Section 23.3 Other Chronic Diseases Objectives Distinguish between the two types of diabetes. Describe how allergies and asthma affect the body. Identify the symptoms of arthritis.

Dear Advice Line, My older brother was just diagnosed with diabetes. Is he going to be okay? Should I be worried about getting diabetes, too? What can I do to avoid it? Write a draft of a response to this question. Revise your answer after reading this section.

Diabetes Diabetes (dy uh BEE teez) is a disease in which the body’s ability to use glucose (blood sugar) is impaired. Diabetes involves insulin (IN suh lin), a hormone produced by the pancreas that stimulates body cells to take up and use blood sugar. If not controlled, diabetes can be life-threatening. People with diabetes are also at risk for heart disease stroke kidney disease blindness infections requiring amputation complications during pregnancy

Type 1 Diabetes A person with type 1 diabetes produces little or no insulin. Without insulin, glucose levels in the blood remain high. Symptoms include thirst frequent urination nausea hunger fatigue weight loss

Type 2 Diabetes People with type 2 diabetes produce sufficient insulin, but their body cells do not respond normally to insulin. As with type 1 diabetes, the result is a high level of glucose in the blood. Symptoms are the same as for type 1 diabetes, but also include drowsiness itching blurred vision numbness in the hands or feet frequent, hard to heal infections Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include a family history of diabetes, being overweight, and a lack of physical activity.

Allergies and Asthma An allergy is a disorder in which the immune system is overly sensitive to a particular substance not normally found in the body. One type of allergic reaction can lead to a condition called asthma.

Causes of Allergies Allergies develop when foreign substances enter the body and set off a series of reactions. Any substance that causes an allergy is called an allergen. The immune system’s overly sensitive response to an allergen causes large quantities of a chemical called histamine (HIS tuh meen) to be released. Histamine is responsible for the symptoms of an allergy, such as sneezing and watery eyes.

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Asthma Asthma is a disorder in which a person’s respiratory passages become inflamed and narrow significantly in reaction to certain “triggers.” Asthma attacks can be triggered by many things, including certain allergens tobacco smoke stress exercise cold weather During an attack, a person may wheeze, cough, or become short of breath.

An Asthma Attack Bronchus Lung

Managing Asthma Managing asthma involves avoiding the triggers that bring on asthma attacks. It may also involve the use of medicines. One medicine, called a “controller,” is taken on a daily basis to prevent asthma attacks from occurring. Another medicine, called a “rescue drug,” is taken when someone has an asthma attack. Rescue drugs relax the muscles in the airways, making it easier to breathe.

Arthritis Inflammation or irritation of a joint is known as arthritis (ahr THRY tis). Arthritis is not life-threatening, but it can be extremely painful and disabling. Arthritis results in joint stiffness, joint pain, or swelling in one or more joints. There is no cure for most types of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (ahs tee oh ahr THRY tis). This form of arthritis is caused by wear and tear on a joint after years of use or by repeated injuries to a joint. Osteoarthritis can occur in almost any joint, but most commonly occurs in hips, knees, spine, and fingers. Treatment for osteoarthritis may involve drugs, heat and cold treatments, and exercise.

Rheumatoid Arthritis In rheumatoid arthritis (ROO muh toyd), the membrane surrounding a joint becomes inflamed. The inflammation then spreads to other areas of the joint. Any joint in the body may be affected by rheumatoid arthritis, although joints in the wrist and knuckles are most commonly affected. Treatment includes aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, and rest.

Vocabulary diabetes A disease in which the body’s ability to use glucose (blood sugar) is impaired. insulin A hormone produced by the pancreas that stimulates body cells to take up and use blood sugar. allergy A disorder in which the immune system is overly sensitive to a particular substance not normally found in the body. allergen Any substance that causes an allergy.

Vocabulary histamine The chemical responsible for the symptoms of an allergy. arthritis Inflammation or irritation of a joint. osteoarthritis A common form of arthritis that is caused by wear and tear on a joint or by repeated injuries to a joint. rheumatoid arthritis A form of arthritis in which the membrane surrounding a joint becomes inflamed; the inflammation then spreads to other areas of the joint.

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End of Section 23.3 Click on this slide to end this presentation.