Cancer of Breast (Breast Carcinoma)
Cancer of Cervix (Cervical Carcinoma)
Daytime Sleepiness (Narcolepsy)
Ear Infection (Otitis or Inflammation of The Ear)
H1N1 (Swine Flu (H1N1 Flu)) – Influenza
Lactase Deficiency (Lactose Intolerance)
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weakened and bulging area in the lower part of the aorta, the major blood vessel that supplies blood to the body.
Achilles tendinitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to our heel bone.
Achilles tendinitis can progress to a degenerative condition called Achilles tendinosis. This change in the structure of the tendon weakens it and makes it more vulnerable to severe damage. Degeneration of the Achilles tendon can result in a tear, or rupture, which is a painful injury that usually requires surgery to repair the damaged tendon.
Acne. Zits. Pimples. Blemishes. No matter what you call them, acne can be distressing and annoyingly persistent. Acne lesions heal slowly, and when one begins to resolve.
Acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous (benign) and usually slow-growing tumor that develops on the main nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain.
Tumors on the main nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain (vestibulocochlear nerve) – appears to be a malfunctioning gene on chromosome 22.
Acromegaly is a chronic metabolic disorder in which there is too much growth hormone and the body tissues gradually enlarge.
It is caused by abnormal production of growth hormone after the skeleton and other organs finish growing
Bacteremia (also Bacteraemia or Bacteræmia) is the presence of bacteria in the blood. The blood is normally a sterile environment, so the detection of bacteria in the blood (most commonly with blood cultures) is always abnormal.
Bacteria can enter the bloodstream as a severe complication of infections (like pneumonia or meningitis), during surgery (especially when involving mucous membranes such as the gastrointestinal tract), or due to catheters and other foreign bodies entering the arteries or veins.
Bacteria may enter the blood through a wound or infection or during a medical or dental procedure or injection.
Bacteremia can quickly progress to severe sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition.
A diagnosis of bacteremia is usually confirmed by a blood culture.
Book your appointmentBacterial vaginosis is a type of vaginal inflammation that results from the overgrowth of one of several types of bacteria normally present in the vagina, upsetting the natural balance of vaginal bacteria.
Women with new or multiple sex partners, as well as women who use an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control, have a higher risk of bacterial vaginosis
This type of vaginitis can spread during sexual intercourse, but it also occurs in people who aren’t sexually active
In pregnant women, however, both bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis have been associated with premature deliveries and low birth weight babies
Women with trichomoniasis or bacterial vaginosis are also at a greater risk of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
Your doctor may review your history of vaginal infections or sexually transmitted infections and conduct a pelvic examination
During the exam, your doctor may take a sample of cervical or vaginal discharge for laboratory analysis
Book your appointmentBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.
There are two main types of breast cancer:
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens at the top of the vagina. Cervical cancers start in the cells on the surface of the cervix. There are two types of cells on the cervix’s surface: squamous and columnar. The majority of cervical cancers are from squamous cells.
Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:
Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include:
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. Narcolepsy can cause serious disruptions in your daily routine.
The normal process of falling asleep begins with a phase called non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. During this phase, your brain waves slow considerably. After an hour or two of NREM sleep, your brain activity picks up again, and REM sleep begins. Most dreaming occurs during REM sleep.
In narcolepsy, however, you may suddenly enter into REM sleep without first experiencing NREM sleep, both at night and during the day. Some of the characteristics of REM sleep, such as sudden lack of muscle tone, sleep paralysis and vivid dreams, occur during other sleep stages in people with narcolepsy.
The exact cause of narcolepsy isn’t known. Genetics may play a role. Other factors, such as infection, stress or exposure to toxins, may contribute to the development of narcolepsy.
Hypocretin is an important chemical in your brain that helps regulate wakefulness and REM sleep. People with narcolepsy have low levels of this neurochemical in their spinal fluid. It’s particularly low in those who experience cataplexy. Exactly what causes the loss of hypocretin-producing cells in the brain isn’t known, but experts suspect it’s due to an autoimmune reaction.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a painful inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, you’re likely to feel discomfort every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist.
