LEARNING AIM A: INVESTIGATE THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS
P1: Explain the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on service
users
M1 Analyse the changes in body systems and functions resulting from different types of
: physiological disorders on service users
D1: Evaluate the impact of physiological disorders on the health and wellbeing of service users
In this assignment I will be investigating the causes and effects of physiological disorders. I will be
explaining the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on service
users. I will also be analysing the changes in body systems and functions resulting from different
types of physiological disorders on service users. Finally, I will be evaluating the impact of
physiological disorders on the health and wellbeing of service users.
P1: Explain the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on
service users
TYPE 2 DIABETES:
A physiological disorder is an illness that interferes with the way that the functions of the body are
carried out. As a result of the incorrect functioning, certain effects will be seen in the body. These
may be due to numerous reasons, depending on the body system involved and the functions that
are not working correctly. For instance, there may be not enough or excessive amounts of a
particular substance, deterioration of specific cell types or obstructions of pathways. A disorder
affecting the functioning of a particular body system generally has several effects on other body
systems and how they function. (Pearsonactivelearn.com, 2020)
Diabetes is a disorder of insulin metabolism. There are two distinctive types of diabetes. Insulin is a
hormone secreted by the pancreas and it controls blood sugar or glucose metabolism. Type 2
diabetes is a common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too
high. It's instigated by complications with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin. Type 2
diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas is incapable of
producing an adequate amount of insulin. It is a chronic condition that affects the way your body
metabolises sugar (glucose) — a vital source of energy for your body. With type 2 diabetes, your
body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into
your cells — or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes
used to be identified as adult-onset diabetes, but currently more children are being diagnosed with
the disorder, perhaps due to the rise in childhood obesity. There's no cure for type 2 diabetes, but
losing weight, eating well and exercising can help manage the disease. If diet and exercise aren't
enough to manage blood sugar well, individuals may moreover need diabetes medications or insulin
therapy. (Mayo Clinic, 2020)
There are several possible causes of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is a main risk factor for type 2
diabetes. However, you don't have to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes. Another risk factor
for diabetes could be if people store fat mainly in the abdomen, they have a greater risk of type 2
diabetes than if they store fat elsewhere, such as in their hips and thighs. Their risk of type 2
diabetes increases if they’re a male with a waist circumference exceeding 40 inches (101.6
,centimetres) or a female with a waist that's greater than 35 inches (88.9 centimetres). Inactivity is
also another cause of type 2 diabetes as the less active a person is, the greater their risk of type 2
diabetes. Physical activity helps them control their weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes
their cells more sensitive to insulin. Type 2 diabetes does not have a clear pattern of inheritance,
although many affected individuals have at least one close family member, such as a parent or
sibling, with the disease. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with the number of
affected family members. For instance, if either mother of father has diabetes it increases risk of
diabetes by 15%, if both mother and father have diabetes it increases risk by 75%, if non-identical
twin has diabetes it increases risk by 10% and if identical twin has diabetes increases risk by 90%.
Several genes are identified as susceptibility genes, which suggest that if an individual is carrying this
gene they face greater risk of developing diabetes. (Diabetes, 2020) Another risk factor for diabetes
is age. The risk of type 2 diabetes rises as people get older, particularly after age 45. This is because
some people exercise less; lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. Nevertheless, type 2
diabetes is also increasing intensely amongst children, adolescents and younger adults. Prediabetes
can also cause type 2 diabetes as prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher
than normal, but not high enough to be categorised as diabetes. If it is left untreated, prediabetes
could advance to type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, another cause of diabetes could be if a person has
developed gestational diabetes when they were pregnant, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes
increases. If they gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), they're also at risk
of type 2 diabetes. (Healthline, 2020)
Other causes of type 2 diabetes could be diet. Highly processed carbohydrates for example those
made with white flour, white sugar, and white rice, are in essence whole foods stripped of essential
bran and fibre, as well as healthy vitamins and minerals. Calories lacking nutrients, with high sugar
content, are the main causes of type 2 diabetes because they digest quickly which implies how these
foods can cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Unhealthy saturated and trans fats can
increase cholesterol levels in the blood, and high cholesterol is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Trans
fats appear in packaged baked goods and fried foods in food places, while saturated fats can be
found in fatty meats, butters, and full-fat milk and cheese. Red meat and processed red meat are
both linked to type 2 diabetes. Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats are particularly
bad because of their high levels of sodium and nitrites. Sugary beverages like sodas, sweet teas, and
lemonade are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes presumably because the additional
calories lead to weight gain and because the sugar load might increase insulin resistance.
