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General Illness Information Common Name: Cushing’s Disease, Cushing’s syndrome. Medical Term: Cushing’s Disease, Cushing’s syndrome Description: Clinical abnormalities associated with chronic exposure to excessive amounts of cortisol. Causes: The most frequent cause is prolonged use of  steroid medications (Cortisone, or ACTH) Other causes: ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor Ectopic ACTH production (e.g., small-cell carcinoma of lung, bronchial carcinoid) Endogenous ACTH-independent hypercortisolism: Adrenal adenoma Adrenal carcinoma Macro/micro nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal gland….

General Illness Information Medical Term: CYSTITIS IN FEMALES Common Name: Bladder Infection Description: A common problem in women who are otherwise healthy. Caused by inflammation or infection of the urinary bladder. It is particularly common during the reproductive years.  3-8% of women have bacteriuria at any given time and 30% of females have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI). Causes: Commonest cause is bacteria in the vagina that travel to…

General Illness Information Common Name: Dementia Medical Term: None Specified Description: Dementia is a brain disorder characterized by a gradual and progressive mental deterioration  Memory loss is most common, but other mental faculties may be affected including attention, judgment, comprehension, orientation, learning, calculation, problem solving, mood and behavior.  Agitation or withdrawal, hallucinations, delusions, insomnia and loss of inhibitions are common. There are many different causes of dementia but it is essential…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Multiple Sclerosis Common Name: None Specified Description: Chronic, slowly progressive, neurological disease characterized by myelin loss in the brain and spinal cord, causing neurological symptoms. Myelin is the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord. It usually begins in young adulthood (ages 20 to 40), is more common in females, and is more prevalent in cooler climates. A third of all affected patients have…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Myasthenia Gravis Common Name: None Specified Description: Autoimmune disorder, characterized by progressive muscle fatigue and weakness, and improved by drugs which inhibit the enzyme choline-esterase. Usually involves muscles around the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs. Usually presents between ages 20-40, and is more common in women Causes: This is an autoimmune disorder. The body produces antibodies to a receptor (acetyl-choline) at the level of the…

General Illness Information Medical Term: MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROMES (FIBROSITIS) Common Name: Fibromyalgia (Fibromyositis) Description: Fibrositis (fibromyalgia syndromes, myofascial pain syndromes) are a group of disorders characterized by chronic widespread aches and pains in the muscles, muscle sheath and connective tissues of tendons, muscles, bones and joints, with associated tenderness. The pain and stiffness (fibromyalgia) may affect the whole body or may be restricted to certain parts of the body, as…

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…