The following are short summaries of various diseases. These papers were written by anatomy and physiology students that are pursuing healthcare related fields such as nursing, dental hygiene, physical/occupational therapy, etc. Throughout each article are links that lead to more detail on the underlined word or phrase.
Papers on Diseases
The Mumps by Taisiya Redka
The mumps virus is airborne and transferred by cough droplets flying through the air. A person nearby can inhale the particles which contain the virus. When it passes down into human lungs it can get into bloodstream, finally settling in salivary glands causing mumps. Mumps in male often result in an inflammation of testicles. They become swollen and painful for up to …
Types of Lymphoma by Tabitha Short
Lymphoma is a cancer that directly affects the lymphatic system. Most cases are usually noticed with swelling or pain and tenderness of the lymph nodes. Other indicators are; mysterious weight loss, a very high body temperature, severe night sweats, or an itchiness caused by nodules under the skin There are five to seven hundred lymph nodes in the …
Diabetes Type 2 by Kristy Kaltenbronn
With Diabetes Type 2, your body is either not producing enough insulin or not taking to the insulin being made, also known as insulin resistant. When there is a lack of insulin in the body, the amount of sugar circulating through the bloodstream also decreases. Insulin plays a crucial role in carrying sugar to the cells in the body. This provides the body with…
Breast Cancer by Ejona Cekrezi
Breast cancer is a malignant, metastasizing tumor of the mammary gland that is the primary cause of death for women of ages 35-45. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can grow into surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the human body. Breast cancer usually begins with the formation of a small lump (confined tumor) or as calcium deposits and then…
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate by Bridget Lucchesi
The causes of cleft lip and palate occurring are unknown, however, the chances of a baby being born with cleft lip and palate are greater if a sibling or parent has experienced the disorder as well. The disorders may also be caused by environmental factors such as exposure to medications during pregnancy or exposure from…
Type I Diabetes by Anne Kazanas
Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease in which the pancreas does not produce the hormone called insulin that regulates blood glucose levels in the bloodstream. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels. The lack of insulin production causes abnormally elevated glucose levels. Type 1 Diabetes has also been referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or juvenile onset diabetes mellitus. It is usually diagnosed in…
What is Williams Syndrome by Pitiporn “Nay” Duda
Williams Syndrome (WS) is caused by a genetic disorder and may affect many parts of the body, but Williams Syndrome is inherited, although the parents and/or grandparents of each WS child may not show symptoms of WS. It happens through the reproductive cells (eggs or sperm) in a parent of an affected individual. This disease makes patients have problems with development that make them have slow development, learning problems, and heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular)…
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) by Dzenana Kozlicic
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, also known as RSV, is a common respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. It is predominantly present in winter months. RSV infections may lead to serious health complications in infants, young children, and older adults. It is also the most common cause of bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lungs. RSV is highly contagious and is not…
What is MRSA by Nick Ferrugia?
MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacterium resistant to methicillin. In the United States, MRSA is the 10th leading cause of death in humans. It can cause wound infections, cellulitis, sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, etc. S. aureus is a prevalent bacteria commonly carried in the nose or on the skin of people or animals. In fact, it is one of the most common …
What is Spinal Stenosis by Maureen Schleeper
The most common cause of spinal stenosis is arthritis. Because arthritis is the degeneration of the joints of the body, it can also attack the spine. The disks between the vertebrae in the spine, or intervertebral disks, have high water content in young adults. As the body ages, the disks become dry and lose height, leaving bone-on-bone contact. This results in increased pressure on the joints which can lead to arthritis. The body will try to “fix” the situation by…
Types of Thyroid Cancer by Randi Enger
Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid, which is a butterfly-shaped gland. This gland is located in the front of your neck right below your Adam’s apple. When you have a healthy thyroid, it is a little larger than a quarter. The gland makes hormones, which are Calcitonin and Thyroid hormones. Calcitonin regulates the amount of calcium in your body. The Thyroid hormone regulates
Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Tumors By Brianna Wensler
There are many symptoms of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Brain tumors can be very destructive to brain cells, and the tumor and inflammation can affect many parts of the brain. The most common symptoms are headaches, seizures, change in mental functions, and change in senses including hearing, speaking, and vision. There is not a known cause, cure, or any way to prevent Glioblastoma Multiformes, but …
What is Menkes Disease by Jackie Bolen
When a male child has Menkes, the intestines are unable to absorb the copper and transport it throughout the body to the necessary organs and tissues. Menkes disease can be carried by either the male or female gene, but the female can be a carrier and live a normal life. The male cannot. The disease is X-linked recessive. If the mother is a carrier she can pass it on to a daughter with no problems but if …
Understanding Autism by Margaret Dennis
Since the severity of each case varies autism is considered a spectrum disorder. Children diagnosed with a moderate case of autism can live fairly normal lives free from supervision. However, children diagnosed with a severe case will most likely need special attention throughout their lives as daily routines cannot be accomplished without help and for the potential of causing harm to themselves.
