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Distinction Unit 14 Health and Social Care Full Coursework Assignment
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BTECH Health and Social Care Unit 14 completed full coursework assignment - distinction grade.
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Assignment: Unit 14 Physiological disordersP1, M1, D1
Physiological Disorders
A physiological disorder is a condition in which the organs in the body malfunction causing
illness. (www.scitechnol.com, 2018) Due to the malfunctioning, this can cause a range of
consequences and effects on the body and depending on the functions that aren’t working
properly, can cause issues like blockages, organ failure and deterioration of cells.
I have chosen the digestive system and the musculoskeletal system, looking at ulcerative
colitis from the digestive system and rheumatoid arthritis from the musculoskeletal system
for this assignment.
Digestive system
The digestive system is the system of organs
responsible for getting food into and out of the body
and for making use of food to keep the body
healthy. (MedicineNet, 2021) This system is made up
of the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth,
oesophagus, stomach, intestines, colon and rectum
and it’s accessory organs including the tongue, salivary
glands, pancreas, liver and gall bladder. There are
many disorders that can occur in the digestive system
such as Crohn’s disease, coeliac, IBS, gastroparesis, gall
stones and ulcerative colitis. Some of which are long
term conditions, without a cure and rely on symptom
control and management of the disorder, such as
Crohn’s and colitis, and others such as gall stones,
being shorter term conditions that have cures.
(Discovering DNA, 2022)
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a condition affecting the colon and rectum where they become inflamed.
Ulcers form along the lining of the colon as well as inflammation and these can bleed and
produce pus, resulting in abdominal cramping and stomach pain. There is no known exact
cause for ulcerative colitis, however, it is thought to be the result of problems with the
immune system, making it an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases refer to
problems with the immune system, which usually fights off viruses, bacteria, and
infection. The problem causes your immune cells to attack your body by mistake. (Nancy
Garrick, 2017) There is also evidence that ulcerative colitis has genetic factors to developing
the disorder, with specific genes having been identified as making it more likely to have the
condition. It has also been found that 1 in 4 people who have this condition also have a
family history of it.
, Assignment: Unit 14 Physiological disorders
Ulcerative colitis does not only affect the digestive system, but often has co-morbidities that
affect other parts of the body as well. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of these co-morbidities,
many people who have ulcerative colitis also have rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the
large joints of the body such as the knees, making it painful and difficult to walk. People with
ulcerative colitis also have an increased risk of developing bowl cancer and there is also an
increased risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become weak and
are more susceptible to fractures. This is not a direct link to colitis, but as a result of
medication that is used to treat this condition. Colitis also has symptoms that affect other
parts of the body as well such as mouth ulcers, that medication can reduce the frequency of,
but not eliminate completely.
The medications used to help control and reduce the severity of ulcerative colitis often have
effects on the body as well due to the strength of the medication or general side effects
associated with the medication. When this condition gets very severe, steroids are used to
help reduce the severity. Corticosteroids are what is used for this condition and these are
very strong medications and do not only have side effects of weight gain and mood changes,
but can also cause co-morbid conditions such as osteoporosis. Medications known as
immunosuppressants are also used when treating colitis, and these leave the body at an
increased risk of infections and often leave the body anaemic. Some medications used to
treat ulcerative colitis are in the forms of injections, such as Humira. These can cause
swelling, redness and itchiness in the injection site. In extreme cases, people with ulcerative
colitis have to have an operation to remove the inflamed part of the intestine, resulting in
them having a stoma, where an opening is made on the lower abdomen and a section of the
colon is left outside of the body. This affects the body in many ways with no longer being
able to get rid of the body’s waste naturally but has to be collected into a bag attached to
the stoma as well as having many potential physical side effects including irritation around
the stoma, increased risk of infection and having to make dietary changes.
Physical health effects of Ulcerative Colitis
Immediate Effects Long Term Effects
Loss of appetite Increased risk of intestinal cancer
Anaemia due to blood loss Skin conditions
Dehydration Colostomy
Frequent bowel movements Affect growth and delay puberty in
Stomach pain and cramping children and adolescence
Tiredness and fatigue Weight loss
The severity of these physical health effects can vary according to the individual and the
severity of their ulcerative colitis. Anaemia can be treated with iron supplements or in more
extreme cases with a blood or iron transfusion. The long term effects can have a much more
severe impact on the individual and effects such as a colostomy, although does have a
significant change to the body, can give someone who has previously been housebound
with the severity of their condition their life back. Although the immediate physical effects
, Assignment: Unit 14 Physiological disorders
of ulcerative colitis can often be reduced with medication and dietary requirements, they
can significantly impact the individuals life and wellbeing before they are managed.
