, from 1987 to 2001 increases in obesity prevalence alone accounted for 12% of the growth in health care spending. What factors may have contributed to this increase in obesity in the United States? What is being done or what could be done to reverse the trend?
Obesity is the result of an energy imbalance; eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity. Body weight may be the result of genetics, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status. Behavior and environment are the key areas in obesity prevention.
A patient reports to her physician that she feels weak and dizzy. Is this enough information to make a diagnosis? What other sources of information can her physician consult?
No. Many diseases share these symptoms. A simple history can determine if she ate recently or if she is under stress, depressed, or anxious, and a blood test can determine her sugar levels and the presence of diabetes. The physician can consult a blood test to determine anemia or other blood disorders. A physical exam can determine whether she has hypertension. Cardiovascular abnormalities can be determined with a physical exam or with imaging techniques. In short, several diseases can explain these symptoms.
A skin rash is an example of a ____________________.
a. sign
b. symptom
c. laboratory result
d. syndrome
a. sign
A(n) ____________________ disease has a sudden onset and short course.
a. acute
b. terminal
c. chronic
d. idiopathic
a. acute
The cause of a disease is known as its ____________________.
a. pathogenesis
b. complication
c. sequela
d. etiology
d. etiology
The condition in which the human body performs its vital functions normally is known as ____________________.
a. health
b. disease
c. disorder
d. homeostasis
a. health
Signs and symptoms grow more severe in a period known as ____________________.
a. remission
b. exacerbation
c. relapse
d. complication
b. exacerbation
True or False: Homeostasis refers to the process of identifying a disease from its signs and symptoms.
False
True or False: Mortality refers to the number of deaths caused by a disease.
True
True or False: Symptoms are objective evidence of a disease.
False
True or False: Signs may be perceived by the physician.
True
True or False: Remission and relapse may characterize a chronic disease.
True
The predicted outcome of a disease is its ____________________.
prognosis
Diseases with a rapid onset and resolution are called ____________________ diseases.
acute
If the cause of a disease is not known, it is said to be ____________________.
idiopathic
Return of symptoms after their apparent cessation is ____________________.
relapse
The signs and symptoms of a chronic disease at times subside during a period known as ____________________.
remission
Note
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