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Health and Social Care Unit 14
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Unit 14 Physiological Disorders, including Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease
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Unit 14What is a physiological disorder?
‘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 several reasons, depending on the body system involved and the functions that are not working
properly. For example, there may be too little or too much of a specific substance, deterioration of
certain cell types or blockages of pathways’ (Billingham, 2016)
A physiological disorder is something that causes direct impact to a person's body systems which makes
a person physical, mental, emotional, and social health poor and has various effects on a person's life for
example effects on their mobility, cognition, and reflexes.
Types of Physiological disorders and introduction (P1)
There are many types of physiological disorders, these disorders will affect different systems in many
different ways for example endocrine system disorders effect the endocrine system and the way this
system secretes and releases hormones, this includes disorders such as; type 1 and type 2 diabetes,
which affect the blood glucose level in the blood, Osteoporosis, which is a bone disorder and will make
the bones fragile and Addison’s disease which is a disorder when the endocrine system fails or gradually
secretes hormones less often which will impact the amount of hormones being released.
The most common endocrine system disorder is diabetes. In the UK ‘Around 90% of people with
diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Around 8% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. About 2% of
people with diabetes have rarer types of diabetes.’ (Diabetes.org, 2023) . This means that majority
people in the UK have type 2 diabetes, this type of diabetes is a chronic disorder which means it is a
lifelong disorder.
What is diabetes including type 1 and type 2 diabetes (P1)
There are 2 diverse types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition by which
the cells in a person’s body attacks the insulin making cells in the body causing it to not make any
insulin, this diabetes shows up in children and is a lifelong disorder. Type 2 diabetes is a condition which
develops due to lots of varied factors. If a person has type 2 diabetes their body will produce excess
sugar that may be hard to break down, so a person would have to take medication to maintain the sugar
in their body.
Type 1 diabetes is a serious condition, and the direct cause is not known however scientists believe that
it is genetics and if a person has type 1 diabetes their lifestyle or diet has no impact on their diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes however is due to lifestyle factors and diet. This disorder impacts the insulin in the body
whereas type 2 affects the glucose in the body.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition which develops due to lots of several factors. If a person has type 2
diabetes their pancreas produces excess amount of insulin, the excess amount of insulin causes major
impacts on the body and the bodily functions.
Type 2 Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the bloodstream, A normal person
who does not have diabetes should have ‘Below 42mmol/mol, a pre- diabetic person (a person who is on
,the borderline of having diabetes) should have 42-47mmol/ mol, a diabetic person will have 48+
mmol/mol.’ (Diabetes.org, 2023)
Type 2 diabetes affects many functions in the body for example the endocrine system, the renal system-
this high blood sugar in the body could make the kidneys to not function properly which affects the
renal system, nervous system- the high blood sugar damages the nervous system which makes a
person’s reflex action a lot slower, the circulatory system- the excess amount of glucose in the
bloodstream causes the arteries to be blocked, the digestive system- it can cause nausea, heartburn and
bloating, the muscular system- this impacts the joints, limbs and causes muscle pain.
Explain how type 2 diabetes is caused (inherited, diet, lifestyle factors, environment) (P1)
Type 2 diabetes is caused by many varied factors such as inherited factors, a person’s diet and whether
they are eating healthy nutritious meals, lifestyle factors such as if a person smokes, if they drink a lot
and how the environment impacts a person.
Inherited
One cause is inherited, this means how likely a person in susceptible to get type 2 diabetes because of
their genes. ‘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. The increased risk is likely due in part to shared genetic factors,’ (Medlineplus.org,
2023) . This means a person is likely to get type 2 diabetes if a family member has type 2 diabetes this is
due to the genotype of type 2 diabetes, a person will present these characteristics due to their genetic
makeup. This genetic makeup will determine whether a person will have type 2 diabetes, sometimes
this genetic makeup is hidden and not inherited at all but sometimes this is shown, and a person will be
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Diet
Another cause of Type 2 diabetes is diet. Diet is the way a person eats, a person may eat extremely
healthy foods which include fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates which will provide a person
enough nutrition so that their bodily functions work properly, or a person’s diet may include of
unhealthy meals that include a lot of fat, carbohydrates, and junk food such as foods in high sugar which
could affect the bodily systems, especially the endocrine system. If a person eats food that are high in
fat and calories it will increase a person’s, chances of type 2 diabetes this is because of the high sugar
and high fatty material from the foods will enter the blood stream increasing the blood sugar levels in
the blood, causing the endocrine system unable to manage the amount of glucose in the blood which
could cause many effects in the body.
Lifestyle factors
Another cause of type 2 diabetes is lifestyle factors. Lifestyle factors are the habits that a person does in
their daily life this includes whether a person smokes, if a person drinks a lot, their diet and exercising.
All these factors can increase a person chance of having type 2 diabetes. For example, if a person
smokes, or drinks it will increase chances of getting type 2 diabetes. This is because a cigarette will have
the substance nicotine inside it which will change the cell structure, if a cells structure has changed this
means they will not bind to the needed cells for needed bodily function, for example nicotine will
,change the structure of insulin which makes it difficult for the glucose to be converted into significant
chemicals needed for bodily function, if insulin cannot bind to the glucose, the glucose will stay in the
blood stream causing high blood pressure.
