Diseases and
Infections
P2
Introduction
I. Non-infectious diseases
They can be communicable, which can spread from person, object, or
animal to person, and non-communicable, which does not spread from
person to person and are mostly chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes. Diet, lifestyle, amount of
stress, alcohol, drugs these factors can have major impact either on
physical or mental health.
a. Genetic
Genetics studies characteristics that are hereditary from generation to
generation. This happens because when forming a new person right in
the beginning during fertilisation, a person inherits 23 genes from a
father and other 23 from mother. Genes comes in different forms,
called alleles. They can be recessive alleles or dominant alleles. To
able to inherit the disease the person only needs one copy of the allele
,which can come either from the mother or from the father. These
disorders can be caused by mutations in one copy of a gene, or in
multiple genes or even environmental causes. Some symptoms show
at birth, while others develop over time.
Polydactyly is a genetic condition of the seventh chromosome that
causes extra fingers in people. It comes from Poly (“many”) and
dactyls (“digits”). People with polydactyly present extra finger or toe in
hands or foot ether in between or in the end. Usually, it does not
present any other symptoms, but it can sometimes interfere with the
function of the affected hand or foot. Is the second most common hand
anomaly and is present from birth, and it usually affects hands rather
than feet. It occurs in 1 in 1,000 births in general population.
Polydactyly is caused by a dominant allele shown as P, which means
only one of the parents need to have one copy of this allele to have the
condition. This disease runs in the family. This means that the parent’s
children have a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder and there are
50% chance of not inhering. This can be seen by the punnet square.
There is a homozygous woman not affected and a heterozygous man
affected with the condition.
Punnet square:
P p
p Pp pp
p Pp pp
Signs and symptoms
Based on where the extra finger or toe is located, three different types
of polydactylies can be distinguished:
The extra digit in pre-axial polydactyly is located outside the thumb
(radial polydactyly) or big toe (tibial polydactyly). Ulnar polydactyly
and post-axial polydactyly are conditions in which an extra digit
protrudes from the little finger or little toe (fibular polydactyly). Having
an extra digit that is sandwiched between two fingers or toes is known
as central polydactyly.
, An additional finger or toe is the main symptom of polydactyly. An
extra finger that hangs from the hand by a thin cord, a small bump on
the side of the hand, a finger that widens to end in two fingertips, or a
hand with a thumb and five fingers are all examples of the condition.
Treatment
The use of treatments depends on how and where the extra digit is
connected to the hand or foot. But most of the time the extra digit is
removed in child’s first two years of life through surgery as it is
composed of only skin and soft tissue. But as this time passes it
becomes difficult to remove as in some cases they can be fully formed.
A vascular clip may be used to cut off the extra digit if it is not
connected to any bones. The extra digit is attached to the vascular
clip, which stops the blood supply to it. The extra digit will eventually
fall off, much like a new-born baby's belly button stump does
b. Dietary
What is consumed by someone if in excess can lead to different types
of disease. The amount of carbohydrates, fat and proteins that a
person intake, depending on the quantities, can help either reducing or
increasing the risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, strokes,
diabetes and others.
Malnutrition or “poor nutrition” is when a person intake amount of
nutrients below or over the necessary, which is a rare case in United
Kingdom but very common in developing countries. Although in UK
people suffer from micronutrition deficiencies, people tend to eat a lot
but not proper food, that gives energy and essential vitamins and
minerals. There are approximately 3 million people in the UK who are
malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Causes
Malnutrition can be caused by physical, social issues and ageing.
Physical: having teeth issues can make eating difficult or even
painful; losing send of smell and taste; having physical disability that
makes it difficult for the person to cook or go shop food for himself.
Infections
P2
Introduction
I. Non-infectious diseases
They can be communicable, which can spread from person, object, or
animal to person, and non-communicable, which does not spread from
person to person and are mostly chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes. Diet, lifestyle, amount of
stress, alcohol, drugs these factors can have major impact either on
physical or mental health.
a. Genetic
Genetics studies characteristics that are hereditary from generation to
generation. This happens because when forming a new person right in
the beginning during fertilisation, a person inherits 23 genes from a
father and other 23 from mother. Genes comes in different forms,
called alleles. They can be recessive alleles or dominant alleles. To
able to inherit the disease the person only needs one copy of the allele
,which can come either from the mother or from the father. These
disorders can be caused by mutations in one copy of a gene, or in
multiple genes or even environmental causes. Some symptoms show
at birth, while others develop over time.
Polydactyly is a genetic condition of the seventh chromosome that
causes extra fingers in people. It comes from Poly (“many”) and
dactyls (“digits”). People with polydactyly present extra finger or toe in
hands or foot ether in between or in the end. Usually, it does not
present any other symptoms, but it can sometimes interfere with the
function of the affected hand or foot. Is the second most common hand
anomaly and is present from birth, and it usually affects hands rather
than feet. It occurs in 1 in 1,000 births in general population.
Polydactyly is caused by a dominant allele shown as P, which means
only one of the parents need to have one copy of this allele to have the
condition. This disease runs in the family. This means that the parent’s
children have a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder and there are
50% chance of not inhering. This can be seen by the punnet square.
There is a homozygous woman not affected and a heterozygous man
affected with the condition.
Punnet square:
P p
p Pp pp
p Pp pp
Signs and symptoms
Based on where the extra finger or toe is located, three different types
of polydactylies can be distinguished:
The extra digit in pre-axial polydactyly is located outside the thumb
(radial polydactyly) or big toe (tibial polydactyly). Ulnar polydactyly
and post-axial polydactyly are conditions in which an extra digit
protrudes from the little finger or little toe (fibular polydactyly). Having
an extra digit that is sandwiched between two fingers or toes is known
as central polydactyly.
, An additional finger or toe is the main symptom of polydactyly. An
extra finger that hangs from the hand by a thin cord, a small bump on
the side of the hand, a finger that widens to end in two fingertips, or a
hand with a thumb and five fingers are all examples of the condition.
Treatment
The use of treatments depends on how and where the extra digit is
connected to the hand or foot. But most of the time the extra digit is
removed in child’s first two years of life through surgery as it is
composed of only skin and soft tissue. But as this time passes it
becomes difficult to remove as in some cases they can be fully formed.
A vascular clip may be used to cut off the extra digit if it is not
connected to any bones. The extra digit is attached to the vascular
clip, which stops the blood supply to it. The extra digit will eventually
fall off, much like a new-born baby's belly button stump does
b. Dietary
What is consumed by someone if in excess can lead to different types
of disease. The amount of carbohydrates, fat and proteins that a
person intake, depending on the quantities, can help either reducing or
increasing the risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, strokes,
diabetes and others.
Malnutrition or “poor nutrition” is when a person intake amount of
nutrients below or over the necessary, which is a rare case in United
Kingdom but very common in developing countries. Although in UK
people suffer from micronutrition deficiencies, people tend to eat a lot
but not proper food, that gives energy and essential vitamins and
minerals. There are approximately 3 million people in the UK who are
malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Causes
Malnutrition can be caused by physical, social issues and ageing.
Physical: having teeth issues can make eating difficult or even
painful; losing send of smell and taste; having physical disability that
makes it difficult for the person to cook or go shop food for himself.
