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Name: Zae12Mcmorrow
Unit 14: Physiological Disorders
Assignment: Physiological Disorders, their Nature, Signs and Symptoms,
Diagnosis Care Pathways and Strategies for supporting disorders.
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Introduction
For professionals in the health and social care fields, knowing and recognising the growth,
causes, diagnosis and treatment of common physiological disorders is important. This unit
will allow me to gain insight into the causes of illnesses and how they are diagnosed. The
unit makes it easier to understand the pathways of care related to the disorders and the
roles of clinicians involved in these pathways of care. In order to preserve their
independence, I can then gain insight into the coping mechanisms that can be used to assist
people with unique physiological disorders. Nevertheless, I will continue to determine the
efficacy of these techniques.
I have chosen and analysed two physiological disorders in this unit. The unit will provide the
opportunity to gain insight into how individuals can experience various physiological
disorders and the ways in which health systems provide diagnosis, treatment and care for
service users with these disorders. Difficulties that can arise in diagnosing diseases will be
discussed and I will be able to assess the approaches to the treatment pathways for the
diseases of a number of care practitioners. I will gain an understanding of relevant needs-
based care planning and support in the treatment of disorders and the contribution of both
informal and formal caregivers; the unit will be useful for training for a range of careers in
health and social care and the allied health professions.
P1- Explain the nature of two named physiological disorders/ P2- Explain the signs and
symptoms of two named physiological disorders/ P3- Describe the investigations that are
carried out to enable the diagnosis of these physiological disorders/ M1- Assess possible
difficulties involved in the diagnosis of the disorders from their signs and symptoms.
For this task I will be explaining the nature of two physiological disorders, which include
Coronary heart disease and Crohn’s disease. I will also be explaining the signs and symptoms
of the two physiological disorders and how investigations are carried out to enable the
diagnosis of Coronary heart disease and Crohn’s disease. Additionally, I will be assessing
possible difficulties involved in the diagnosis of the disorders from their signs and
symptoms.
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is a form of heart disease that occurs when sufficient oxygen-rich
blood cannot be delivered to the heart by the arteries of the heart. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
Coronary heart disease is also induced within the lining of larger coronary arteries by the
accumulation of plaque, a waxy material. In the large arteries of the heart, this build-up can
partially or completely block blood flow. Some
forms of this disorder can be caused by illness or
injury that affects how the heart's arteries
function. Another type of coronary heart disease
is Coronary Microvascular Disease. It happens
when the tiny blood vessels in the heart do not
function normally. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
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Additionally, your heart does not get the oxygen it requires with less blood flow, and that
can cause chest pain, called angina, especially when you exercise or do heavy labour.
(webmd.com, 2021) It can also affect how well the heart pumps and also leaves the rest of
the body short of oxygen. Therefore, the cells in your body will not work as well as they can
without it, and you can be out of breath or feel more exhausted than normal. Nevertheless,
you could have a heart attack if the plaque breaks off and completely blocks an artery.
(webmd.com, 2021) Coronary artery disease, often as early as infancy, is thought to begin
with damage or injury to the inner layer of a coronary artery. (mayoclinic.org, 2021)
Different factors can cause the damage, including:
Smoking
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes or insulin resistance
Not being active (sedentary lifestyle) (mayoclinic.org, 2021)
Fatty deposits (plaque) made from cholesterol and
other cellular waste products tend to accumulate at
the site of injury until the inner wall of an artery is
weakened. Atherosclerosis is what this process is
called. In order to try to heal the artery, blood cells
called platelets clump together at the site if the
plaque surface breaks or ruptures. The artery will
obstruct this clump, leading to a heart attack.
(mayoclinic.org, 2021)
Coronary heart disease has three primary types:
obstructive coronary artery disease, non-obstructive
coronary artery disease, and microvascular coronary
disease. The large arteries on the surface of the heart
are affected by coronary artery disease. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) There are many individuals
with both obstructive and nonobstructive forms of this disorder. The small arteries in the
heart muscle are affected by coronary microvascular disease. Depending on the type of
coronary heart disease, the cause depends. There may also be more than one cause for the
disorder, including plaque accumulation or conditions that affect how the blood vessels of
the heart function. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
Obstructive coronary artery disease means that the arteries of the heart are blocked by
more than 50 percent. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) In one or more of the three large coronary
arteries, the flow of blood may gradually be completely blocked. The broad arteries can be
narrowed by plaque in nonobstructive coronary artery disease, but not as much as they are
in obstructive disease. In the tiny blood vessels in the heart, small plaques may also form,
causing coronary microvascular disease. Normally, when a person is physically active or
under stress, the blood vessels expand to allow further blood flow. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) But
if you have coronary artery disease, your blood vessel size does not improve, or your blood
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vessels may even become smaller. It is not entirely clear the cause of these issues. But it
may entail:
Harm or injury from chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, or diabetes to the
walls of the arteries or tiny blood vessels. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
The molecular changes that are part of the natural phase of aging. The way genes
and proteins are regulated within cells is influenced by molecular changes.
(nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
Damage to the inner walls of the coronary arteries can cause them to spasm in
nonobstructive coronary artery disease (suddenly tighten). (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) This is
known as vasospasm. The spasm momentarily causes the arteries to widen and prevents the
flow of blood to the heart. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) These complications can also occur in the
heart's small blood vessels, causing coronary microvascular disease (sometimes called
coronary syndrome X). With or without obstructive or nonobstructive coronary artery
disease, coronary microvascular disease may happen. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
Risk Factors
The risk factors for coronary heart disease are
various. With the amount of risk factors that you
have and how severe they are, the risk of
coronary heart disease increases. (nhlbi.nih.gov,
2021) Both through heart-healthy lifestyle
improvements, certain risk factors may be
altered, such as high blood pressure and high
blood cholesterol. It is difficult to alter other risk
factors, such as gender, older age, family
background and genetics, race and ethnicity.
(nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
Age
Genetic or lifestyle variables cause plaque to build up as you age in your arteries. The risk of
coronary heart disease in men begins to rise about the age of 45. Women have a lower risk
of coronary heart disease than men prior to menopause. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021) Women's risk
increases after around 55 years of age. This is likely because, after menopause, women
produce less oestrogen (a female hormone). In addition, improvements in the heart's tiny
blood vessels as you age increase the risk of coronary microvascular disease. (nhlbi.nih.gov,
2021)
Genetics and Family history
The risk factor for coronary heart disease is a family history of early cardiovascular disease.
This is particularly true if your father or brother is diagnosed before 55 years of age or if
your mother or sister is diagnosed before 65 years of age. Analysis indicates that a greater
risk for coronary heart disease is associated with certain genes. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2021)
