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General Illness Information Common Name: ANAPHYLAXIS Medical Term: None Specified Description: An acute, generalized life-threatening allergic or hypersensitive reaction in a previously sensitized person (i.e. a person who has previously been exposed to that particular allergen) who comes into contact with the same allergen again. Reactions that occur almost immediately tend to be the most severe. Anaphylaxis can be caused by any allergen. The most common allergens are medications, insect…

General Illness Information Common Name: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Medical Term: Pre-senile dementia Description: A brain disorder characterized by a gradual and progressive mental deterioration. A rapidly progressive form begins in adults around the ages of 36 to 45. A more gradual form, with slower development of symptoms, begins around ages 65 to 70. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of persons over 65 show some form of dementia. Dementia is a…

General Illness Information Common Name: Hay Fever Medical Term: Allergic Rhinitis Description: Allergic response to airborne inhaled allergens affecting the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes and frequently the eyes). Most common of all allergic diseases. Affects up to 15% of the population in the United States and Canada. Onset of symptoms usually before age 30. Hay fever name is misleading, since symptoms most frequent in the pollen…

General Illness Information Common Name: ACNE Medical Term: Acne vulgaris Description: Acne vulgaris is a sebaceous gland disorder wherein the skin pores become clogged by dried sebum and flaked skin, causing lesions such as whiteheads and blackheads (comedones) which may become inflamed and/or infected. It is a chronic inflammatory skin condition common in adolescence and characterized by skin eruptions on the face, chest and back. It is more commonly seen…

General Illness Information Medical Term: GANGRENE Common Name: None Specified Description: Gangrene is a dead or necrotic tissue and it is usually followed by infection. Gangrene develops when the blood supply to an affected part is cut off because of various factors including infection, vascular disease or trauma. It can involve any body part, but the commonest sites are the extremities. Can be most dangerous when gangrene affects the intestines…

General Illness Information Medical Term: GASTRITIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Gastritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The lining of the stomach is remarkably resistant to injury from the acid and the digestive enzymes. Nevertheless, the stomach lining  can sometimes become irritated and inflamed. Causes: There are numerous causes for gastritis and these are listed below: Medications like ASA and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and steroids-…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPIDIDYMITIS Common Name: None Specified Description: Infection or inflammation of the epididymis, which is a tubular structure attached to the upper posterior part of each testicle, and results in scrotal pain. Causes: Causes depend on the age of the patient: In younger men ( less than 35 ) – Sexually transmitted disease e.g.. Chlamydia or Gonorrhea and E. coli infection, associated with anogenital sex –…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPILEPSY Common Name: Seizures Description: Epilepsy is a disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. These are attacks of abnormal brain function characterized years. by brief periods of altered consciousness, motor activity or inappropriate behavior. A seizure (or a fit) is an abnormal focus of sudden electrical activity in the brain. It affects approximately 0.5% of the population in the United States and Canada and affects males…

General Illness Information Medical Term: EPISTAXIS Common Name: Nosebleeds Description: Epistaxis is bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity or from the nasopharynx (back part of the nose). Most common site of bleeding is from the Little’s area (Kiesselbach’s plexus) which is located in the front part of the nasal septum and contains many blood vessels. Second most common site is the anterior end of the inferior nasal turbinate. Less commonly…

General Illness Information Medical Term: ENCEPHALITIS ( VIRAL) Common Name: None Specified Description: An acute inflammation of the brain cells caused by a direct viral infection (primary encephalitis) or by a hypersensitivity reaction initiated by virus (secondary encephalitis).  Secondary or post viral  encephalitis usually occurs 2- 12 days after the primary viral infection. Meningeal, spinal cord and peripheral nerve involvement may accompany encephalitis. Most cases of viral encephalitis are rare…