You searched for : 'Q'

General Illness Information Common Name: Cervicitis Medical Term: None Specified. Description: Inflammation or infection of the cervix. There are two types, and either may be contagious: acute cervicitis, which is usually a bacterial or viral infection with specific symptoms and chronic cervicitis, which is a long-term infection that may not have symptoms. Causes: The organism Chlamidia trachomatis most commonly causes acute cervicitis. Other causes are: Neisseria Gonorrhea and Herpes Virus….

General Illness Information Common Name: Cataract Medical Term: None Specified Description: Opacity (or clouding) of the lens of the eye. As the opacity gets denser, it interferes with vision. Cataracts can occur in one or both eyes. Cataracts are not cancerous. Most common cause of visual loss (blindness) in adults. Causes: Common causes include: Aging. Metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, galactosemia (inherited disease of infants in which milk cannot…

General Illness Information Common Name: Cellulitis Medical Term: None Specified Description: An infection of the skin and tissue beneath the skin. Non-contagious, non cancerous. Usually proceeded by skin surface injury. Severe cellulites of face are termed Erysipelas. Causes: Many different bacteria may cause infection; most common is from Streptococcus bacteria. The second most common is staphylococcus. Cellulitis due to streptococci tends to spread rapidly over a wide area because this…

General Illness Information Common Name: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Medical Term: None Specified Description: Common painful disorder in the hand and wrist, caused by compression (pressure) on the median nerve at the wrist. Causes: May be caused by: Inflammation of the tendon sheaths; Frequently from arthritis; A fracture of the forearm; Sprain or dislocation of the wrist; Ganglion cyst; Hyperparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Most often associated with hypothyroidism and diabetes. Occurs with…

General Illness Information Common Name: BURSITIS Medical Term: None Specified Description: Inflammation of a bursa is known as bursitis and causes pain in the affected area. A bursa is a soft fluid-filled sac that serves as a cushion between tendons and bones. They are located at sites of friction, especially where tendons or muscles pass over a bone, mostly near joints. A bursa normally contains very little fluid. However, when injured,…

General Illness Information Common Name: BULIMIA Medical Term: Binge-Eating Syndrome Description: Habit of consumption of large amounts of food in a discrete period of time. Binge eating is characterized by abnormal perception of body image, constant craving for food, followed by purging (self-induced vomiting, or laxative use or diuretics), rigorous dieting or excessive exercising to counteract the effects of binging. More common in adolescents or young adults, and in females….

General Illness Information Common Name: BURNS Medical Term: None Specified Description: Injury to the skin, and sometimes other organs, from contact with heat, radiation, electricity or chemicals. Causes: Rise in skin temperature form a heat source, such as fire, steam or electricity. Open flame and hot liquid are most common causes. Tissue injury caused by chemicals or radiation, including sunlight. Lighting strikes can cause internal burns with minimal external signs….

General Illness Information Common Name: BREAST ABSCESS Medical Term: None Specified Description: Infection of breast tissue, occurring most often during nursing. The infected area becomes filled with pus. Causes: Bacteria that enter the breast through the nipple (usually a cracked nipple during the early days of breast-feeding). Prevention: Clean the nipples and breasts thoroughly before and after nursing. Lubricate the nipples after nursing with lanolin or Vitamin A & D…

General Illness Information Common Name: BRONCHIOLITIS Medical Term: None Specified Description: Bronchiolitis is a contagious viral infection of the airways of infants and young children that causes difficulty in bresthing especially breathing out. