Transcript Human Diseases

Anatomy and Physiology
Nervous system: brain, spinal cord,
nerves
 Central Nervous System (CNS) and
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
 CNS: brain and spinal cord
 PNS: autonomic nervous system, cranial
and spinal nerves

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Common Signs and Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms
 Headache
 Nausea and vomiting
 Weakness
 Mood swings
 Fever
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Common Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms specific to CNS
 Stiffness in neck, back, or extremities
 Inability to move any part of the body
 Seizures or convulsion
 Paralysis
 Visual difficulties
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Common Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms specific to CNS
 Inability to speak
 Paralysis
 Extreme or prolonged drowsiness
 Stupor, unconsciousness, amnesia, extreme
forgetfulness
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Common Signs and Symptoms

Common diagnostic tests
 Cerebrospinal fluid
 Measuring intracranial pressure
 X-rays of skull and vertebral column
 Myelogram
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Common Signs and Symptoms

Common diagnostic tests
 Angiogram
 Electroencephlogram
 CAT Scan
 MRI
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Infectious Diseases

Encephalitis
 Inflammation of brain tissue caused by
bacteria and viruses
 Symptoms:
○ Headache, stiff neck and back
○ Fever and lethargy
○ Confusion and even coma
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Infectious Diseases

Encephalitis
 Treatment:
○ Supportive
○ Antiviral medication may be effective
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Infectious Diseases

Meningitis
 Inflammation of meninges or coverings of
brain and spinal cord
 Causes:
○ Bacterial and viral
○ Fungi
○ Toxins such as lead and arsenic
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Infectious Diseases

Meningitis
 Symptoms
○ High fever
○ Severe headaches
○ Photophobia
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Infectious Diseases

Meningitis
 Symptoms
○ Stiffness and resistance in neck (nuchal
rigidity)
○ Drowsiness
○ Stupor
○ Seizures
○ Coma
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Infectious Diseases

Meningitis
 Diagnosis: collect spinal fluid to find cause
 Treatment
○ Antibiotics for bacterial infection
○ Antipyretics
○ Anticonvulsants
○ Quiet dark environment
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Infectious Diseases

Poliomyelitis
 Viral infection affecting brain and spinal cord
 Vaccine has eliminated the disease in the
United States
 Virus is spread by oropharyngeal secretions
and infected feces
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Infectious Diseases

Poliomyelitis
 Symptoms
○ Muscle weakness
○ Neck stiffness
○ Nausea and vomiting
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Infectious Diseases

Poliomyelitis
 Diagnosis: clinical examination, throat,
feces, and spinal fluid culture
 Treatment: supportive therapy including
analgesics and bedrest during acute phase
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Infectious Diseases

Poliomyelitis
 Long-term physical therapy and braces may
be needed
 If respiratory system involved, mechanical
ventilation may be needed
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Infectious Diseases

Tetanus
 Highly fatal infection of nerve tissue caused
by bacteria Clostridium tetani
 First symptom is stiffness of the jaw,
commonly called “lockjaw”
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Infectious Diseases

Rabies
 Caused by virus
 Primarily affects animals such as dogs, cats,
raccoons, squirrels
 Transmitted to humans through bite of an
infected animal
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Infectious Diseases

Rabies
 Symptoms
○ Fever and pain
○ Convulsions and rage
○ Spasms and paralysis of muscles for
swallowing
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Infectious Diseases

Rabies
 Symptoms
○ Throat spasms leading to hydrophobia
○ Inability to swallow; drooling of frothy saliva
 Treatment
○ Clean infection site and rabies vaccine
injections
 No cure
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Infectious Diseases

Shingles
 Viral disease caused by herpes zoster
 Itching, painful red rash, and small vesicles
on sensory nerve paths
 Symptoms last ten days to several weeks
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Infectious Diseases

Shingles
 Diagnosis
○ Appearance of lesions
○ Viral culture test
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Infectious Diseases

Shingles
 Treatment
○ Antiviral medications
○ Analgesics
○ Antipyretics
○ Antipruritic medications
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Transient Ischemic Attacks
TIAs or mini-strokes
 Insufficient blood to brain
 Symptoms





Weakness of arm and/or leg
Dizziness
Slurred speech
Mild loss of consciousness
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Transient Ischemic Attacks
Symptoms last few minutes to an hour
 Diagnosis is made by angiogram
 Surgery to improve blood flow

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Functional Disorders
Degenerative Disk Disease
 Headache
 Epilepsy
 Bell’s Palsy

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Functional Disorders

Degenerative Disk Disease
 Degeneration or wearing away of the
intervertebral disk
 Wearing away allows vertebrae to bump or
rub against each other
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Functional Disorders

Degenerative Disk Disease
 Symptoms:
○ Difficulty walking
○ Radiating pain in back and in one or both legs
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Functional Disorders

Degenerative Disk Disease
 Diagnosis:
○ X-ray
○ Myelogram
○ CAT or MRI
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Functional Disorders

Degenerative Disk Disease
 Treatment
○ Rest back and legs
○ Back brace
○ Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs
○ Exercise to ease pain
○ Surgery
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Functional Disorders
Headaches - one of the most common
disorders in humans
 Caused by two mechanisms

 Tension on facial, neck, and scalp muscles
 Vascular changes in arterial size of vessels
inside head
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Functional Disorders
Headaches
 Contributing factors

 Stress
 Toxic fumes
 Noise
 Lack of sleep
 Alcohol consumption
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Functional Disorders

Headaches
 May be acute or chronic
 Pain may be constant, pressure, throbbing,
stabbing, intermittent
 Tension, cluster, following lumbar puncture,
migraine
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Functional Disorders

Headaches
 Diagnosis
○ History and physical examination
○ X-ray
○ EEG, MRI, and CAT
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Functional Disorders

Headaches
 Treatment
○ Analgesics
○ Bedrest and muscle massage
○ Muscle relaxants
○ Warm baths
○ Biofeedback
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Functional Disorders

Epilepsy
 Chronic disease of brain
 Intermittent episodes of abnormal electrical
activity in brain
 Most common symptom is seizure
 Convulsions include petit mal, grand mal
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Functional Disorders

Epilepsy
 Diagnosis
○ EEG
○ CAT scan
○ Cerebral angiogram
○ Blood tests
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Functional Disorders

Epilepsy
 Treatment
○ Anticonvulsive medications
○ Close monitoring and adjusting of medications
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Functional Disorders

Bell’s Palsy
 Affects facial nerve (7th cranial), causing
unilateral paralysis
 Affects individuals 20 to 60 years of age
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Functional Disorders

Bell’s Palsy
 Symptoms
○ Drooping weakness of eye
○ Drooling of saliva
○ Unable to whistle or smile
○ Distorted facial appearance
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Functional Disorders

Bell’s Palsy
 Diagnosis
○ History and symptoms
 Treatment
○ Analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication
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Functional Disorders

Dementia
 Loss of mental ability due to loss of neurons
or brain cells
 Most common dementia is senility
 Most common cause of senile dementia is
Alzheimer's disease
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Functional Disorders

Alzheimer's Disease
 Form of dementia
 Affects individuals 70 and older
 Early symptoms
○ Short-term memory loss
○ Inability to concentrate
○ Slight changes in personality
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Functional Disorders

Alzheimer's Disease
 Symptoms of disease progression
○ Diminished communication skills
○ Meaningless words
○ Inability to form sentences
○ Increased forgetfulness
○ Irritability and agitation
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Functional Disorders

Alzheimer's Disease
 Positive diagnosis: autopsy
 Initially may be made by ruling out other
brain diseases
 Treatment is supportive
 No cure
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Functional Disorders

Vascular Dementia
 Atrophy and death of brain cells due to
decreased blood flow
 Atherosclerotic plaque can cause decreased
blood flow and is common with aging
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Functional Disorders

