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General Illness Information Common Name: Costochondritis Medical Term: Tietze’s  Syndrome Description: Chest pain due to painful inflammation (swelling) of the cartilage of the ribs (attaching ribs to sternum). It may mimic cardiac pain. Commonly affects the 3rd or 4th ribs. Age of onset before 40. Both sexes are affected equally.   Causes: Cause of the inflammation is often unknown. May be associated with trauma and overuse. Prevention: Avoidance of activities…

General Illness Information Medical Term: CROUP (Laryngotracheobronchitis) Common Name: Croup Description: Croup is a contagious viral infection causing inflammation and swelling of the larynx and surrounding tissues. It presents with difficulty in breathing especially breathing in and a typical barking cough. It usually affects children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. Causes: Croup can be caused by a number of different viruses. In the fall ,it is…

General Illness Information Common Name: Corn or callus Medical Term: Callosity Description: A thickening of the outermost skin layer, usually over bony areas such as toe joints (corn). Painless thickening of skin caused by repeated pressure and irritation (callus). This commonly involves the skin on the hands, feet and knees Causes: Corns and calluses form to protect a skin area form injury caused by repeated irritation (rubbing or squeezing); Pressure…

General Illness Information Common Name: Pink Eye Medical Term: Conjunctivitis Description: Inflammation of the mucosal lining (underside) of the eyelids and the white of the eyes.  Discharge may or may not be present. More commonly seen in children. It may be infectious or non-infectious. Causes: Bacterial Viral, allergic, autoimmune, chemical or irritative, rickettsial, fungal, parasitic, tuberculosis, syphilis, Kawasaki disease, Thyroid disease, gout, carcinoid, sarcoidosis, psoriasis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Reiter’s syndrome. Prevention:…

General Illness Information Medical Term: CONSTIPATION Common Name: CONSTIPATION Description: Constipation is a condition in which a person has hard, dry stools causing difficult, uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. In most cases, constipation is harmless, but can indicate an underlying disorder. Acute constipation begins suddenly and noticeably. Chronic constipation begins insidiously and persists for months or years. Causes: Causes for constipation are listed below: Insufficient fiber in the diet. Fiber…

General Illness Information Common Name: Claudication Medical Term: Claudication Description: Muscle fatigue and pain in an extremity, after a period of minimal exertion. Resting the extremity always relieves this. Repeating a similar exercise can reproduce the pain. It is more common in the lower extremity. Causes: Blockage of an artery in the affected area. Prevention: Stop smoking; Lose weight, if obese; Routine exercise program; Minimize the amount of saturated fats…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Colic in Infants Common Name: None Specified Description: Colic is a disorder in which an otherwise healthy infant has severe and paroxysmal crying spells (usually occurring in the late afternoon or evening). May occur 1-2 times per day, lasting 1-3 hours occurring more than 3 days per week. Onset under 4 weeks of age and may continue up to 5 months old. More common in…

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 4…

General Illness Information Common Name: Chalazion Medical Term: None Specified. Description: Chronic inflammation of the meibomian gland in the eyelid.  Meibomian glands are long thin oil glands found in the eyelid, and serve to lubricate the lid margins. Causes: Blockage of a duct leading to the surface of the eyelid from the meibomian gland. The blockage may be due to infection (usually staphylococcal) around the duct opening. Prevention: If you…