General Illness Information Medical Term: IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME Common Name: SPASTIC COLON, MUCOUS COLITIS Description: A disorder of the motility pattern of the bowels, characterized by abdominal pain, gaseousness, constipation or diarrhea, usually after meals or stress and in the absence of organic pathology. It is divided into 4 categories: 1.Alternating diarrhea with constipation; 2. Diarrhea predominant; 3. Constipation predominant; 4. Upper abdominal bloating and discomfort Irritable bowel syndrome affects…
General Illness Information Common Name: Coronary Artery Disease Medical Term: Ischemic Heart Disease Description: Coronary artery disease is a condition in which fatty deposits (atheroma) accumulate in the cells lining the wall of the coronary arteries. These fatty deposits build up gradually and irregularly in the large branches of the two main coronary arteries which encircle the heart and are the main source of its blood supply. This process is…
General Illness Information Medical Term: INSECT BITES AND STINGS Common Name: None Specified Description: Skin eruptions, swelling and other symptoms caused by insect bites or stings. Insects affect man by being pests, inoculating poison, invading tissue, or transmitting disease. Inoculation of poison may occur as either a bite or a sting. The bites cause a variety of reactions from a small bump to large sores (ulcers) with swelling and pain….
General Illness Information Medical Term: INFLUENZA Common Name: (FLU) Description: A specific acute contagious, viral illness causing fever, runny nose, cough, headaches, generalized aches and pains, malaise and upper respiratory infection. Incubation period is 24-48 hours. Main types: A, B, & C, but can mutate to different forms. Can affect most ages, especially infants. Causes: Infection by myxovirus class of viruses; The viruses spread by personal contact or indirect contact. Prevention:…
General Illness Information Medical Term: IRITIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Inflammation of the iris and the ciliary muscle ( the ring of colored tissue surrounding the pupil of the eye). This is also referred to as Anterior uveitis Causes: Infection that spreads to the eye from other body parts. Common causes include: Toxoplasmosis; Tuberculosis; Histoplasmosis; Syphilis; Sarcoidosis; Viruses (herpes simplex or zoster); Injury to the eye; Autoimmune reaction; Unknown…
General Illness Information Common Name: High Blood Pressure Medical Term: Hypertension. Description: Hypertension is defined as a sustained elevated blood pressure (systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater). 50 million people in the US have hypertension; 20% of the U.S. population. It is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Even though most patients have no symptoms, treatment…
General Illness Information Common Name: Hyperthyroidism Medical Term: Hyperthyroidism Description: Excessive levels of thyroid hormone – usually due to over-activity of the thyroid gland. This hormone regulates all body functions, and therefore over-production of thyroid hormone will have widespread effect in the body. Types of hyperthyroidism include: Graves’ disease (GD) – the most common form – an autoimmune disease; Toxic multinodular goiter – occurs late in life. Nodules are insidious…
General Illness Information Common Name: Hypothyroidism Medical Term: Hypothyroidism Description: The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones, under the control of the pituitary gland in the brain. Thyroid hormone is essential to the body in the consumption of oxygen by the cells, and in protein synthesis. The condition in which the thyroid gland produces low levels of thyroid hormone is termed hypothyroidism. It affects both sexes, but is more common among…
General Illness Information Medical Term: IMPETIGO (IMPETIGO CONTAGIOSA) Common Name: None Specified Description: An infectious bacterial infection of the skin, causing small bubbles that become pustules and eventually form crusts; Most common in children; Very contagious, especially in families. Causes: Staphylococcal or streptococcal (or combination) bacteria growing in the skin. 50 to 90% of infections are due to staphylococci and are spread by contact or insect vector or contamination at…
General Illness Information Medical Term: IMPOTENCE, MALE SEXUAL (ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION) Common Name: None Specified Description: A consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection; Impotence is not inevitable with aging. The capacity for erection is retained, though a man may need more stimulation to achieve erection and more time between erections than in the past. Causes: Psychological causes include: Guilt feelings; A poor relationship with the sexual partner; Psychological disorders,…
