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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: Head Injury Medical Term: None Specified Description: Injury to the head, with or without unconsciousness or other visible signs.  Head wound may be “open” or “closed” depending on the nature of the injury. Causes: Trauma to the head. Prevention: Wear protective headgear for contact sports and cycling. Use your auto seat belt always. Place young children in approved safety car seats. Signs & Symptoms Loss…

General Illness Information Common Name: Headache, Cluster Medical Term: Same Description: Constant one-sided headache over and behind the eye, with onset occurring usually within 3-4 hours of falling asleep. 80% of these affected are males. Pain recurs nightly for several weeks or month, followed by no symptoms for months or years. Causes: Unknown. Thought to be related to changes in blood flows to the brain, and to disturbances in RAM…

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: 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 Medical Term: Nasal septum, deviated. CommonName: Deviated nasal septum. Description: Abnormality of the septum of the nose, resulting in partial or almost complete obstruction of the affected side. Causes: The septum of the nose is composed of bone in the back, and cartilage in the front. Any injury or malformation of these structures can cause a deviated nasal septum. Prevention: Protection from nasal injury, especially with contact…