Understanding Common Diseases

Understanding Common Diseases is designed for everyone who cares about their health or is interested in knowing more about how their body works. Over the course of the subject, you will hear from patients with four different diseases: high blood pressure, heartburn, diabetes and the common cold.
We have chosen these diseases as they all affect different body systems and occur commonly in the general public. We will be describing how patients experience the disease, the normal way the body system works and looking at how the disease affects function and how you and your doctor can best manage your health.

What will I learn?

• Understanding of health and disease, its management and prevention
• Understanding the ways in which the major body systems function including the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory tract
• How blood pressure is normally regulated
• How blood sugar levels are normally regulated
• How the immune system responds to invasion of the respiratory tract by microorganisms
• Recognise the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, heartburn, diabetes, and common colds and flu
• The principles of the treatment and management of high blood pressure, heartburn, diabetes, common cold and flu

Where could this lead me?

If you're wondering what your future could look like in this area, here are some potential careers you could head towards.

• Doctor
• Medical Scientist
• Nurse
• Medical Administrator
• Health Promotion
• Public Health Nutrition
• Social Marketing for Health

MODULE 1: HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE     MODULE 2: REFLUX     MODULE 3: DIABETES     MODULE 4: THE COMMON COLD