General Illness Information Common Name: AMENORRHEA, SECONDARY Medical Term: None specified Description: Absence of menstruation for at least 3 months in a woman who has previously menstruated. Causes: Causes may include: Pregnancy; Breast-feeding; Discontinuing use of birth-control pills; Menopause; Emotional stress or psychological disorder; Surgical removal of the ovaries or uterus; Disorder of the endocrine system, including the pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and ovarian glands (Polycystic ovarian syndrome); Ashermans…
General Illness Information Common Name: AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Medical Term: None specified Description: A progressive disease which usually begins with muscle weakness most frequently in the hands and less often in the feet .Weakness is usually asymmetric (usually progresses more on one side of the body) and is accompanied by muscle wasting and proceeds either up the arm or down the leg. It is due to progressive…
General Illness Information Common Name: ACNE ROSACEA Medical Term: Adult Acne Description: Chronic inflammation of facial skin, usually the cheeks and nose; tendency to appear between the ages of 30 and 50. It is more common in women, but more severe in men. Extensive nose involvement (i.e. a bulbous red nose), mostly in men; called rhinophyma. Causes: Unknown. May be worsened by stress, warm drinks, hot or spicy foods, and…
General Illness Information Common Name: Hay Fever Medical Term: Allergic Rhinitis Description: Allergic response to airborne inhaled allergens affecting the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes and frequently the eyes). Most common of all allergic diseases. Affects up to 15% of the population in the United States and Canada. Onset of symptoms usually before age 30. Hay fever name is misleading, since symptoms most frequent in the pollen…
General Illness Information Common Name: ALOPECIA AREATA Medical Term: None specified Description: Sudden hair loss in circular patches on the scalp (in the absence of any other visible skin disorder or systemic disease). Any hairy area may be involved, the scalp and the beard most frequently. Rarely, all the body hair may be lost (Alopecia universalis). Alopecia totalis is loss of all scalp hair and eyebrows. In most cases, the…
General Illness Information Common Name: ALLERGY (Food) Medical Term: Applies according to allergy Description: Food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to certain foods or substances that are otherwise harmless. These adverse reactions may be inborn or an acquired biochemical defect. Symptoms may occur within minutes or up to two hours after ingestion. In some instances, the symptoms may not appear until a day or two later. Causes:…
General Illness Information Medical Term: GLAUCOMA Common Name: None Specified Description: Glaucoma is a term applied to a number of conditions causing optic nerve damage often in association  with increased intraocular pressure ( increased pressure in the eyeball ) causing damage to the optic nerve and resulting in potential loss of vision. Glaucoma is a disease of pressure and adequate lowering of intra-ocular pressure almost always stops optic nerve damage….
General Illness Information Common Name: ACNE Medical Term: Acne vulgaris Description: Acne vulgaris is a sebaceous gland disorder wherein the skin pores become clogged by dried sebum and flaked skin, causing lesions such as whiteheads and blackheads (comedones) which may become inflamed and/or infected. It is a chronic inflammatory skin condition common in adolescence and characterized by skin eruptions on the face, chest and back. It is more commonly seen…
General Illness Information Medical Term: GLOMERULONEPHRITIS (Post-infectious, Acute glomerulonephritis) Common Name: None Specified Description: Acute glomerulonephritis is an inflammation of the glomeruli that results in sudden appearance of blood in the urine, with clumps of red blood cells (casts) and protein in the urine. It is an immunologic response to an infection (usually streptococcal) which damages the glomeruli. It can be initiated by other bacterial or viral infections. Glomeruli are…
General Illness Information Medical Term: GANGRENE Common Name: None Specified Description: Gangrene is a dead or necrotic tissue and it is usually followed by infection. Gangrene develops when the blood supply to an affected part is cut off because of various factors including infection, vascular disease or trauma. It can involve any body part, but the commonest sites are the extremities. Can be most dangerous when gangrene affects the intestines…
