...Autoimmune Diseases Your body's immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of the body. These diseases tend to run in families. Women - particularly African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American women - have a higher risk for some autoimmune diseases. The diseases may also have flare-ups, when they get worse, and remissions, when they all but disappear. The diseases do not usually go away, but symptoms can be treated. Multiple Sclerosis Is a disease affecting nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing problems with muscle movement,balance and vision. Every nrve fibre in the brain and spinal cord is surrounded by a layer of protein called myelin which protects the nerve and helps electrical signals from the brain travel to the rest of the body. In MS, the myelin becomes damaged. This disrupts the transfer the transfer of these nerve signals,causing a wide range of potential symptoms such as: * numbness and tingling * blurring of vision * problems with mobility and balance * muscle weakness and tightness * MS can damage nerve fibres in your brain and spinal cord, which can cause muscles to contract tightly and painfully (spasm). Your muscles may also become stiff and resistant to movement, which is known as spasticity. * Neuropathic pain – caused by damage to the nerve fibres in...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
...Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin. A lot of autoimmune diseases attack healthy cells and cause inflammation in the body. Unfortunately, psoriasis not only can affect your skin, research has shown it can affect your heart as well. Because of the increased amount of inflammation in your body researchers believe this can lead to an “increased chance of heart attack or stroke.” If you have psoriasis it is imperative to monitor your heart health and take steps to prevent heart disease. In order to try and avoid having such complications routine checkups, diet, and exercise can help improve or slow down the progression of the disease, researchers believe. Even though psoriasis is an unpredictable disease and it is difficult...
Words: 268 - Pages: 2
...Lupus an Autoimmune Disease Human Body Professor E. December 2012 Abstract Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a complex disease characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies against nuclear antigens and the involvement of multiple organ systems, including the kidneys. The exact events that trigger the onset of clinical manifestations of SLE are not yet well understood. However, research using various mouse strains impulsive and inducible lupus in the last two decades has provided insights into the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of this disease. According to our present understanding, the immunological defects resulting in the development of SLE can be categorized into two phases: (a) systemic autoimmunity resulting in increased serum antinuclear and antiglomerular autoantibodies and (b) immunological events that occur within the target organ and result in end organ damage. TABLE OF CONTENT Abstract…………………………………………………………………….....2 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..4 Discussion……………………………………………………………………..5 What is lupus? Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints and kidneys. The body’s immune system normally makes proteins called antibodies to protect the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder such as lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference...
Words: 1470 - Pages: 6
...disorders, alopecia areata cannot occur because of stress. Genetics A study done by babycenter.com shows that one in every five people with alopecia areata is related to someone with that condition. If your family has this disorder, the likelihood of getting it at a young age is very high. A sixty percentile of people with alopecia areata are below the age of twenty according to a study done by Mayo clinic. Autoimmune diseases Study done by Academy of Dermatology in America, Alopecia areata will occur as a result of the immune system posing an attack on a person’s hair follicles. It is a common condition with families that have autoimmune diseases like diabetes, asthma and atopic eczema. These diseases raise the chances of getting the disorder. Viral trigger Alopecia areata can be triggered by a virus. People that succumb to viral allergies and illness are at a higher risk of contracting the disorder. Diagnosing alopecia areata To determine whether a patient has alopecia areata, doctors usually examine the patient’s medical history to see if they have any of the diseases that are associated with people with that disorder like atopic eczema and check out the patients hair loss patterns. The doctor may also conduct a physical examination of their hair. The physical examination will involve examination of the patients scalp and hair or doing some tests on the patient’s blood to see if they have an overactive thyroid glands or an underactive one. Treatment of...
Words: 394 - Pages: 2
... No lesion, no fever, and no change in his walking. He was admitted to the floor for IV steroid and pain management. When we received the sign-out from the ED doctor on this case; I was wondering what “chilblains” means and how I can manage it. The term chilblains is a descriptive word usually referring to an idiopathic medical condition, often cold-induced vasculopathy characterised by dusky red-purple nodules over skin of the hands and feet (Collins, Arnold, & Kissel, 2013). Chilblain is a clinical diagnosis; therefore, it is important to obtain a detailed history and do a comprehensive physical examination to exclude associated conditions, such as systematic disease or connective tissue disorder. Furthermore, full laboratory workup for a patient with chilblains should be done to exclude any systemic or autoimmune disorders, including the following lab tests: complete blood count with differentia, antinuclear antibody screen, cold agglutinin, cryoglobulin, cryofibrinogen and antiphospholipid antibody pane. Moreover, nerve biopsy is crucial for definitive diagnosis of a patient with suspected vasculitic neuropathy that leads to chilblains; a histologic diagnosis of definite vasculitic neuropathy requires inflammation within the vessel wall and signs of active or chronic vascular damage (Larkins & Murray, 2013). The fundamental histopathologic findings in equestrian chilblain show a relatively dense superficial...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic progressive disease-causing inflammation in the joints and resulting in painful deformity and immobility, especially in the fingers, wrists, feet, and ankles. It is a form of Arthritis that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and causes loss of function in the joints. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is when your immune cells of your body make a mistake and attack your own organs, cells, and tissues. It releases antibodies and irritating chemicals resulting in damage and inflammation at the area it is happening at. “Over time, RA can affect other body parts and systems, from your eyes to your heart, lungs, skin, blood vessels, and more.” (WebMD 2018) RA effects both sides of the body for example both knees, and both wrists....