Although the cause of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis isn’t known, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement – such as working in the garden, playing music, knitting, cooking, lifting your baby or walking your pet – can aggravate the condition.
Treatment for de Quervain’s tenosynovitis may range from immobilizing your wrist and taking medications to surgery in more serious cases. If you start treatment early on, your symptoms of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis should generally improve within four to six weeks.
When you grip, grasp, clench, pinch or wring anything in your hand, you use two major tendons in your wrist and lower thumb. These tendons run side by side from your forearm through the thumb side of your wrist. They normally glide unhampered through the small tunnel that connects them to the base of the thumb. In de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, the tendons’ slippery covering becomes inflamed, restricting movement of the tendons.
Chronic overuse of your wrist is commonly associated with de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. For example, wringing out a cloth involves a repetitive motion, a bent wrist and the gripping of the cloth. If you repeat an action like this day after day, this combination may be enough to irritate the sheath around the two tendons.
Other causes of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:
Symptoms of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:
You may begin to limit your hand and wrist movements to avoid pain from untreated de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Lack of movement leads to more pain and less strength and flexibility in your hand. Eventually, your range of motion may be severely restricted.
To diagnose de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, your doctor likely will confirm that you have both:
Dry macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Dry macular degeneration is marked by deterioration of the macula, which is in the center of the retina – the layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eyeball.
The exact cause of dry macular degeneration is unknown, but the condition develops as the eye ages. Dry macular degeneration affects the macula – a small area at the center of your retina that is responsible for clear vision, particularly in your direct line of sight. Over time the cells that make up your macula break down.
At any time, dry macular degeneration can progress to a more severe form of the disease called wet macular degeneration, which causes rapid vision loss.
To diagnose de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, your doctor likely will confirm that you have both:
Otitis is a general term for infection or inflammation of the ear.
Ear Infections are one of the most common reasons parents take their children to the doctor. While there are different types of ear infections, the most common is called otitis media, which means an inflammation and infection of the middle ear. The middle ear is located just behind the eardrum.
The term “acute” refers to a short and painful episode. An ear infection that lasts a long time or comes and goes is called chronic otitis media. Risk factors for ear infections include the following:
For each ear, a eustachian tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. This tube drains fluid that is normally made in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid can build up. When this happens, germs such as bacteria and viruses can multiply and cause an infection.
Ear Infections are common in infants and children, in part because the eustachian tubes become easily clogged.
Ear Infections may also occur in adults, although they are less common than in children.
Anything that causes the eustachian tubes to become swollen or blocked causes more fluids to build up in the middle ear behind the eardrum. These causes include:
Symptoms of ear infection include:
Generally, an ear infection is a simple, nonserious condition without complications. Most children will have minor, temporary hearing loss during and right after an ear infection. This is due to fluid lingering in the ear.
Fluid can remain behind the eardrums even after the infection has cleared.
Other potential complications from otitis media include:
A child who might have an ear infection should visit a doctor, who should be able to make a diagnosis by taking a medical history and doing a physical exam.
To examine the ear, doctors use an otoscope, a small instrument similar to a flashlight, through which they can see the eardrum.
Book your appointmentA ruptured or perforated eardrum is an opening in the tympanic membrane (eardrum). Tympanic membrane perforation; Eardrum – ruptured or perforated; Perforated eardrum are the alternative names for Ruptured ear drum.
The tympanic membrane (eardrum) separates the outer ear from the middle ear. The eardrum vibrates when sound waves strike it.
Bones and nerve endings in the middle and inner parts of the ear then send a nerve impulse that travels to the brain. When the eardrum is damaged, the hearing process is interrupted.
Ear infections may cause a ruptured eardrum, more often in children. The infection causes pus or fluid to build up behind the eardrum. As the pressure increases, the eardrum may break open or rupture.
