Jasmine's Anatomy and Physiology Blog

Respiratory Career: Respiratory Therapist        A respiratory therapist is a person who diagnoses lung and breathing disorders and recommends treatment methods. They also interview patients and do chest exams to properly diagnose and treat. They also analyze breath, tissue, and blood samples to determine levels of oxygen and other gases. They will also manage the ventilators for patients who are unable to breathe on their own, respond to code blues, and provide families with information about lung disease.       To become a respiratory therapist you must earn an associates degree or a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy. You must also have some hands-on experience and then be licensed and certified. The median salary for a respiratory therapist is about $60,000. Respiratory therapists treat patients suffering from asthma and emphysema through oxygen therapy. They also help patients who have had heart attacks and strokes to recover and b...

Respiratory Disease: Pulmonary Fibrosis        Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease. The tissue in the lungs becomes damaged or scarred. The lung tissue becomes thickened and causes problems in the lungs because they will not work properly. Pulmonary fibrosis will worsen without treatment, and you will become progressively more short of breath. The damage to the lungs, scarring and thickening, cannot be repaired, but their are medications and therapies to treat it. Some symptoms of are: dyspnea, dry cough, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, aching muscles and joints, and clubbing of the tips of fingers or toes. Pulmonary fibrosis makes it difficult for oxygen to enter your bloodstream and is caused by exposure to the environment. Silica dust, asbestos fibers, hard metal dusts, coal dust, grain dust, and bird and animal droppings can cause pulmonary fibrosis. Some complications that are caused by pulmonary fibrosis are, high blood pressure, right-sided heart failure...

Cardiologist        A cardiologist is a doctor with special training and skills in finding and preventing diseases in the heart and blood vessels. In order to be a cardiologist, you need 4 years of medical school, 3 years of general internal medicine, and then afterward the cardiologist spends about 3 years of training or more. In order to become certified, you must have completed at least 10 years of clinical and educational preparation. They also must pass a two-day exam that is administered by the American Board of Internal Medicine.  The exam tests their knowledge in the field and their judgment.         A cardiologist works in a medical office or a hospital. They review your medical history and perform a physical exam to asses your health, they check your BP, weight, heart, lungs, and blood vessels. A cardiologist may administer some of these exams: Echocardiogram, ambulatory ECG, cardiac catheterization. Not all cardiologists ...

Cardio/Blood Disease: Aplastic Anemia         Aplastic Anemia is a blood disease where your body fails to create new blood cells. This results in you feeling fatigued and you develop a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding. Aplastic anemia is rare and can develop and any age, it can occur suddenly or over time. You can treat it through medications, blood transfusions, or a bone marrow transplant. The symptoms of aplastic anemia are: fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heart rate, pale skin, bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, rashes, dizziness, and headaches. Aplastic anemia is caused by damage to the bone marrow, causing the decrease in production of new blood cells. Exposure to toxic chemicals is one of the causes of aplastic anemia. Benzene, pesticides, and insecticides. Use of drugs can also cause aplastic anemia. Aplastic anemia is also confused with myelodysplastic syndrome because it is difficult to distinguish.

Muscle Poem  Biceps are important for you if you want to move  You do not need big biceps if you have nothing to prove  The deltoid muscle is triangular And you need this muscle if you want to move like a jaguar  Your intercostal muscles help you breathe  Without them, you would just seethe Muscles are important  Whoever tells you otherwise is unimportant.  Muscles will help you live life from day to day  and will have you saying yay when you play  

Muscle Disease: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy        Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a muscle disease. It is a genetic disorder that causes muscles to degenerate and become weakened. It occurs primarily in males and is very rare in females. It causes atrophy to the skeletal and heart muscles. DMD is caused by mutations in the DMD gene, which affects the protein dystrophin. Dystrophin is found in the heart and skeletal muscles, so the DMD gene causes the protein to not function correctly, resulting in the muscles atrophying. DMD is X-linked recessive, but it can also occur in people who have no family history of DMD. There is no cure for DMD, but there are medications to help treat the symptoms and improve the quality of life. Steriods are used to increase the strength and function of the muscles, and eteplirsen is used treat people with DMD. Deflazacort can also be used to treat DMD. 

Muscle Career          A physical therapist is a career that has to do with muscles. If you are interested in the human body and how muscles work and interact with each other to help the human body function, then a career in physical therapy will be ideal. The things that we learned about muscles in anatomy and physiology will help in being a physical therapist because it provides a good foundation. We learned about flexion, extension, and the 12 muscle principles.         To become a physical therapist, first, you must earn a physical therapists degree. The length of the programs are about 3 years and in those 3 years, you will be covering some if not all these topics:   biology/anatomy, cellular histology, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, pathology, behavioral sciences, communication, ethics/values, management sciences, finance, sociology, clinical reasoning, evidence-bas...