(Healthline, 2020) There could also be lifestyle causes of type 2 diabetes such as smoking. Studies
have recognised a link between smoking and the risk of developing diabetes (one study even
showed that second-hand smoke increased risk). However, the link is not as clear as with obesity and
lack of physical activity. Furthermore, quitting smoking is occasionally accompanied by weight gain.
Therefore those who choose to quit smoking need to ensure they do regular exercise because the
weight gain after smoking increases risk of diabetes. (Type2Diabetes.com, 2020) Environmental
factors may cause diabetes as chemicals in food, water, plastic packaging, and cleaning and beauty
care products have all been found to increase insulin resistance and diabetes. (Diabetes Self-
Management, 2020)
The biology of type 2 diabetes is that it may be caused by a chain response which destroys vital
insulin-producing cells. A malfunctioning protein called amyloid could activate the condition, in
which the body loses its capability to control blood sugar levels. Former studies have suggested that
, IL-1beta, a chemical involved in inflammatory reactions, is vital in the disease process for both type 1
and type 2 diabetes. Raised levels of IL-1beta are a risk factor for both types of diabetes but the
events that lead to higher levels of IL-1beta in type 2 diabetes are not clear. In people with insulin
resistance, the pancreas identifies the blood glucose level increasing. The pancreas reacts by making
additional insulin to preserve a normal blood sugar. Over time, the body's insulin resistance gets
worse. In response the pancreas makes more and more insulin. Finally, the pancreas gets tired as it
cannot keep up with the demand for more and more insulin. As a result, blood glucose levels start to
rise. (nhs.uk, 2020) Type 2 diabetes also arises when cells send incorrect signs or don't pick up
messages appropriately. When these problems affect how your cells make and use insulin or
glucose, a chain reaction can lead to diabetes. Broken beta cells can send out the wrong amount of
insulin at the wrong time, which affects the blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can damage these
cells, too. (Medical News Today, 2020)
Identifying the early signs and symptoms of this chronic condition can result in a person getting
treatment sooner, which decreases the risk of severe complications. The signs of diabetes are
measureable by the doctor and the symptoms are the feelings experienced by the patient. The early
signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes can comprise: frequent urination as when blood sugar levels
are high, the kidneys try to eliminate the excess sugar by filtering it out of the blood. This can lead to
a person needing to urinate more often, mainly at night. Increased thirst as the frequent urination
that is essential to eliminate excess sugar from the blood can result in the body losing additional
water. Over time, this can cause dehydration and lead to a person feeling more thirsty than usual.
People with type 2 diabetes will constantly feel hungry as people with diabetes often do not get
enough energy from the food they eat. The digestive system breaks food down into a simple sugar
called glucose, which the body uses as energy. In people with diabetes, not enough of this glucose
travels from the bloodstream into the body's cells. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes often feel
constantly hungry, irrespective of how recently they have eaten. They will also feel very tired as type
2 diabetes can influence a person's energy levels and cause them to feel very tired or fatigued. This
tiredness transpires as a result of inadequate sugar moving from the bloodstream into the body's
cells. Having a blurry vision is also a sign as an excess of sugar in the blood can damage the blood
vessels in the eyes, which can cause blurry vision. This blurry vision can take place in one or both of
the eyes and may come and go. If a person with diabetes goes without treatment, the damage to
these blood vessels can become more severe, and permanent vision loss may ultimately occur.
Another sign is the slow healing of cuts and wounds as high levels of sugar in the blood can damage
the body's nerves and blood vessels, which can impair blood circulation. As a result, even small cuts
and wounds may take weeks or months to heal. Slow wound healing also increases the risk of
infection. (Medical News Today, 2020)
PARKINSON’S DISEASE:
Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Parkinson's
disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become gradually damaged over many years.
Symptoms start slowly, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand.