Damage to the eardrum can also occur from:
Signs and symptoms of a ruptured eardrum may include:
The Normal range of human hearing is about 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz. Sounds greater than 85 dB can cause hearing loss after a few hours. Louder sounds can cause immediate pain, and hearing loss can develop in a very short time.
The doctor will look in your ear with an instrument called an otoscope. If the eardrum is perforated, the doctor will see an opening in it, and may even see the bones of the middle ear.
Sometimes it is hard for the doctor to see the eardrum because of drainage (pus) from the ear.
Audiology testing can measure the extent of hearing loss
An audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary based on their loudness (intensity) and the speed of sound wave vibrations (tone). Audiometry provides a more precise measurement of hearing. To test air conduction, you wear earphones attached to the audiometer. Pure tones of controlled intensity are delivered to one ear at a time. You are asked to raise a hand, press a button, or otherwise indicate when you hear a sound.
The minimum intensity (volume) required to hear each tone is graphed. An attachment called a bone oscillator is placed against the bone behind each ear (mastoid bone) to test bone conduction.
Book your appointmentMunchausen syndrome belongs to a group of conditions, called factitious disorders, that are either made up or self-inflicted. Factitious disorders can be psychological or physical. Munchausen syndrome refers to the most severe and chronic physical form of factitious disorder.
The cause of Munchausen syndrome is unknown. However, people with this disorder may have experienced a severe illness when they were young, or may have been emotionally or physically abused.
Diagnosing Munchausen syndrome is often extremely difficult. People with Munchausen are experts at faking many different diseases and conditions. And often they do have real and even life-threatening medical conditions, even though these conditions may be self-inflicted.
Book your appointmentTetralogy of Fallot is a rare condition caused by the combination of four heart defects that are present at birth. These defects, which affect the structure of the heart, cause oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and into the rest of the body. Infants and children with tetralogy of Fallot usually have blue-tinged skin because their blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen.
The four abnormalities that make up the tetralogy of Fallot include:
Tetralogy of Fallot occurs during fetal growth, when the baby’s heart is developing. While factors such as poor maternal nutrition, viral illness or genetic disorders may increase the risk of this condition, in most cases the cause of tetralogy of Fallot is unknown.
All babies with tetralogy of Fallot need corrective surgery. Without treatment, your baby may not grow and develop properly. He or she is also at increased risk of serious complications, such as infective endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart caused by a bacterial infection.
Galactorrhea is a milky nipple discharge unrelated to the normal milk production of breast-feeding. Galactorrhea itself isn’t a disease, but it’s a sign of an underlying problem. Although it occurs most often in women, galactorrhea can happen in men and even sometimes in infants.
Excessive breast stimulation, medication side effects, or disorders of the pituitary gland all may contribute to galactorrhea. Often, galactorrhea results from increased levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production
Possible causes of galactorrhea include:
Idiopathic galactorrhea
Sometimes doctors can’t find a cause for galactorrhea. This is called idiopathic galactorrhea, and it may just mean that your breast tissue is particularly sensitive to the milk-producing hormone prolactin in your blood.
Galactorrhea in men
In males, galactorrhea may be associated with testosterone deficiency (male hypogonadism)
Galactorrhea in newborns
Galactorrhea sometimes occurs in newborns. High maternal estrogen levels cross the placenta into the baby’s blood
Gallbladder polyps are growths or lesions resembling growths (polypoid lesions) in the wall of the gallbladder. True polyps are abnormal accumulations of mucous membrane tissue that would normally be shed by the body. The main types of polypoid growths of the gallbladder include cholesterol polyp/cholesterosis, cholesterosis with fibrous dysplasia of gallbladder, adenomyomatosis, hyperplastic cholecystosis, and adenocarcinoma.
It is an incidental finding but may have definite correlation with increasing age.
May develop into adenocarcinomas.
Ultrasound.
