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General Illness Information Medical Term: ENDOCARDITIS (Bacterial or Infective endocarditis) Common Name: None Specified Description: Infective endocarditis is a serious infection of the endocardium (the smooth interior lining of the heart ) and the heart valves. It is mostly caused by bacteria. Rarely, can be caused by fungi or other organisms. May be acute or sub acute. Infective endocarditis can come on suddenly and become life-threatening within a matter of…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EARWAX BLOCKAGE Common Name: Cerumen Impaction Description: Overproduction of earwax (cerumen), causing blockage of the external ear canal. Wax is produced, by glands in the ear  to protect the ear canal ( passage leading from the eardrum to the outside). The amount of wax produced varies from person to person. Some people produce enough earwax  to block the ear canal and need treatment. Causes: Overproduction…

General Illness Information Medical Term: ECTOPIC PREGNANCY Common Name: None Specified Description: An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus-either in the fallopian tubes, or in the cervical canal, or in the pelvic cavity or in the abdominal cavity. Commonest site (98%) is the fallopian tube (that connects the ovary to the uterus). 1-5% of all pregnancies are ectopic, in the United States. About 40% occur in…

General Illness Information Medical Term: ECZEMA (Dermatitis, atopic) Common Name: Eczema Description: It is a chronic, itchy inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. May be associated with other allergic disorders, such as asthma or hay fever and may have family members with these conditions. There are 3 phase: Infantile phase – birth to two years; Childhood phase – two years to puberty; Adult phase – after puberty. It…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Drug Abuse And Addiction Common Name: None Specified Description: Drug addiction involves a triad of compulsive drug use, which includes: 1) Psychologic craving or dependence and the behavior included in the procurement of the drug (“hustle”), 2) Physiologic dependence, with withdrawal symptoms on discontinuance of the drug; and 3) tolerance, i.e. the need to increase the dose to get the desired effect. Drug dependency is…

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: Dysentery, Bacillary ( Shigellosis) Common Name: None Specified Description: Bacillary dysentery is a bacterial infection of the mucosal surface of the intestines, that results in severe diarrhea and is caused by Shigella bacteria. It has a 1-4 day incubation period. It is a contagious infection, occurs in epidemics and occurs more frequently in the summer and fall. The infection is spread by contact with feces…

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…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Diverticulosis, Diverticulitis Common Name: None Specified Description: Divertculosis is the presence of small, sac-like swellings or pouches (diverticula) in the walls of the large intestine. Diverticula may appear anywhere in the large intestine but they are most common in the sigmoid colon, the last part of the large intestine before the rectum. A diverticula bulges at a point of weakness, usually where an artery penetrates…

General Illness Information Common Name: DERMATITIS, CONTACT Medical Term: Non-specified Description: Acute or chronic skin irritation caused by direct contact with an external substance (chemical or allergen) that causes an inflammatory reaction in the skin. It is a very common skin condition . Lesions are most often on exposed parts. Causes: In about 80% of the cases, it is due to excessive exposure to soaps, detergents and organic solvents. Others…