Ulcerative Colitis and PIES
One common physical side effect of ulcerative colitis is tiredness and fatigue. This can be
due to the illness itself, from anaemia, or from a lack of sleep if you have to keep getting
up at night with pain or diarrhoea. (Crohnsandcolitis.org.uk, 2017) All of these factors
increase tiredness and fatigue levels and can affect the individuals ability to function in their
daily life. Another common physical side effect is weight loss. Due to the pain that ulcerative
colitis causes and the need to frequently relieve the bowels and generally feeling unwell,
this can affect the individuals appetite and eating habits and result in them losing weight.
They may also experience weight loss with the dietary changes that are required to help
manage the condition with having to cut out certain food groups. A more uncommon
physical side effect of ulcerative colitis is the development of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
This is a disease of the bile ducts, where they become progressively inflamed and damaged
over time. This can lead to the individual experiencing many physical symptoms including
jaundice, diarrhoea and itchy skin. There is no cure for this disease and is a rare physical
complication of ulcerative colitis.
One common Intellectual side effect of ulcerative colitis is the reduced education and
learning in children and adolescence with the condition due to having time off school. Due
to the severity of the condition, appointments, frequent bowel movements, flare ups and
the mental health side of this condition, children are likely to have significant time off school
and this reduces there learning and education, potentially leading to reduced intellectual
ability. Another common intellectual side effect of ulcerative colitis is adults not being able
to apply their knowledge and skills that they have learnt throughout their childhood and
education as they are not able to engage in work, activities or are emotionally not in the
place to use there cognitive ability. A more uncommon intellectual side effect of ulcerative
colitis is mental fogginess and difficulty concentrating as a result of multiple factors and
symptoms combined. Medication side effects, insomnia, mental health struggles and
nutritional deficiencies can all contribute to cognitive difficulties.
One common emotional side effect of ulcerative colitis is anxiety. Due to frequent and
urgent bowel movements an individual may become increasingly worried and nervous
about going outside the home. This then leads to them becoming more isolated and anxiety
levels increase further. A second common emotional side effect of ulcerative colitis is having
a poor self-image. Use of steroids to treat the symptoms can lead to ‘moon face’ – the
swelling of an individual’s face as well as weight gain. Ulcerative colitis which is not
successfully being treated with medication can lead to weight loss and the lack of
absorption of nutrients can lead to skin conditions which can again affect self-image. A more
uncommon emotional effect of ulcerative colitis could be due to the consequences of
bullying, particularly for school age children. An adolescent may not be able to take part in
activities with their peers, and could be off school for long periods of time. These factors,
, Assignment: Unit 14 Physiological disorders
together with the possibility of faecal incontinence could lead to a child being bullied and
having feelings of depression and loneliness.
One common social side effect of ulcerative colitis is social isolation due to the
embarrassment of the condition and the need to frequently relieve bowels, meaning
socialising can be very difficult as leaving the house and being around other people can
cause anxiety. For adolescents this can lead to a lack of ability to form strong social
attachments to their peers and for adults this can lead to social isolation and difficulty
maintaining relationships and friendships. A second common social side effect of ulcerative
colitis would be for adults to have to take time off work due to tiredness and inability to
leave the house for long enough periods of time to travel to a workplace. This then leads to
a reduction in interactions with other adults. A more uncommon social side effect of
Ulcerative colitis could be fear of sexual inadequacy. The nature of the condition, especially
if an individual has a stoma or faecal incontinence may lead to worries about being intimate
with a partner due to embarrassment and this can have a significant effect on building and
maintaining relationships.
Overall, evidence shows that physical and emotional health is affected the most for
individuals with ulcerative colitis. The impact this condition has on the individuals body is
significant as even when it is in remission, some symptoms remain such as fatigue which can
have a direct impact on their emotional wellbeing. The constant pain and need for frequent
bowl movements leads to people becoming increasingly isolated as they do not want to
leave the house leading to considerable emotional struggles and depression. However,
ulcerative colitis is not all negative, the amount of limitations that this condition can cause
leads to the individual to be more resilient and creative to adapt activities and daily life in
order to still be independent and achieve what they need to. Socially, ulcerative colitis can
lead to friendships being made through support groups and connecting with other people
with the same condition.
Someone with ulcerative colitis will have multiple professionals involved in their care,
including specialist IBD nurses, consultants, registrars and pharmacists. These professionals
will all work together in order to achieve the best possible care for the individual. This is
known as multidisciplinary working and this not only benefits the individual but also the
professionals. By having a team of staff from nurses to registrars who all specialise in IBD
this allows the individual to receive expert care and treatment to ensure that they have an
effective care and treatment plan to help manage the condition. It also benefits the
professionals as with everyone working together, this leads to more efficient practices, with
things like tests and procedures not being repeated unnecessarily due to lack of
information. However, multi-disciplinary working and having a team of professionals who
are involved in an individual who has ulcerative colitis care can become overwhelming for
the person, with seeing so many different professionals, having to repeat themselves every
time they have an appointment with a different specialist and communication not always
being consistent with the team of and so information getting lost etc. A care pathway is very
important for someone who has a long term chronic illness such as ulcerative colitis as it
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