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General Illness Information Medical Term: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Common Name: Prostate Enlargement (Benign) Description: Benign glandular growth of prostate which may result in bladder outlet obstruction. The prostate gland is situated at the base of the urinary bladder, and encircles the urethra at the bladder outlet. This condition is common in males over the age of 60. It must be distinguished from Prostate Cancer. Causes: Exact cause unknown, but…

General Illness Information Common Name: BOILS Medical Term: Furuncles and Carbuncles Description: Hair follicles occasionally get infected. When infected hair follicles separate (form pus) furuncles are formed. Furuncles are cutaneous (skin) abscesses. Carbuncles start as furuncles. Furuncles that extend or bore through the subcutaneous tissues are called carbuncles. These can occur anywhere on the skin, but are most common on neck, face, buttocks, and breasts. Causes: Infection, usually from Staphylococcus…

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, JUVENILE RHEUMATOID (JRA) Medical Term: None Specified Description: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis begins before 16 yrs of age. It is a syndrome of unknown cause causing inflammation affecting one or more joints for at least six weeks. Joint inflammation is characterized by swelling, warmth, tenderness, pain on movement, limitation of movement or redness. Starts at age 2-5 years old and often disappears by young adulthood….

General Illness Information Common Name: ATHEROSCLEROSIS Medical Term: None Specified Description: Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the wall of an artery becomes thick and less elastic due to the accumulation of fatty material under the inner lining of the arterial wall. It is the most important and common cause of hardening of the arteries in which plaque deposits form in the walls of the blood vessels that carry oxygen…

General Illness Information Common Name: ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) Medical Term: None Specified Description: A completely irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), arising from the hearts upper chamber (atrium), and conducted downwards to the hearts main chambers (ventricles) causing the ventricles to contract faster and less efficiently than normal. Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent form of serious cardiac arrythmia. It’s incidence varies from 1% before age 60 to 20% at age 80. It…

General Illness Information Common Name: BACK PAIN, LOWER Medical Term: None Specified Description: Pain in the lower back usually caused by muscle strain. It is often accompanied by sciatica (pain that radiates from the back to the buttock and down into the legs). Onset of pain may be immediate or occur some hours after exertion or an injury. The symptoms get into a cycle, starting with a muscle spasm, the…

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, INFECTIOUS Medical Term: Septic Arthritis Description: Painful swelling in an inflamed joint resulting from infection in the synovial fluid and the tissues of the joint. Any joint may be involved, but larger joints are more commonly affected. Causes: Infection is mainly caused by bacteria which usually enter the joint through the blood stream. However, a joint can be infected directly if it is contaminated…

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATOID Medical Term: None Specified Description: A chronic auto-immune disease characterized by inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints, and it affects muscles, membrane linings of the joints and cartilage. Usually joints of the hands and feet are symmetrically inflamed. It is a multi-system disease, and sometimes the eyes and blood vessels are affected. It is 3 times more common in women than men….

General Illness Information Common Name: ATHLETE’S FOOT Medical Term: Tinea Pedis, Ringworm of the Feet Description: A common, contagious fungus infection of the skin on the feet, especially the soles and skin between toes (often the 4th and 5th toes). It usually affects adolescents and adults. Usually occurs in warm moist weather Causes: Caused by an infection by a fungus, usually Trichophyton or Epidermophyton that grows in warm moist areas…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANOREXIA NERVOSA Medical Term: None Specified Description: An eating disorder in young previously healthy women, who develop a paralyzing fear of becoming fat, and have a distorted body image. The patient refuses to eat adequately, and continues to want to lose weight even after a reasonable weight loss. Primarily affects teenage and young adult females. Occasionally young males are affected. There is also an absence of…