the illnesses

what is type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common condition that causes the glucose level in the blood to become too high.It's a lifelong condition that can affect your everyday life. You may need to change your diet, take medicines and have regular check-ups. It's caused by problems with a hormone called insulin. It's often linked to being overweight or inactive, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes. People are more likely of developing T2D if you:

* are over 40 (or 25 for south Asian people)
* have a close relative with diabetes 
* are overweight or obese
* are of Asian, African-Caribbean or black African origin 

physical effects of type 2 diabetes

* peeing more than usual, particularly at night
* feeling thirsty all the time
* feeling very tired
* losing weight without trying to
* itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
* cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
* blurred vision
* Can lead to eyes, heart or nerves problems

What T2D can lead to:

* Heart disease
* Stroke
* Loss of feeling/ pain due to nerve damage
* Problems with feet
* Vision loss 
* miscarriage or stillbirth
* Sexual problems
* Kidney problems

social effects of type 2 diabetes

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* They may be embarrassed of their weight and not want to go out
* They might spend a lot of time at appointments and cannot make time to see family or friends
* They might end up severely ill and in hospital or bed bound so cannot leave
* If in state of bed bound a family member could be a part time carer for them
* They might not want to have people over due to a mess in their house which due to condition they haven't been able to clean
* Their mobility may be affected and not be able to do the activities they once done
* They could feel constantly exhausted and not be able to go out or due to tiredness be unfriendly to others

psychological effects of type 2 diabetes

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* Depressed due to not being able to go outside
* Lonely as cannot see family and friends
* Confused on how it got so bad
* Scared due to the complications that can arise
* Anxiety, scared to leave house due to others judgements

what is cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. This causes lung infections and problems with digesting food. Most cases are picked up at birth, and gradually the symptoms will worsen over time, leaving the life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis to be an average of 35 years of age

what causes cystic fibrosis

It is a genetic condition, caused by a faulty gene that affects the movement of salt and water in and out of cells. This, along with recurrent infections, can result in a build-up of thick, sticky mucus in the body's tubes and passageways – particularly the lungs and digestive system. This is not a contagious disease.

There's no cure for CF, but a range of treatments can help control, prevent or reduce complications, and make the condition easier to live with.

physical effects of cystic fibrosis

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* Recurring chest infections
* Wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and damage to the airways
* Small is size and weight
* Jaundice
* Diarrhoea or constipation
* Weak bones
* Diabetes
* Liver problems
* Fertility problems

social effects of cystic fibrosis

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* A person with CF cannot be in direct physical contact with another person with CF due to the likelihood of spreading infections
* Will not be able to partake in vigorous exercise, such as team sports due to breathing difficulties
* Some of the time, a person with CF can feel too weak to get out of the house
* Socially excluded - people looking and talking to you differently
* Frequent hospital appointments limiting time with friends

psychological effects of cystic fibrosis

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* Feel depressed due to poor condition
* Feel anxious or stressed, knowing there's no cure
* Feel disempowered as lack of control over your life
* Lack of motivation
* Feel insecure or vulnerable so isolate yourself from family and friends
* Find inner strength to deal with illness and to live life for the positives

what is osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff. It's the most common type of arthritis in the UK.  Almost any joint can be affected by OA, but the condition most often causes problems in the knees, hips and small joints of the hands.

physical effects of osteoarthritis

The severity of OA symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, and between different affected joints. For some people, the symptoms can be mild but for others, they can experience more continuous and severe problems which make it difficult to carry out everyday activities. Symptoms include:

* joint tenderness 
* increased pain and stiffness in joints
* joints appearing slightly larger or more "knobbly" than usual
* a grating or crackling sound in your joints
* limited range of movement 
* weakness and muscle wasting

osteoarthritis of the hand

Osteoarthritis often affects three main areas of your hand:

* the base of your thumb
* the joints closest to your fingertips
* the middle joints of your fingers

With symptoms of:

* Your fingers may become stiff, painful and swollen 
* You may develop bumps on your finger joints.
* Your fingers may bend sideways slightly at your affected joints 
*  you may develop painful cysts on the backs of your fingers.
* develop a bump at the base of your thumb where it joins your wrist. This can be painful 
* you may find it difficult to perform some manual tasks

osteoarthritis of the knee

OA in your knee will affect both your knees over time, unless it occurred as the result of an injury or another condition affecting only one knee. 

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* Your knees may be most painful when you walk 
* Sore walking up slopes or stairs
* knees may "give way" beneath you or
* difficult to straighten your legs.
* You may hear a soft, grating sound when you move the affected joint.

osteoarthritis of the hip

Osteoarthritis in your hips often causes difficulty moving your hip joints. 

* difficult to put your shoes and socks on
* Difficult to get in and out of a car.
* have pain in the groyne or outside the hip. 
* Worse pain when you move the hip joints
* affect you when you're resting or sleeping

social effects of osteoarthritis

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* Cannot participate in certain sports
* In a lot of pain to the point they cannot leave house
* Embarrassed of lumps on hands or knees
* Cannot walk
* Cannot join family or friends activities
* Have a carer to talk to if cannot to tasks
* Family member could be a carer
* Lack of sleep so in bad mood
* Frail due to decay of muscle

psychological effects of osteoarthritis

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* Feeling trapped, due to not being able to leave house
* Anxious, about how people may judge
* Depressed, feeling alone as no one understands
* Angry, that there is no cure and they have to suffer
* Worried, about condition worsening
* Love from family
* Motivation to fight

what is huntingtons disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a condition that stops parts of the brain from working properly, it is a genetic degenerative disease. Huntington's disease is caused by a faulty gene that results in parts of the brain becoming gradually damaged over time. You're usually only at risk of developing it if one of your parents has or had it. Both men and women can get it.

physical effects of huntingtons disease

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* memory lapses
* depression
* stumbling and clumsiness
* mood swings, such as irritability or aggressive behaviour
* difficulty concentrating

Later symptoms may arise which are usually more serious:

*  involuntary jerking or fidgety movements of the limbs and body
* difficulty speaking clearly 
* Swallowing problems – they may choke on food and get lung infections (pneumonia) from food going down the wrong way
* increasingly slow or rigid movements
* personality changes 
* breathing problems
* difficulty moving around – they may eventually lose the ability to walk or sit up by themselves
* obesity

social effects of huntingtons disease

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* Due to the difficulty speaking, it'll make it harder for family and friends to understand the person with HD
* Personality changes may affect the companionship they have with others
* Coping with depression can be very isolating and cause the person with HD to avoid family and friends
* Mood swings may make the person with HD hard to be around if they are unfriendly
* Difficulty moving around will cause them to limit their time outside the house, lowering their sociability

psychological effects of huntingtons disease

* Depression


* Anxiety, scared of judgement when leaving the house
* Love, from supportive family
* Alone, no one to relate to
* Could develop bipolar disorder or multiple personality disorder
* Stressed, knowing there's no cure
* Feeling trapped, like their life is on a loop of illness and they cannot control it