Vascular Dementia
 Symptoms
○ Changes in memory, personality, and
judgment
○ Irritability, depression, and sleeplessness
○ Lacks personal hygiene
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Functional Disorders

Vascular Dementia
 Diagnosis
○ Blood flow testing and history and physical
 Treatment
○ Increasing blood flow to brain
○ Carotid endarterectomy
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Functional Disorders

Head Trauma Dementia
 Death of brain cells due to head trauma
 Symptoms
○ Decrease in mental intellect and cognitive
function
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Functional Disorders

Head Trauma Dementia
 Diagnosis
○ History
○ Cranial X-rays
○ MRI and CT
 Treatment
○ Correct damage if possible
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Functional Disorders

Substance-Induced Dementia
 Brain cell death from drug toxicity and toxins
 Causes mental impairment and decreased
cognitive ability
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Sleep Disorders

Insomnia
 Inability to fall or stay asleep
 Related to stress, pain, fear, depression,
caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and
bronchodilators
 Treatment
○ Identifying and removing cause
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Sleep Apnea

Sleep disorder characterized by periods
of breathlessness
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Sleep Apnea

Symptoms
 Daytime sleepiness
 Extreme snoring
 Personality changes
 Depression
 Impotence
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Sleep Apnea

Diagnosis
 Monitor affected individual during sleep for
apnea and low blood oxygen levels
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Sleep Disorders

Sleep Apnea
 Treatment
○ Based on cause
○ Weight loss
○ Surgery to correct nasal obstruction
○ Oxygen during sleep
○ Medications to stimulate breathing
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Tumors
Primary and secondary
 Benign and malignant
 Symptoms

 Headache
 Vomiting and seizures
 Mood and personality changes
 Visual disturbance and loss of memory
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Tumors

Diagnosis
 Clinical symptoms
 X-ray, CT, and MRI
 Biopsy

Treatment: surgery, radiation, and
chemotherapy
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Trauma

Concussions and Contusions
 Blow to head by an object, fall, or other
trauma such as an automobile accident
 Disruption of normal electrical activity in
brain
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Trauma

Concussions and Contusions
 Causes immediate unconsciousness
 May last a few seconds to several hours
 Concussion is less serious than a contusion
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Trauma

Concussions and Contusions
 Contusion is bruising of the brain
 Outcomes:
○ Can lead to a hematoma
○ Increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
○ Permanent brain damage
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Trauma

Concussions and Contusions
 Diagnosis
○ History of injury
○ Neurologic examination
○ Cranial X-ray
○ CT and MRI
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Trauma

Concussions and Contusions
 Treatment
○ Bedrest and direct observation
○ Individual should be checked every 2 to 4
hours
○ Monitor changes in consciousness, eye pupil
size, mood, and behavior
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Trauma

Concussion and Contusions
 Treatment
○ Analgesics, stimulants, and sedatives should
not be given to individuals with a head injury
○ Medications may mask the symptoms and
make assessment difficult
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Trauma

Skull Fracture
 Greatest danger is brain tissue damage from
bony fragments
 Potential of cutting brain, severing a vessel,
and causing a hematoma
 Brain damage may be temporary or
permanent
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Trauma

Skull Fracture
 Fracture near base of skull may injure
respiratory center and impair breathing
 Infection of brain tissue may be a problem
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Trauma

Skull Fracture
 Treatment
○ Dependent on type and position of fracture
○ Craniotomy may be necessary to relieve ICP
○ Protective headgear may be necessary until
fracture is healed
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Trauma

Epidural and Subdural Hematoma
 Blood vessels rupture and hemorrhage
 Blood seeps between bony skull and outer
meninges
 Pushes dura mater away from inner bony
skull
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Trauma

Epidural and Subdural Hematoma
 Epidural Hematoma symptoms
○ Headache
○ Dilated pupils
○ Nausea, vomiting, and dizziness
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Trauma

