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General Illness Information Medical Term: Upper Respiratory Infection, URI Common name Common Cold Description: A contagious viral infection of the upper-respiratory passages Causes: Any of at least 100 viruses. Virus particles spread through the air or from person-to-person contact, especially hand-shaking. Prevention: Wash hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose or handling food. To prevent spreading a cold to others, avoid unnecessary contact during the contagious phase (first 2 to…

General Illness Information Common Name: Hives Medical Term: Urticaria Description: Disorder characterized by a skin rash with raised areas with redness and itching. Commonly allergic but may also occur on a non-allergic basis. Causes: Allergic or non-allergic; massive histamine release from mast cells in skin. Drug reaction especially Aspirin, Non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs. Food or food additive allergy. Allergy to peanuts and/or tree nuts a leading cause of severe (sometimes…

General Illness Information Medical Term: INCONTINENCE, STRESS Common Name: None Specified Description: Involuntary loss of bladder control and passage of urine in conditions of high abdominal pressure or stress (coughing, sneezing, lifting, etc.). Commonest in post-menopausal women. Causes: Loss of pelvic support with age, childbirth and surgery. Damage to sphincter control mechanisms in males (rare). Prevention: Eat a normal, well-balanced diet and exercise regularly to build and maintain muscle strength….

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: THYROID NODULE (SOLITARY THYROID NODULE, MULTINODULAR GOITER, BENIGN NODULE, MALIGNANT NODULE, COLLOID NODULE, NODULAR THYROID) Common Name: GOITRE Description: Thyroid nodule is a swelling/mass on the thyroid gland Thyroid nodules are most often benign  (fewer than 5% of detected nodules are malignant). A thyroid nodule may be found on palpation of the gland by your physician, or incidentally on a thyroid/neck ultrasound. Thyroid nodules are…

General Illness Information Medical Term: SEIZURES, FEBRILE Common Name: Seizures, febrile, febrile fits. Description: Seizure occurring with fever in infancy or childhood without evidence of other underlying cause. It is triggered by rapid rise in temperature in infants and children. Febrile convulsions typically occur with rising temperature followed by altered consciousness and uncontrolled muscle spasms. They can occur in up to 4% of children between ages of 6 months to…

General Illness Information Common Name: Shingles Medical Term: Herpes Zoster Description: Reactivation of a latent or dormant virus (varicella,or chickenpox virus)  in the body. When the virus is activated, it spreads through part of the nervous system called the dorsal root ganglia, causing the characteristic crops of blistering lesions (vesicles) of shingles. Can affect any age, but most common in adults over the age of 50. Causes: Herpes zoster is…

General Illness Information Common Name: Ringworm infection of nails Medical Term: Onychomycosis, tinea unguium. Description: A fungus infection of the toenails or fingernails in which nails become pliable, brittle, opaque, white and thickened. It affects all ages, but most common in older adolescents and adults. Causes: Infection with the Trichophyton fungus. Fingernail infection occurs usually if the nail has been injured or the nail is affected by another skin disease…

General Illness Information Common Name: Dermatitis, Seborrheic Medical Term: None Specified Description: Seborrheic dermatitis is a common , chronic skin condition presenting as dry whitish scales or greasy scales. Can involve the scalp, eyebrows, forehead, face, trunk, or skin folds. It is not considered contagious. Dandruff and cradle cap are both forms of seborrheic dermatitis. Causes: Mechanism of disease unknown. Recently discovered to be probably caused by a fungus Malassezia…

General Illness Information Common Name: Otitis Externa, Swimmer’s ear Medical Term: Otitis Externa. Description: Inflammation or infection of the external ear canal that extends from the eardrum to the outside. Causes: Bacterial or fungal infection of the delicate skin lining of the ear canal. Injury to the ear canal. Prevention: Avoid preventable risk factors. Signs & Symptoms Discharge of pus from the ear. Ear pain that worsens when the earlobe…