Words: 1290 - Pages: 6
...The immune system is a complex system within the body that, when healthy, defends against foreign invaders and keeps the body free of infectious organisms that could cause harm to the body. When it is healthy and fights off a certain bacteria, infection, etc. it can grow an immunity to that specific agent and lower the person’s chances of contracting that sickness again. If the immune system gets out of balance, however, this can cause several problems. The body will become susceptible to any infectious sicknesses that they come in contact with and can even die. There is also the chance of this resulting in an autoimmune disease which is when “the immune system can attack the body’s own tissues…or it can over respond to common substances, creating...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...Promotion Shenetter C. Morris Dr. Cynthia Davis HSA 505 December 11, 2011 Product, Price, Distribution, and Promotion Identify a specialty that fits for your geographic area and justify your selection. A specialty that’s fits the Alabama geographic area is women’s health. The top five areas of women’s health that are affecting the lives of women on a daily basis are: heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis. Based on research I will attempt to prove why women’s health was chosen as a specialty by providing statistical facts and benefits. Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart disease each year, accounting for a third of all deaths in women. Heart disease is the number one killer in the state of Alabama. Research shows that in the year 2007 a total of 11,926 people died of heart disease and of that number 6, 018 were females. On an average, nearly twenty-one females die from heart disease in Alabama each day. Alabama is one of five states to have the highest death rate from heart disease. Alabama has the second highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the country ("Alabama state fact,”). Statistics for the Alabama area show that per 100,000 women a rate of 116.8 was white and a rate of 116.2 was black that reported breast cancer incidents. Based on 100,000 women rates of 24.1 experienced deaths by breast cancer, rates show that 21.5 of women that died by breast cancer were white and 33.1 of those women were black ("Breast...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
...CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE Dominique Lewis Anatomy & Physiology I | BIO1011 15 South University . Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) What’s considered to be an autoimmune disorder, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) is one of the most puzzling diseases due to its overlapping characteristics. These overlapping characteristics include the diseases systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, and polymyositis (http://lup.sagepub.com/content/15/3/132.short). Though the disease is somewhat unknown and presumably hereditary, the uncovered cause and criteria for diagnosis is linked through like antibodies and antigens (http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM197611182952101). MCTD affects numerous body systems i.e. skeletal, muscular, skeletal, digestive, and nervous (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Mixed_Connective_Tissue_Disease). Treatment for this disease is patient specific depending on the severity of each case; while the medications prescribed are ailment specific, creating a huge risk of developing side effects due to contraindications and normal use. In diagnosing these side effects, one must first explore the history of MCTD. What is Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)? In 1972 (Venables) Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) was first recognized for its overlapping features by its like or “mixed” similarities noticed in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of three autoimmune connective tissue...
Words: 702 - Pages: 3
...Goodpasture’s Syndrome Goodpasture’s syndrome is a rare disease caused by an autoimmune disorder. The history and disease process will be reviewed during the education process. Following the review, this education plan will direct methods of learning, challenges, impact of quality of life for a 44-year-old male patient, named Jim. Shah, M, and Hugghins, S (2002) describe case results of a study completed about Goodpasture’s syndrome. Based on their study, the median age of a patient presenting with Goodpasture’s syndrome was 44 and the patients were predominantly male. This gentleman is the manager of a shoe store and has a history of good health. This Caucasian gentleman also has a wife of Spanish descent, and a teenage daughter. Shah, M., & Hugghins, S (2002) found the first reported case of Goodpasture's syndrome was found in an 18-year-old male patient coughing blood and presenting with renal failure. During this presentation of symptoms the pandemic of 1919 was also taking place, 2002. Stanton and Tange, 1958) used the term "Goodpasture's syndrome" to identify patients with pulmonary hemorrhage and damage to the filtrating system of the kidneys called, glomerulonephritis. In 1967 the autoimmune quality of Goodpasture's syndrome was discovered after finding antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies. Presentation of Symptoms Like most patients, Jim, presented with hemoptysis, a cough, shortness of breath on exertion, and fatigue. Other symptoms include signs and symptoms...
