Five examples of physiological disorders:
1. Asthma
2. Coronary heart disease
3. Diabetes Type 1 & 2
4. Rheumatoid Arthritis
5. Parkinson’s disease
In my assignment the two physiological disorders I will talk about are coronary heart disease
and asthma.
Physiological Disorder 1: Coronary heart disease
Body system affected by disorder:
The body systems affected by this disorder would be the circulatory system. This is because
caused there is a build-up of fatty deposits (atheroma) on the walls of the arteries around the
heart (coronary arteries).
Describe the causes of the disorder:
The disorder is mainly cause by plaque build-up in the arteries is called atherosclerosis. When
this build-up happens in the heart's arteries over many years, the arteries become narrower
and harden, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart. This will ultimately restrict blood
flow to the heart and lead to potential heart attacks or strokes.
Describe the changes to physiology of body systems or to body functions
A change to physiology of body systems or to body functions as a result of this disorder would
be that blood clotting would be common. This is because of the build-up of roughened
atheroma plaques which begin to clot more easily known as coronary thrombosis. This will
restrict the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart which could result in a stroke or fatal heart
attacks. Another change would be that when an individual is under pressure or carrying out
physical activity, the lack of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle can cause extreme pain,
known as angina.
Explain the physiological changes in this disorder due to treatments
1
, One possible treatment of coronary heart disease would be angioplasty. This is where balloons
and stents are used to treat narrow heart arteries. The physiological changes that occur with
this treatment would be that this allows the blood to flow more easily as the stent is placed in
the artery to hold it open and wide to prevent blood clotting. This will have a positive impact on
the patient as there will be a less strain on the red blood cells to provide the heart with oxygen-
rich blood. This will have a positive impact on the service user as this will help reduce the risk of
strokes or heart attacks. Another treatment would be taking a group of medicines known as
statins. The physiological changes that occur with this treatment would be that this medication
is used to lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood and will
protect the insides of the artery walls. This will help in protecting the service user against a
heart attack or stroke.
Explain the influences on the development of the disorder
One influence on the development of coronary heart disease would be lifestyle choices such as
smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease as both nicotine and carbon
monoxide put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. Smoking causes hard, fatty
deposits to gather in your arteries and this makes it difficult for blood to flow freely; it is
important that blood flows normally to enable oxygen, which is carried by haemoglobin, to be
delivered around the body. If blood is unable to flow normally and there are obstructions, such
as fatty deposits known as atheroma, this results in oxygen deprivation, and it may trigger
blood clots which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. (Smoking And Cardiovascular Disease,
2022). Another influence would be the employment as work environment may put a person at
risk of developing coronary heart disease. For example, your work can raise your risk if you: 1)
Are exposed to toxins, radiation, or other hazards 2) Have a lot of stress at work 3) Sit for long
periods 4) Work more than 55 hours a week, or work long, irregular, or night shifts that affect
your sleep. (Causes and Risk Factors, 2022)
Describe the observable signs of the disorder
One observable sign of the disorder will include a person’s face showing a grey pallor and deep
panting as they are struggling with breathlessness. Another observable sign would be an
individual holding their chest as a result of angina that spreads across the chest. This is because
during a severe angina attack, the chest normally feels heavy or tight and may spread to the
arms, neck, jaw, back, or stomach.
Describe the symptoms felt or experienced by those with the disorder
Symptoms of coronary heart disease may be different from person to person even if they have
the same type of coronary heart disease. However, because many people have no symptoms,
they do not know they have coronary heart disease until they have chest pain, blood flow to
2
1. Asthma
2. Coronary heart disease
3. Diabetes Type 1 & 2
4. Rheumatoid Arthritis
5. Parkinson’s disease
In my assignment the two physiological disorders I will talk about are coronary heart disease
and asthma.
Physiological Disorder 1: Coronary heart disease
Body system affected by disorder:
The body systems affected by this disorder would be the circulatory system. This is because
caused there is a build-up of fatty deposits (atheroma) on the walls of the arteries around the
heart (coronary arteries).
Describe the causes of the disorder:
The disorder is mainly cause by plaque build-up in the arteries is called atherosclerosis. When
this build-up happens in the heart's arteries over many years, the arteries become narrower
and harden, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart. This will ultimately restrict blood
flow to the heart and lead to potential heart attacks or strokes.
Describe the changes to physiology of body systems or to body functions
A change to physiology of body systems or to body functions as a result of this disorder would
be that blood clotting would be common. This is because of the build-up of roughened
atheroma plaques which begin to clot more easily known as coronary thrombosis. This will
restrict the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart which could result in a stroke or fatal heart
attacks. Another change would be that when an individual is under pressure or carrying out
physical activity, the lack of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle can cause extreme pain,
known as angina.
Explain the physiological changes in this disorder due to treatments
1
, One possible treatment of coronary heart disease would be angioplasty. This is where balloons
and stents are used to treat narrow heart arteries. The physiological changes that occur with
this treatment would be that this allows the blood to flow more easily as the stent is placed in
the artery to hold it open and wide to prevent blood clotting. This will have a positive impact on
the patient as there will be a less strain on the red blood cells to provide the heart with oxygen-
rich blood. This will have a positive impact on the service user as this will help reduce the risk of
strokes or heart attacks. Another treatment would be taking a group of medicines known as
statins. The physiological changes that occur with this treatment would be that this medication
is used to lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood and will
protect the insides of the artery walls. This will help in protecting the service user against a
heart attack or stroke.
Explain the influences on the development of the disorder
One influence on the development of coronary heart disease would be lifestyle choices such as
smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease as both nicotine and carbon
monoxide put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. Smoking causes hard, fatty
deposits to gather in your arteries and this makes it difficult for blood to flow freely; it is
important that blood flows normally to enable oxygen, which is carried by haemoglobin, to be
delivered around the body. If blood is unable to flow normally and there are obstructions, such
as fatty deposits known as atheroma, this results in oxygen deprivation, and it may trigger
blood clots which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. (Smoking And Cardiovascular Disease,
2022). Another influence would be the employment as work environment may put a person at
risk of developing coronary heart disease. For example, your work can raise your risk if you: 1)
Are exposed to toxins, radiation, or other hazards 2) Have a lot of stress at work 3) Sit for long
periods 4) Work more than 55 hours a week, or work long, irregular, or night shifts that affect
your sleep. (Causes and Risk Factors, 2022)
Describe the observable signs of the disorder
One observable sign of the disorder will include a person’s face showing a grey pallor and deep
panting as they are struggling with breathlessness. Another observable sign would be an
individual holding their chest as a result of angina that spreads across the chest. This is because
during a severe angina attack, the chest normally feels heavy or tight and may spread to the
arms, neck, jaw, back, or stomach.
Describe the symptoms felt or experienced by those with the disorder
Symptoms of coronary heart disease may be different from person to person even if they have
the same type of coronary heart disease. However, because many people have no symptoms,
they do not know they have coronary heart disease until they have chest pain, blood flow to
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