Environmental Factors
Another cause of type 2 diabetes is environmental factors. Environmental factors could include anything
from stress to pollution, all this could increase chances of type 2 diabetes this is because the
environment will have a direct impact on a person. For example, if a person is stressed from various
aspects of life, stress can cause overeating, which could spike the blood sugar levels in the body.
Another example of environmental factors is pollution specifically air pollution.’ The gut microbiome is
the group of microorganisms, including bacteria, that help your body break down food and may protect
against infection.’ (Rudder, 2021) . This means that if a city is polluted and has congestion, this will have
a direct impact on a person’s digestive system which is responsible for the digestion of foods which
include the amount of glucose, the digestive system then transports the glucose to the blood stream
where it will take part in bodily systems, if there is too much pollution then there will be no glucose or
too much glucose in the body system which has severe impacts on the body.
Explain at least 3 observational signs of the disorder (P1)
One sign of type 2 diabetes is needed to go to the toilet often. This is due to the kidneys and the failure
due to the high concentration of sugar in the blood. ‘Your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter
and absorb the excess glucose.’ (Clinic, 2021) . This mean due to the extra glucose in the blood the
kidneys will need to absorb more material which means that it will get to the point where it will be
unable to absorb anything causing the glucose in the body to exit quickly which means that a person will
need to pee more.
Another sign of type 2 diabetes is drinking a lot more than usual. This is due to the kidneys not being
able to filter out water, causing the water to exit a person’s body a lot which means a person will need
to drink more water in order to compensate for the fluid loss in the body
Another sign of type 2 diabetes is wounds taking slowly to heal, which could impact a person. Diabetes is
an endocrine system disorder, the endocrine system takes control of many things in the body including
the immune system, the immune system is responsible for healing wounds. ‘Your body produces
enzymes and hormones that make your immune system less effective. This can lead to infections that
may cause diabetic wounds to take longer to heal and require medical attention.’ (Phang, 2020) . This
means that if a diabetic person is injured it will take longer for the wounds to heal this is because of the
platelets taking longer to form a scab.
Explain at least 3 symptoms experienced by those with the disorder (P1)
One symptom of type 2 diabetes is weight loss. ‘This is due to the body working quicker to absorb all the
glucose in the bloodstream causing the body to use fat stored in the body due to the quick digestion in
the blood stream’ (Diabetes.org, 2023) . This means that due to the excess glucose in the blood stream
the organs in the body will need to work quickly, and due to the digestive system and renal system
losing their function the body relies on fat for energy to do the functions it is meant to.
, Another symptom of type 2 diabetes is blurred vision. This happens because the blood sugar in the
system has high concentration which causes the eye to swell and weaken a person’s vision. ‘This can
damage the blood vessels that supply blood to the retina in the eye, which coverts light into electrical
signals and sends them to the brain. If the retina does not get the blood it needs,’ (Sight Savers, n.d.)
This will impact a person will because without good eyesight a person will not be able to see which will
impact a person’s cognition and awareness.
Another symptom of type 2 diabetes is nausea. This is due to the excess blood sugar which causes high
blood pressure which causes nausea. ‘Hypoglycaemia can occur when a person takes too much insulin
or does not eat enough food. It can lead to serious complications’ (MedicalNewsToday, 2022) . This
means that due to the excess blood sugar in the blood stream it can make a person nauseous because of
the digestive system losing its function causing a person to feel nauseous.
Analyse the changes the disorder causes to body systems and functions (M1)
Type 2 diabetes affects many functions in the body for example the endocrine system, the renal system-
this high blood sugar in the body could make the kidneys to not function properly which affects the
renal system, nervous system- the high blood sugar damages the nervous system which makes a
person’s reflex action a lot slower, the circulatory system- the excess amount of glucose in the
bloodstream causes the arteries to be blocked, the digestive system- it can cause nausea, heartburn and
bloating, the muscular system- this impacts the joints, limbs and causes muscle pain.
Endocrine System
One body system affected by type 2 diabetes is endocrine system. The changes to this body system and
functions include increased glucose in the blood system which could cause huge impacts on the body for
example the build-up of glucose could cause high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular
problems. On the ‘Endocrine.org’ website it states that ‘In type 2 diabetes, the body is resistant to the
action of insulin, meaning it cannot use insulin properly, so it cannot carry sugar into the cells.’ (Anhalt,
2023) . Insulin is an enzyme which breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Type 2 diabetes affect this
system because of the high blood sugar, the organs that secrete hormones will not be able to secrete
the hormones that the body needs. The effect this has on the body is that there will be an increase of
glucose in the body leading to high blood sugar leading to high blood pressure due to the blood having
excess glucose, due to the high blood pressure it could cause heart disease which could cause heart
failure. High blood pressure also causes a person to have respiratory problems as the blood will pump
too much causing the person to be tired because their lungs are unable to take in oxygen which causes
the person unable to do exercise, good exercise as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, if a person is unable
to exercise then there will be complications in their health. Another effect of Type 2 diabetes is that
‘Diabetes prevents your body from processing food properly. Your body cannot make insulin or cannot
use insulin correctly, which causes glucose (sugar) to build up in your blood.’ (Cleveland clinic, n.d.) .
Renal System
Another body system affected by type 2 diabetes is the Renal system. ‘Acute kidney failure occurs when
your kidneys suddenly become unable to filter waste products from your blood. When your kidneys lose
their filtering ability, dangerous levels of wastes may accumulate, and your blood's chemical makeup
may get out of balance.’ (Clinic, 2023) The high glucose blood can affect the blood stream around the
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