Words: 1310 - Pages: 6
...Have you ever seen people walking around with white patches all over there body? Do you ever wonder what condition or disease that person may have? Do we at times just these people and look down on them just because they look different? What is our reaction when we see a person walking on the street that has white patches all over them? Are we quick to judge, or do we simply look at it as they have a health problem and there's nothing wrong with that? Do some of us even know what those white patches on the skin may mean? Those white patches that we at times see in some people are a condition known as Vitiligo. Vitiligo is medically known for being an auto-immune disease. An auto-immune disease simply means that the person's own immune system attacks its own tissues and in some cases their organs. When a person has vitiligo, their melanocytes are destroyed or killed off and they start to get pigmentations (white patches) on different parts of their bodies. The parts of the body that may get pigmentations are: the hands, feet, face, the inside of the mouth, genitals, rectum, and in some cases the persons hair may turn white because of the vitiligo. In other cases of vitiligo, the mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose) and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball) can be affected. The cause of vitiligo is still unknown, but some scientists and doctors have developed a few theories about its origin. Some scientists and doctors...
Words: 368 - Pages: 2
...turn against you? The hypochondriac is actually correct for once thinking that they have a serious disease. Lupus is commonly misdiagnosed as signs and symptoms of other illnesses. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is unpreventable, incurable and affects many people worldwide every year. Antibodies attack healthy cells opens the opportunity for infection, causing strain on the body which causes the body to show signs and symptoms trying to correct the problem. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million people in the United States have some form of lupus (Raymond). The disease is incurable hence it is important that research is done to lower the rates of lupus worldwide. During this...
Words: 1530 - Pages: 7
...Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS) A look into an emerging rare genetic disorder: A Case Study Rebecca Nelson MLS 465 *The patient history, results, and diagnosis in this case study are real. Patient consent was obtained. Overview: A healthy female adult made a new patient appointment to be seen who was experiencing joint pain in her right knee, having trouble walking as result, and felt slightly ill (malaise). Patient arrived to physician’s office limping with limited mobility of right knee, the use of crutches was needed for patient to move. Upon examination, the physician noticed raised hives (urticarial rash) on back, stomach, and arms as well as extreme redness in the left eye similar to conjunctivitis. Patient wanted instant relief for joint pain and indicated other symptoms are ‘normal’ and have been consistent symptoms since birth. Patient temperature was 99.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Full Patient History: Patient was born in a dry desert environment but had spent 8 years in a mountainous city with cold winters. Patient had been back in dry desert environment for 4 months when this appointment was made. Patient has travelled to Nicaragua for two months in 2007 and Costa Rica for 5 weeks in 2009. First indication of symptoms was a full case of urticarial, extreme joint pain, and what the patient described as partial paralysis due to joint pain around the ages of 3-4. Patient did not have medical records but reports tests were completed upon admission...
Words: 771 - Pages: 4
...Being told you or a loved on has to go on chemo can be a very scary thing, but what I find scarier than that is Chemotherapeutic treatments are not cures for diseases, they are simply treatments. And yes I used the word diseases and not cancer nor types of cancer. Chemo is used for more than cancer even though it actually cures nothing. One of the most well known diseases that chemo is used to treat (aside from cancers) is an autoimmune disease called lupus. Chemo being used to treat Lupus is better know due to Selena Gomez being diagnosed with Lupus an Autoimmune disease, though some people think Lupus is a try of cancer due to the chemo( it’s not) but I digress. Chemo may not always be what is best for someone who has been given the option...
Words: 1733 - Pages: 7
...Clinical Applications Objectives In this chapter we will study • various approaches to the study of disease; • the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; • common causes of disease; • the distinction between signs and symptoms of disease; • terms used to describe the time course of a disease; and • common abbreviations for medical specialists and specialties. Homeostasis and Disease The body’s tendency to maintain internal stability is called homeostasis. Examples include the body’s relatively stable temperature, blood glucose concentration, hormone levels, acid-base balance, and electrolyte balance. When physiological variables deviate too much from their set point, the body activates negative feedback loops that tend to restore stability and maintain health. In some cases, such as the stoppage of bleeding, positive feedback loops are activated to bring about rapid change. If the attempt to regain homeostasis fails, disease results. There is a strong emphasis in medicine today on promoting wellness through prevention. However, this manual focuses on what happens when prevention fails, homeostasis is disrupted, and disease occurs. The Study of Disease Disease (illness) is any deviation from normal that interferes with correct, life-sustaining bodily function. Literally, the word means dis-ease, the opposite of ease (comfort and normal function). Disease may have underlying structural foundations, such as a broken bone, and its effects may be observed not...
Words: 3427 - Pages: 14
