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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); Asherman’s…

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 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: GALLSTONES (Cholelithiasis) Common Name: Gallstones Description: Gallstones are a  collection of one or more stones in the gallbladder, which is the hollow organ under the liver, that stores bile. When the gallstones are in the gallbladder, the condition is called cholelithiasis; when they are in the bile ducts the condition is called choledocolithiasis. Most gallstones in North America are composed primarily of cholesterol (75%). 25%…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANEMIA, FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY Medical Term: None Specified Description: Folic acid anemia is a megaloblastic anemia caused by lack of folic acid. In this type of anemia, bone marrow produces large, abnormal red blood cells (megaloblasts). It is often accompanied by iron-deficiency anemia. Folic acid is a vitamin found in raw vegetables, fresh fruit and meats and is destroyed by cooking. It is stored in…

General Illness Information Medical Term: FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME Common Name: None Specified Description: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition that affects some infants born to mothers who drank alcohol during pregnancy. FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in the Western world and has a worldwide incidence of 1.9 in 1000 live births. Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs in all racial groups according to alcohol abusing mothers. Approximately one…