Lymphatic and Immune System Diseases and Disorders



Lymphatic and Immune System Diseases and Disorders

Information Sheet

There are numerous disorders that could develop as a result of some pathological malfunction in many of the human body systems. In the study of the lymphatic system, one could find lymphatic structural disorders, allergic reactions, autoimmune disorders, immunodeficiency disorders, and many kinds of cancer. For this basic study of diseases or disorders, please view the following table for a reference to some of the more common conditions as well as a few of the less common conditions. The information for this chart was obtained from Diversified Health Occupations, 5th Edition by Louise Simmers; Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 4th Edition by Lucille Keir, Barbara A Wise, and Connie Krebs, and Medical Terminology for Health Professionals, 3rd Edition by Ann Ehrlich and from

|Disorder |Description |Causes |Symptoms |Treatment |

|Acquired Immune Deficiency |Advanced stages of HIV infection, |(HIV) human immunodeficiency virus |Early: positive HIV blood test, weight loss, |No cure, but treat the various symptoms. |

|Syndrome (AIDS) |characterized by serious infections, | |recurrent fever, night sweats, skin rashes, |Much research is being done to develop a |

| |cancers, and other disorders. | |diarrhea, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. |vaccine to prevent and drugs to cure the |

| | | |Later: cancers such as Kaposi’s sarcoma; |disease. Drugs such as Zidovudine are |

| | | |opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, |used to slow the progression of the |

| | | |pneumocystic carinii, Candidiasis, |disease. |

| | | |toxoplasmosis; and other disorders such as | |

| | | |persistent enlarged lymph nodes | |

|Addison’s Disease |A life-threatening autoimmune disorder |Decrease secretion of aldosterone by |Dehydration, hypotension, mental lethargy, |Steroid hormones, controlled intake of |

| |of the adrenal cortex |the adrenal cortex resulting in |weight loss, muscle weakness, excessive |sodium, and fluid regulation to prevent |

| | |interference of reabsorption of |yellow-brown coloring of the skin, |dehydration. |

| | |sodium and water and an increased |hypoglycemia, and edema. | |

| | |level of potassium in the blood | | |

| | | | | |

|Crohn’s Disease |Chronic autoimmune disorder involving |Unknown, but some think that it might|Acute episodes often cause appendicitis-type |Symptomatic treatment including dietary |

| |any part of the gastrointestinal tract,|be caused by allergies or infections.|pain in right lower quadrant with flatulence, |supplements, steroids to reduce |

| |but especially the walls of ileum or | |nausea, fever, and diarrhea. Bloody stools may|inflammation, antibacterial agents. |

| |colon. The walls may become edematous | |be present. Chronic disease may have diarrheal|Lifestyle changes of more rest and dietary|

| |ulcerate, narrow, and become abscessed.| |episodes of four to six stools daily, marked |adjustments, such as restrictions of some |

| | | |weight loss, weakness, and difficulty dealing |fruits and vegetables that might cause |

| | | |with everyday stress. |attacks. Surgery sometimes necessary. |

|Diabetes Mellitus |A complex metabolic disorder of the |Inadequate insulin secretion |Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), excessive |Regulate diet to control level of blood |

| |pancreas | |urination, thirst, hunger, sugar in urine, |sugar, exercise, and oral medications or |

| | | |weight loss, fatigue, vision changes, slow |insulin injections to lower blood sugar |

| | | |healing of wounds or infections. |levels. |

|Grave’s Disease |An autoimmune disorder of the thyroid |Increased secretion of thyroxine |Strained or tense facial expressions, |Medications to slow the production of |

| |gland | |protruding eyeballs, goiter, nervous |thyroxine, radioactive iodine to destroy |

| | | |irritability, emotional instability, |thyroid tissue, and thyroidectomy |

| | | |tachycardia (fast heart), great appetite but | |

| | | |weight loss, diarrhea | |

|Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis |An autoimmune disorder where the immune|Believed to have a genetic basis. |Thyroid tenderness. General symptoms: fatigue,|Oral medications replacing thyroid |

|(hypothyroidism) |system attacks thyroid tissue |Thyroid enlargement decreases the |depression, modest weight gain, cold |hormone, such as Synthroid. Thyroidectomy|

| | |ability to produce thyroid hormones. |intolerance, dry course hair, dry skin. |sometimes needed. |

| | | |Progressed symptoms: puffiness around eyes, | |

| | | |slow heart, low body temperature | |

|Mononucleosis |Presence of an abnormally large number |Epstein-Barr Virus that is spread by |Fever, fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph |Rest, pain medications, and sometimes |

