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General Illness Information Medical Term: FAILURE TO THRIVE Common Name: None Specified Description: This term is usually reserved for children, who for various reasons, fail to gain weight. Length and head circumference may also be affected in which case, the underlying condition may be more severe. Most commonly affected children are between ages of 3-6 months and almost all are under 3-5 years. It is more predominant in males than…

General Illness Information Medical Term: ENDOMETRIOSIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Endometriosis is a condition in which the endometrium (i.e. the inner lining of the uterus) which is normally found only in the uterus, grows in and around the pelvic organs e.g. the fallopian tubes, ovaries, pelvic cavity and also around other abdominal organs like the bowels, kidneys and rarely the lung. Most commonly found in women between the ages…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPIDIDYMITIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Infection or inflammation of the epididymis, which is a tubular structure attached to the upper posterior part of each testicle, and results in scrotal pain. Causes: Causes depend on the age of the patient: In younger men ( less than 35 ) – Sexually transmitted disease e.g.. Chlamydia or Gonorrhea and E. coli infection, associated with anogenital sex –…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPIGLOTTITIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Epiglottitis represents a true medical emergency. It is a life-threatening childhood infection of the epiglottis. Epiglottis is the structure that closes the entrance to the voice box and the wind pipe (larynx and trachea ) during swallowing. Epiglottitis is contagious. It can lead to upper airway obstruction. It is rare under the age of two years, commonest between the…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPILEPSY Common Name: Seizures Description: Epilepsy is a disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. These are attacks of abnormal brain function characterized years. by brief periods of altered consciousness, motor activity or inappropriate behavior. A seizure (or a fit) is an abnormal focus of sudden electrical activity in the brain. It affects approximately 0.5% of the population in the United States and Canada and affects males…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPISTAXIS Common Name: Nosebleeds Description: Epistaxis is bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity or from the nasopharynx (back part of the nose). Most common site of bleeding is from the Little’s area (Kiesselbach’s plexus) which is located in the front part of the nasal septum and contains many blood vessels. Second most common site is the anterior end of the inferior nasal turbinate. Less commonly…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EMPHYSEMA Common Name: None Specified Description: Emphysema is a chronic lung condition with abnormal enlargement of the air sacs (alveoli), because of destruction of their walls and with resulting loss of elasticity. The disease occurs in the distal and terminal airways and involves the airways as well as the lung parenchyma ( air sacs). It usually affects adults between 35 and 75. Males are more…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EARDRUM, RUPTURED Common Name: Perforated eardrum Description: A hole in the thin membrane (tympanic membrane) that separates the inner ear from the outer ear. Causes: The eardrum may be perforated when a sharp object is inserted in the ear, such as: a cotton swab or paper clip to clean the ear or relieve an itch; or by an object accidentally entering the ear, such as…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Down Syndrome Common Name: None Specified Description: Down syndrome (Trisomy 21 ) is due to a chromosomal abnormality that  is associated with mental retardation of varying degrees and may be associated with abnormalities in many organs. Down Syndrome is usually diagnosed at birth on the basis of typical facial features. The syndrome occurs in all races with equal frequency. Incidence is 1 in 1000 births…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Dysmenorrhea Common Name: Menstrual Cramps Description: Dysmenorrhea is severe painful abdominal cramps at the onset of and during menstruation. Severity of symptoms varies greatly from women to women and from time to time. It is usually less severe after childbirth. There are two types – Primary and Secondary dysmenorrhea. The condition is called Primary dysmenorrhea when there is no underlying cause and usually occurs in…