What causes it?
The exact causes of atherosderosis aren’t known exactly but studies show that this can be a slow and complex disease that can start from childhood. But can develop faster as you age and also if you smoke, have high cholesterol, have high amounts of certain fats in the blood, high blood pressure and insulin resistance (diabetes) causing high amount of sugar in the blood. All of these factors can damage the inner layers of the artery, when this happens your body starts a healing process, where fatty tissues excrete compounds that promote healing. In the layers of damaged tissue in the arteries the plaque builds up and over time this hardens, and can crack. When it cracks blood cells called platelets can build up and blood clots form where the cracks are. This also narrows the arteries reducing blood flow. This can worsen angina (chest pain) and can cause heart attack.
Multiple sclerosis. MS is a disease that affects the neurones in your brain and spinal cord causing problems in the vision muscle control and balance. It can also affect your emotions, moods and memory.
MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease this is a name for the bodies immune system what normally attacks harmful bacteria, viruses but instead attacks the own healthy body tissue. Neurone are made up of loads of tiny fibres that are protected by a sheath of myelin and this ensures that the electrical impulses are transmitted correctly but MS attacks the myelin so the electrical impulses aren’t sent as they should be causing the problems explained.
There are four type of MS and they all progress differently.
- Benign MS; very few relapses (flare up of symptoms) occur with this type of MS. Very few symptoms or no symptoms for about 15 years are needed to be diagnosed with this type of MS. Benign MS will get worse in later life.
- Relapsing-remitting MS; 80% of people with MS begins as a relapsing-remitting condition. This means that relapses occur followed by periods of remission. Relapses can come all of a sudden and last between two and six weeks, although some may take longer to clear. Symptoms may get gradually worse with every relapse that occurs or there may be new symptoms.
- Secondary progressive MS; about half off people with relapsing-remitting MS go on to develop secondary progressive MS within ten or so years. When relapses occur they don’t get better they progressively get worse. There is more chance that disability occurs even though relapses and remission happens less frequently.
- Primary progressive MS; this is the worse type of MS. Symptoms get steadily more severe without periods of remission.
The exact cause of MS is unknown although several factors are thought to be involved.
- Is not inherited but if a first degree relative i.e. parent or sibling then there is more chance of the person developing MS than the rest of the population.
- Environmental factors could be involved. A virus or bacterium cell could trigger the immune system into attacking itself.
- Where living in the world could determine the risk. The further away from the equator the less chance of developing MS.
sickle cell anaemia this is caused by the haemoglobin in the red blood cell being abnormal causing the red blood cell to be a sickle “C” shape instead of being biconcave. Being sickle shaped it makes the red blood cell not move as easy through the blood vessels as the biconcave structure. Also sickle cells are more sticky and stiff and tend to build up and block in the blood vessels. When blockages occur the blood flow is disrupted and this causes serious pain, infection and organ damage.
Sickle cell anaemia is one type of anaemia. Anaemia is a condition where there is a lower number of RBC than normal. Although condition can still occur if the RBC does not have enough haemoglobin. RBC only last 120 days in the blood stream and then they die, whereas sickle cells only last between 10 to 20 days and the bone marrow cannot produce and replace the old ones fast enough. Sickle cell anaemia is a inherited and lifelong disease and has no cure. People who have the disease are born with it. They inherit two genes from both parents. If a person only had one parent with sickle cell and the other parent with normal RBC then they have a condition called sickle cell trait. People who have sickle cell trait do not have the disease but have one of the genes that cause it like people with sickle cell anaemia they can still pass the gene on to their children.