Book your appointmentThe respiratory infection popularly known as swine flu is caused by an influenza virus first recognized in spring 2009, near the end of the usual Northern Hemisphere flu season. The new virus, 2009 H1N1, spreads quickly and easily. A few months after the first cases were reported, rates of confirmed H1N1-related illness were increasing in almost all parts of the world. As a result, the World Health Organization declared the infection a global pandemic. That official designation remained in place for more than a year. Technically, the term “swine flu” refers to influenza in pigs. Occasionally, pigs transmit influenza viruses to people, mainly hog farm workers and veterinarians. Less often, someone infected occupationally passes the infection to others. You can’t catch swine flu from eating pork.
Influenza viruses infect the cells lining your nose, throat and lungs. The virus enters your body when you inhale contaminated droplets or transfer live virus from a contaminated surface to your eyes, nose or mouth on your hand.
Hematometra is a medical condition involving collection of blood in the uterus. It can rarely be caused by a proximal transverse vaginal septum, as can hematosalpinx. A collection or retention of blood in the uterine cavity. Also called hemometra.
Ichthyosis vulgaris, sometimes called fish scale disease or fish skin disease, is an inherited skin disorder in which dead skin cells accumulate in thick, dry scales on your skin’s surface. The scales of ichthyosis vulgaris can be present at birth, but usually first appear during early childhood. Sometimes ichthyosis vulgaris disappears entirely for most of the adult years, only to return later.
Ichthyosis vulgaris is characterized by chronic, excessive buildup of the protein in the upper layer of the skin (keratin). This buildup is a result of your skin’s natural shedding process being slowed or inhibited.
Ichthyosis vulgaris is most often caused by a genetic mutation, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. That means a child has to inherit only one copy of the affected gene to develop the disease.
A doctor can often make a diagnosis by examining your skin and the characteristic scales. If there’s any doubt, he or she may perform other tests, such as a skin biopsy.
To diagnose ichthyosis, your doctor also will take into account:
Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby’s skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby’s blood contains an excess of bilirubin , a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells.
Infant jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 38 weeks gestation (preterm babies) and breast-fed babies.
The main cause of jaundice is:
Excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) – Bilirubin is the substance that causes the yellow color of jaundice. It’s a normal part of the waste produced when “used” red blood cells are broken down. Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and releases it into the intestinal tract. Before birth, a mother’s liver removes bilirubin from the baby’s blood. The liver of a newborn is immature and often can’t remove bilirubin quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin. Jaundice due to these normal newborn conditions is called physiologic jaundice, and it typically appears on the second or third day of life.
Other causes:
Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow pigment is from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jaundice is also a symptom of other disorders.
Causes in adults include:
Jet lag, also called jet lag disorder, is a temporary sleep disorder that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag is caused by a disruption to your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythms – which tell your body when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to sleep. The more time zones crossed, the more likely you are to experience jet lag.
Jet lag can cause daytime fatigue, an unwell feeling, difficulty staying alert and gastrointestinal problems.
A disruption to your circadian rhythms
Jet lag can occur anytime you cross two or more time zones. Jet lag occurs because crossing multiple time zones puts your internal clock or circadian rhythms, which regulate your sleep-wake cycle, out of sync with the time in your new locale. And because it takes a few days for your body to adjust, your sleep-wake cycle, along with most other body functions, such as hunger and bowel habits, remains out of step.
The influence of sunlight
A key influence on your internal clock is sunlight. That’s because the pineal gland, a part of the brain that influences circadian rhythms, responds to darkness and light.
Airline cabin pressure and atmosphere
Some research shows that the changes in cabin pressure associated with air travel may contribute to some symptoms of jet lag, regardless of travel across time zones.
Symptoms worse the farther you travel. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the more time zones that you’ve crossed, especially if you travel in an easterly direction.
Jet lag is temporary. But if you are a frequent traveler and continually struggle with jet lag, you may benefit from seeing a sleep specialist.
Book your appointmentKawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of small- and medium-sized arteries throughout the body,including the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle.
Kawasaki disease is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects lymph nodes, skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat.
Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of small- and medium-sized arteries throughout the body,including the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle.
Kawasaki disease is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects lymph nodes, skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat.