Tremors are common, but the disorder also usually causes stiffness or slowing of movement. (Mayo
Clinic, 2020) Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the
substantia nigra. Nerve cells in this part of the brain are accountable for generating a chemical called
dopamine. Dopamine acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that
P1: Explain the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on service
users
M1 Analyse the changes in body systems and functions resulting from different types of
: physiological disorders on service users
D1: Evaluate the impact of physiological disorders on the health and wellbeing of service users
In this assignment I will be investigating the causes and effects of physiological disorders. I will be
explaining the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on service
users. I will also be analysing the changes in body systems and functions resulting from different
types of physiological disorders on service users. Finally, I will be evaluating the impact of
physiological disorders on the health and wellbeing of service users.
P1: Explain the causes, signs and symptoms of different types of physiological disorders on
service users
TYPE 2 DIABETES:
A physiological disorder is an illness that interferes with the way that the functions of the body are
carried out. As a result of the incorrect functioning, certain effects will be seen in the body. These
may be due to numerous reasons, depending on the body system involved and the functions that
are not working correctly. For instance, there may be not enough or excessive amounts of a
particular substance, deterioration of specific cell types or obstructions of pathways. A disorder
affecting the functioning of a particular body system generally has several effects on other body
systems and how they function. (Pearsonactivelearn.com, 2020)
Diabetes is a disorder of insulin metabolism. There are two distinctive types of diabetes. Insulin is a
hormone secreted by the pancreas and it controls blood sugar or glucose metabolism. Type 2
diabetes is a common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too
high. It's instigated by complications with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin. Type 2
diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas is incapable of
producing an adequate amount of insulin. It is a chronic condition that affects the way your body
metabolises sugar (glucose) — a vital source of energy for your body. With type 2 diabetes, your
body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into
your cells — or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes
used to be identified as adult-onset diabetes, but currently more children are being diagnosed with
the disorder, perhaps due to the rise in childhood obesity. There's no cure for type 2 diabetes, but
losing weight, eating well and exercising can help manage the disease. If diet and exercise aren't
enough to manage blood sugar well, individuals may moreover need diabetes medications or insulin
therapy. (Mayo Clinic, 2020)
There are several possible causes of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is a main risk factor for type 2
diabetes. However, you don't have to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes. Another risk factor
for diabetes could be if people store fat mainly in the abdomen, they have a greater risk of type 2
diabetes than if they store fat elsewhere, such as in their hips and thighs. Their risk of type 2
diabetes increases if they’re a male with a waist circumference exceeding 40 inches (101.6
,centimetres) or a female with a waist that's greater than 35 inches (88.9 centimetres). Inactivity is
also another cause of type 2 diabetes as the less active a person is, the greater their risk of type 2
diabetes. Physical activity helps them control their weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes
their cells more sensitive to insulin. Type 2 diabetes does not have a clear pattern of inheritance,
although many affected individuals have at least one close family member, such as a parent or
sibling, with the disease. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with the number of
affected family members. For instance, if either mother of father has diabetes it increases risk of
diabetes by 15%, if both mother and father have diabetes it increases risk by 75%, if non-identical
twin has diabetes it increases risk by 10% and if identical twin has diabetes increases risk by 90%.
Several genes are identified as susceptibility genes, which suggest that if an individual is carrying this
gene they face greater risk of developing diabetes. (Diabetes, 2020) Another risk factor for diabetes
is age. The risk of type 2 diabetes rises as people get older, particularly after age 45. This is because
some people exercise less; lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. Nevertheless, type 2
diabetes is also increasing intensely amongst children, adolescents and younger adults. Prediabetes
can also cause type 2 diabetes as prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher
than normal, but not high enough to be categorised as diabetes. If it is left untreated, prediabetes
could advance to type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, another cause of diabetes could be if a person has
developed gestational diabetes when they were pregnant, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes
increases. If they gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), they're also at risk
of type 2 diabetes. (Healthline, 2020)
Other causes of type 2 diabetes could be diet. Highly processed carbohydrates for example those
made with white flour, white sugar, and white rice, are in essence whole foods stripped of essential
bran and fibre, as well as healthy vitamins and minerals. Calories lacking nutrients, with high sugar
content, are the main causes of type 2 diabetes because they digest quickly which implies how these
foods can cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Unhealthy saturated and trans fats can
increase cholesterol levels in the blood, and high cholesterol is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Trans
fats appear in packaged baked goods and fried foods in food places, while saturated fats can be
found in fatty meats, butters, and full-fat milk and cheese. Red meat and processed red meat are
both linked to type 2 diabetes. Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats are particularly
bad because of their high levels of sodium and nitrites. Sugary beverages like sodas, sweet teas, and
lemonade are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes presumably because the additional
calories lead to weight gain and because the sugar load might increase insulin resistance.
