The Cardinal Symptoms of the Integumentary System
The skin is a bodily organ that receives as much as one-third of the blood pumped by the heart every minute. It's the primary structure within the integumentary system, making its role as a protective covering essential to the body's maintenance and survival. As a result, abnormalities in the skin's appearance or function may be a symptom of an underlying condition.
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Identification
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The integumentary system is made up of the skin, hair and nails, making it the largest system within the human body. Combined, these features work to protect and maintain the body's internal structures and processes. The skin is made up of three distinctive layers--epidermis, dermis and sub-dermis--that work together to fight foreign substances, insulate the internal organs, and excrete waste materials from the body. Hair and nail formations are also derived from the skin's surface. Symptoms that appear along the integumentary system may indicate the presence of internal ailments, or disorders.
Function
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As the skin layer encases the entire bodily structure, it plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis, or balance throughout the body's many processes. The integumentary system works to maintain normal body temperatures via its glandular system. The glandular system uses sweat glands found throughout the skin layer to excrete water, salts and waste materials. The three-layer structure provides a cushion for internal structures, energy storage, and sensory receptors that respond to the external environment. Skin also provides the body with nutrients in the form of Vitamin D from the sun. As skin is a visible organ, cardinal symptoms within this system can be readily identified and investigated.
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Symptoms
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Cardinal symptoms found within the skin portion of the integumentary system appear within its texture, coloring, and pigmentation. Changes in texture include skin that appears unusually dry or moist, or shows crust formations, or blistering. Bruises, rashes and discoloration (as in yellowing), or widely varying colorings throughout, may also indicate an underlying condition. Abnormalities about the hair may appear as changes in texture, distribution or amount. For the nails, changes in texture and formation may be apparent.
Skin Disorders
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Cardinal symptoms of the integumentary system can indicate disorders that affect the health of the skin, nail or hair structures. Conditions involving the skin can develop as a result of allergic reactions, or from infections caused by bacterial or fungal organisms. Eczema, psoriasis, warts, acne and athlete's foot are ailments that appear on the skin.
Hair loss, or alopecia, can also result from a disorder, or malfunctioning of the integumentary system. Nutritional imbalances within the body may influence skin appearance and texture, as is the case with vitamin A deficiencies, which can cause rough-textured skin surfaces. Areas of the skin in which pigmentation is strikingly different in color or texture may, in some cases, indicate a cancerous formation.
Conditions and Diseases
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Visible changes in the integumentary system can indicate a developing condition or disease involving one or more of the body's internal processes. Circulatory or respiratory conditions may be indicated by a bluish skin tone, also known as cyanosis. This is caused by low oxygen levels within the blood supply, and the subsequent breakdown of red blood cells.
Diseases involving the liver, like chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, may appear as a yellowing of the skin. The resulting liver damage causes bile materials to build up in the blood, resulting in a yellowing of the skin. Skin tissue that appears swollen and discolored may be the result of an allergic reaction in which histamine receptor site secretions cause inflammation in tissue and skin formations.
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