Less than half a century ago autism was thought to be caused by a child’s mother not showing enough affection toward…
Asperger’s Syndrome by Maryssa McCole
There is a wide array of symptoms making each child with Asperger’s unique. The first symptoms become apparent in childhood when observing the child at school interacting with other children. For example, a child with Asperger’s may exhibit a lack of empathy, limited eye contact or staring, and talk excessively, often about a favorite subject. In addition, they might …
Alzheimer’s Disease by Rachel Horas
Although there is no known cure, there is still treatment for Alzheimer’s. There are drugs and exercises a patient can take or do to delay progression of the disease. Some of these exercises include word puzzles to help create better memory skills, and to change certain things in the home of the patient to keep then better organized and to help make performing daily tasks easier. Also, having a …
Pancreatic Cancer
The causes of pancreatic cancer remain unclear, but scientists have come up with potential risk factors. The first potential risk factor is genes. There are several genes responsible in the control of the cell division process. The first are oncogenes and these genes tell the cell when to divide. Tumor suppressor genes tell the cell when not to divide. Suicide genes tell cells to undergo cell death if something goes wrong. And finally DNA-repair genes…
What is COPD by Laura Gaynor
Symptoms of COPD can cause the person a lot of suffering on a daily basis. Symptoms of COPD include a constant cough. Also people with COPD have a hard time taking in deep breaths. People with this disease may also cough up mucus or wheeze (Symptoms) Coughing constantly can be crippling for a person and also very painful. COPD also causes other issues like lack of mobility (Mobility and COPD). A person with COPD may not be able to…
Biological Effects of Ethyl Alcohol by Derrick Brauner
No one ailment is more synonymous with alcohol abuse than cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholic liver disease occurs after years of heavy or binge drinking, however can occur in individuals that drink in moderate amounts. An individual’s history of alcohol use and higher volumes/concentrations of alcohol, which are consumed on average, produces a greater likelihood of developing liver disease. Alcohol has been found to
Rheumatoid Arthritis by Lisa Jimas
Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease. An auto-immune disease is the immunes response by the body against itself. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease which is never-ending. It causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. The joints are a formation that holds two or more bones together (Gale Encyclopedia 2002). Inside of the joints are …
Diseases Caused by Cigarette Smoking by Jessie Kuehler
Cigarette smoking is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke and is the main cause of death due to smoking. One fifth of all deaths due to cardiovascular disease are linked to smoking (Macnair 2011). Both menthol and non-menthol cigarettes can equally cause cardiovascular disease (Hoffman 2011). Breathing tobacco smoke damages the sensitive cells that line blood vessels throughout the…
Shingles by Chelsea Godwin
It is unknown why Shingles appear years after chicken pox in some people but not in others. Some causes that can increase one’s chance of activating the virus are old age and a weakened immune system. Shingles usually appears in adults over the age of fifty. Research has shown half the people who live to the age of 85 will experience shingles at some point in their lives. HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other diseases that weaken the…
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