| |of atypical lymphocytes that have a |saliva |glands. Can progress to hepatitis and |anti-viral medications. |

| |single nucleus (monocytes) | |splenomegaly. | |

|Multiple Sclerosis |A chronic, debilitating, and |Unknown, but usually begins between |Early symptoms: visual disturbances, weakness, |No cure. However, physical therapy, |

| |progressive autoimmune disorder of |the ages of twenty and forty. |fatigue, poor coordination, tingling, and |muscle relaxants, steroids, and counseling|

| |brain and spinal cord that destroys the| |numbness. Late symptoms: Tremors, paralysis, |help maintain function as long as |

| |protective covering of the nerve fibers| |spastic muscles, emotional swings, |possible. |

| |of the brain and spinal cord. | |incontinence, and speech disturbances | |

|Myasthenia Gravis |An autoimmune disorder of nerve |Unknown why antibodies attack the |Episodes of muscle weakness that may lead to |No cure, but try to be supportive of |

| |impulses not properly transmitted to |body’s own tissues. |paralysis. Can be fatal if reaches respiratory|victim as disease progresses. |

| |muscles. | |muscles | |

|Psoriasis |A chronic autoimmune disorder of |Thought to be hereditary. |Itching, red papules covered with silvery |No cure. However, coal/tar or cortisone |

| |integumentary system | |scales occurring mostly on elbows, knees, |ointments, ultraviolet light, and/or scale|

| | | |scalp, and trunk. |removal are common treatments. |

|Rheumatoid Arthritis |A chronic systemic inflammatory |Malfunction of immune response |Affected joints stiffen following inactivity, |Salicylates to reduce inflammation. |

| |autoimmune disorder of joints and |causing inflammation to dilate blood |swell, and show signs of deformity. As the |Corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory agents,|

| |connective tissues and surrounding |vessels and cause fluid to accumulate|disease progresses, the joints become tender, |gold salts, and antimalarial drugs have |

| |muscles, tendons, ligaments, and blood |in the joint cavity. These cycles |painful, hot and enlarged with marked |helped. Acute episodes are treated with |

| |vessels. |eventually cause destruction of |deformities. |ice packs. Chronic cases need range of |

| | |joint. | |motion exercises and heat applications. |

| | | | |Rest. |

|Scleroderma |An autoimmune disorder of the skin, |Unknown but thought to be inherited. |Abnormal tissue thickening that usually starts |Individualized to the specific symptom at |

| |“hard skin” | |on fingers, hands, or face. Tiny calcium |the particular site. |

| | | |deposits in skin. Tiny red areas on face, | |

| | | |hands, and in mouth behind lips. Raynaud’s | |

| | | |Phenomenon (fingers turn white, then blue, and | |

| | | |then red when exposed to cold or heat due to | |

| | | |tiny artery spasms) | |

|Splenomegaly |Enlargement of the spleen |Can be caused by abnormal |Swelling and abdominal pain. If spleen |Treat causes. However, if cause cannot be|

| | |accumulation of red blood cells, |ruptures, internal hemorrhage and shock occur. |treated, a splenectomy is done. |

| | |mononucleosis, and cirrhosis of liver| | |

|Systemic Lupus Erythematosus |An autoimmune disorder affecting many |Unknown immune system changes. |Beginning symptoms: fever, weight loss, |Rest when needed, but try to carry on |

| |body systems, such as joints, skin, | |headache, fatigue, swollen glands, depression, |normal activities of daily living. Avoid |

| |connective tissues, and other major | |loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, easy |sun exposure during peak hours of |

| |body organs, such as kidneys, lungs, | |bruising, hair loss, edema. More specific |sunlight. Anti-inflammatory and pain |

| |heart, and nervous system. | |are: rash over cheeks and bridge of nose, rash |medications for joint and muscle pain. |

| | | |after sun exposure, arthritis in two or more |Steroids. |

| | | |joints, bald spots, ulcers inside mouth, | |

| | | |anemia, pleurisy, Raynaud’s Phenomenon. | |

|Tonsillitis |Inflammation of the tonsils |Irritability of tonsil tissues or |Throat pain, difficulty swallowing, fever, |Antibiotics, warm throat irrigation |

| | |pathogenic invasion of tonsil tissue |white or yellow spots on the tonsils, swollen |(gargle), rest, and pain medications. If |

| | | |lymph nodes below the jawbone |chronic or frequent infections occur, may |

| | | | |need tonsillectomy |

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