(Healthline, 2020) There could also be lifestyle causes of type 2 diabetes such as smoking. Studies
have recognised a link between smoking and the risk of developing diabetes (one study even
showed that second-hand smoke increased risk). However, the link is not as clear as with obesity and
lack of physical activity. Furthermore, quitting smoking is occasionally accompanied by weight gain.
Therefore those who choose to quit smoking need to ensure they do regular exercise because the
weight gain after smoking increases risk of diabetes. (Type2Diabetes.com, 2020) Environmental
factors may cause diabetes as chemicals in food, water, plastic packaging, and cleaning and beauty
care products have all been found to increase insulin resistance and diabetes. (Diabetes Self-
Management, 2020)
The biology of type 2 diabetes is that it may be caused by a chain response which destroys vital
insulin-producing cells. A malfunctioning protein called amyloid could activate the condition, in
which the body loses its capability to control blood sugar levels. Former studies have suggested that
, IL-1beta, a chemical involved in inflammatory reactions, is vital in the disease process for both type 1
and type 2 diabetes. Raised levels of IL-1beta are a risk factor for both types of diabetes but the
events that lead to higher levels of IL-1beta in type 2 diabetes are not clear. In people with insulin
resistance, the pancreas identifies the blood glucose level increasing. The pancreas reacts by making
additional insulin to preserve a normal blood sugar. Over time, the body's insulin resistance gets
worse. In response the pancreas makes more and more insulin. Finally, the pancreas gets tired as it
cannot keep up with the demand for more and more insulin. As a result, blood glucose levels start to
rise. (nhs.uk, 2020) Type 2 diabetes also arises when cells send incorrect signs or don't pick up
messages appropriately. When these problems affect how your cells make and use insulin or
glucose, a chain reaction can lead to diabetes. Broken beta cells can send out the wrong amount of
insulin at the wrong time, which affects the blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can damage these
cells, too. (Medical News Today, 2020)
Identifying the early signs and symptoms of this chronic condition can result in a person getting
treatment sooner, which decreases the risk of severe complications. The signs of diabetes are
measureable by the doctor and the symptoms are the feelings experienced by the patient. The early
signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes can comprise: frequent urination as when blood sugar levels
are high, the kidneys try to eliminate the excess sugar by filtering it out of the blood. This can lead to
a person needing to urinate more often, mainly at night. Increased thirst as the frequent urination
that is essential to eliminate excess sugar from the blood can result in the body losing additional
water. Over time, this can cause dehydration and lead to a person feeling more thirsty than usual.
People with type 2 diabetes will constantly feel hungry as people with diabetes often do not get
enough energy from the food they eat. The digestive system breaks food down into a simple sugar
called glucose, which the body uses as energy. In people with diabetes, not enough of this glucose
travels from the bloodstream into the body's cells. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes often feel
constantly hungry, irrespective of how recently they have eaten. They will also feel very tired as type
2 diabetes can influence a person's energy levels and cause them to feel very tired or fatigued. This
tiredness transpires as a result of inadequate sugar moving from the bloodstream into the body's
cells. Having a blurry vision is also a sign as an excess of sugar in the blood can damage the blood
vessels in the eyes, which can cause blurry vision. This blurry vision can take place in one or both of
the eyes and may come and go. If a person with diabetes goes without treatment, the damage to
these blood vessels can become more severe, and permanent vision loss may ultimately occur.
Another sign is the slow healing of cuts and wounds as high levels of sugar in the blood can damage
the body's nerves and blood vessels, which can impair blood circulation. As a result, even small cuts
and wounds may take weeks or months to heal. Slow wound healing also increases the risk of
infection. (Medical News Today, 2020)
PARKINSON’S DISEASE:
Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Parkinson's
disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become gradually damaged over many years.
Symptoms start slowly, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand.
Tremors are common, but the disorder also usually causes stiffness or slowing of movement. (Mayo
Clinic, 2020) Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the
substantia nigra. Nerve cells in this part of the brain are accountable for generating a chemical called
dopamine. Dopamine acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that