Kawasaki disease symptoms appear in phases
First phase
Signs and symptoms of the first phase may include:
Second phase
In the second phase of the disease, your child may develop:
Third phase
In the third phase of the disease, signs and symptoms slowly go away unless complications develop. It may be as long as eight weeks before energy levels seem normal again.
Heart complications include:
Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the front of your eye that covers the pupil and iris.
Keratitis may or may not involve an infection.
Noninfectious keratitis can be caused by a relatively minor injury, such as a fingernail scratch, or from wearing your contact lenses too long.Infectious keratitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
Paget’s disease of the breast is a rare form of breast cancer. Paget’s disease of the breast starts on the nipple and extends to the dark circle of skin (areola) around the nipple. Paget’s disease of the breast isn’t related to Paget’s disease of the bone, a metabolic bone disease.
Paget’s disease of the breast occurs most often in women older than age 50.
Doctors don’t know what causes Paget’s disease of the breast. But the most widely accepted theory is that the disease results from an underlying ductal breast cancer. Cancer cells from the original tumor travel through milk ducts to the nipple and its surrounding skin.
Recurrence of breast cancer the chance of metastasis is high.
The medical term for painful intercourse is dyspareunia which is defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse and that causes you personal distress.
It can lead to infertility.
Q fever is caused by a specific type of bacteria carried by animals, most commonly sheep, goats and cattle. When you inhale barnyard dust particles contaminated by infected animals, you may become infected.
Most people with Q fever have no initial symptoms, but some experience flu-like symptoms or develop pneumonia or hepatitis. This acute form of Q fever can lead to chronic Q fever, which is a serious disease that can last three to four years, can affect your heart, liver, brain and lungs, and is often fatal.
Acute Q fever usually clears up within a few weeks with no treatment. If you have symptoms, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics. Chronic Q fever requires specific antibiotic treatment, multiple follow-up tests and possibly surgery.
Q fever is found around the world and is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. The bacteria affects sheep, goats, cattle, dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and ticks, as well as some other animals. Infected animals shed this bacteria in:
Humans usually get Q fever by breathing in contaminated droplets released by infected animals. Drinking raw milk has also caused infection in rare cases. People at highest risk for this infection are:
Chronic Q fever develops in people who have been infected for more than 6 months.
People at highest risk include those with heart valve problems or weakened immune systems.
It usually takes about 20 days after exposure to the bacteria for symptoms to occur. Most cases are mild, yet some severe cases have been reported.
Symptoms of acute Q fever may include:
Symptoms of chronic Q fever may include:
Platelet count – Performing a platelet count may suggest Q fever, but it can’t provide a definite diagnosis.
Spinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from damage to surrounding bones, tissues, or blood vessels.
Common causes of spinal cord injury
The most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States are:
Symptoms vary somewhat depending on the location of the injury. Spinal cord injury causes weakness and sensory loss at and below the point of the injury. The severity of symptoms depends on whether the entire cord is severely injured (complete) or only partially injured (incomplete).
The spinal cord doesn’t go below the 1st lumbar vertebra, so injuries at and below this level do not cause spinal cord injury. However, they may cause “cauda equina syndrome” – injury to the nerve roots in this area.
CERVICAL (NECK) INJURIES
When spinal cord injuries occur in the neck area, symptoms can affect the arms, legs, and middle of the body. The symptoms may occur on one or both sides of the body. Symptoms can include:
THORACIC (CHEST LEVEL) INJURIES
When spinal injuries occur at chest level, symptoms can affect the legs:
Injuries to the cervical or high thoracic spinal cord may also result in blood pressure problems, abnormal sweating, and trouble maintaining normal body temperature.
LUMBAR SACRAL (LOWER BACK) INJURIES
When spinal injuries occur at the lower back level, varying degrees of symptoms can affect one or both legs, as well as the muscles that control your bowels and bladder:
The following are possible complications of a spinal cord injury:
People living at home with spinal cord injury should do the following to prevent complications:
These tests may include: