General Illness Information Medical Term: Mononucleosis Common Name: None Specified Description: An acute illness,characterised by fever, sore throat and enlarged lymph glands, caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus. Causes: The causative agent is the Epstein-Barr virus. After gaining entry to the nasopharynx and replicating, the virus infects B lymphocytes in the body. Prevention: Avoid contact with persons having infectious mononucleosis. Signs & Symptoms Fever. Sore throat (sometimes severe). Fatigue. Swollen lymph…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Morning sickness during pregnancy Common Name: Morning sickness Description: Common symptom of nausea and vomiting, usually during the first trimester of pregnancy. Occurs in over 50% of all pregnancies. Causes: Nausea probably results from rising levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin in the blood. These rising levels of hormones probably activate the vomiting center in the brain. Prevention: It is sometimes recommended for patients suffering nausea…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Multiple Myeloma Common Name: None Specified Description: Multiple myeloma is the most common malignancy of the bone. It is a malignancy beginning in the plasma cells of the bone marrow and characterized by the presence of large amounts of monoclonal immunoglobulins in the blood. Plasma cells normally produce antibodies to help destroy germs and protect against infection. With myeloma, this function becomes impaired, and the…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Migraine headache Common Name: None Specified Description: A migraine headache is a recurring, throbbing, intense pain that most commonly affects one side of the head but may affect both sides. The pain is of sudden onset and may be preceded or accompanied by visual, neurologic, or gastrointestinal symptoms. It is a type of vascular headache: a genetically based, neuro-chemical instability of the nervous system triggered…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Spontaneous Abortion Common Name: Miscarriage (Spontaneous abortion) Description: Spontaneous termination of pregnancy within 20 weeks of fetal age. At this stage. the fetus is considered to be unable to survive outside the uterus. About 20% of recognized pregnancies terminate in spontaneous abortions and 75% of these occur before the 8th week. Frequently the miscarriage occurs so early in pregnancy that the woman is not aware…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Molluscum Contagiosum Common Name: None Specified Description: A harmless viral infection characterized by shiny, pearly white bumps on the skin surface. Causes: The causative factor is the DNA virus of the pox group This virus may be transmitted by local or sexual contact. The incubation period is 2 weeks to 6 months. Prevention: Contact avoidance. Signs & Symptoms Papules (small, raised bumps on the skin)…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Mitral valve prolapse. Common Name: None Specified Description: Bulging of one or both leaflets of the mitral valve (valve between the left ventricle and left atrium in the heart) during the contraction phase of the heart cycle. This causes a characteristic heart murmur. This is a common and often benign disorder, and is most frequent in young to middle-aged women. Unknown in most cases. Occasionally…
General Illness Information Common Name: Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) Medical Term: None Specified Description: A chronic inflammatory disorder of connective tissue, of unknown cause. Involves major organs such as skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, etc. Occurs predominantly in young women, also occurs in children Causes: Lupus is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s defenses against infection attack the body’s own tissue. This causes inflammation. Areas of the…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Meniere’s Disease Common Name: None Specified Description: Menieres disease is a disorder of the inner ear Probably results from an abnormality in the inner ear fluid regulation. Usually it involves one ear, but both ears may be affected in 15% of patients. Typical onset age is between 20 and 50 years of age. Both sexes are equally affected. Intermittent attacks of vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the…
General Illness Information Medical Term: Menopause Common Name: Menopause Description: Menopause is final cessation of menstruation either as a normal part of aging, or surgical removal of both ovaries. This may occur as early as 40 years of age or as late as 55 years of age. It usually spans 1-3 years period, during which a woman adjusts to a diminishing and then absent menstrual flow. (Peri-menopausal Phase). Average age…