Epidural and Subdural Hematoma
 Subdural Hematoma
○ Usually the result of head hitting a stationary
object
 Blood collects between the dura mater and
arachnoid layer
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Trauma

Epidural and Subdural Hematoma
 Subdural Hematoma
○ Develops slowly over period of days
 Symptoms
○ Hemiparesis
○ Nausea, vomiting, dizziness
○ Convulsions and loss of consciousness
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Trauma

Epidural and Subdural Hematoma
 Diagnosis
○ Clinical history
○ Cranial X-ray, CT or MRI
 Treatment
○ Decrease intracranial pressure
○ Craniotomy called “bur holes”
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Injury to spinal cord
 Results in varying degrees of loss of
movement
 Results in varying degrees of loss of feeling
below the area of injury
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Quadriplegia
 Loss of movement and feeling in the trunk
and all four extremities
 Loss of bowel, bladder, and sexual function
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Paraplegia
 Loss of movement and feeling in trunk and
both legs
 Loss of bladder, bowel, and sexual function
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Emergency treatment
 Immediate treatment is necessary
 Do not move the victim unless surroundings
are unsafe
 Maintain position of spine with special
collars and backboards
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Diagnosis
 History of injury
 Neurologic exam
 Spinal X-rays, MRI, and CAT scan
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Spinal Cord Injury—Quadriplegia
and Paraplegia

Treatment
 Realignment and stabilization of the bony
spinal column
 Decompression or release of pressure on
spinal cord
 Prevent further injury
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Rare Diseases

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
 “Lou Gehrig’s” disease
 Destructive disease of motor or movement
neurons
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Rare Diseases

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
 Atrophy of muscles leading to progressive
loss of movement of hands, arms, and legs
 Treatment is supportive
 No cure
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Rare Diseases

Guillian-Barré Syndrome
 Acute, progressive disease affecting the
spinal nerves
 Begins 10 to 21 days after febrile illness
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Rare Diseases

Guillian-Barré Syndrome
 Early symptoms include nausea, fever, and
malaise
 Within 24 to 72 hours paresthesia, muscle
weakness, and paralysis usually begins
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Rare Diseases

Guillian-Barré Syndrome
 Symptoms may progress for several days to
weeks
 Once progression ceases, recovery begins
 Treatment is supportive
 Recovery is usually complete
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Rare Diseases

Huntington’s Chorea
 Inherited disease
 Appears during middle age
 Progressive degenerative disease of brain
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Rare Diseases

Huntington’s Chorea
 Loss of muscle control and chorea
 Leads to mental deterioration
 Personality change, moody behavior, loss of
memory, dementia
 Treatment is supportive
 No cure
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Rare Diseases

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
 Causes:
○ Demyelination of the nerves of the CNS
○ Allows information to “leak” from the nerve
pathway
○ Leads to poor or absent nerve transmission
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Rare Diseases

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
 Symptoms:
○ Muscle weakness and lack of coordination
○ Paresthesia
○ Speech difficulty
○ Loss of bladder function
○ Visual disturbance especially diplopia
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Rare Diseases

Multiple Sclerosis
 Affects adults between ages 20 and 40
 Periods of remission and exacerbation
 Treatment
○ Physical therapy
○ Muscle relaxants in order to maintain muscle
tone and reduce spastic movement
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Rare Diseases

Parkinson’s Disease
 Slow, progressive brain degeneration
 Develops between ages 50 and 60
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Rare Diseases
Parkinson’s Disease
 Classic symptoms

 Rigidity and immobility of hand
 Very slow speech pattern
 “Pill rolling” motion of fingers
 Expressionless facial appearance
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Rare Diseases

Parkinson’s Disease
 Symptoms
 Abnormal “bent forward” posture
 Short, fast-running steps, shuffling
appearance
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Rare Diseases

Parkinson’s Disease
 Treatment
○ Symptomatic
○ Dopamine replacement
○ Physical and psychological therapy
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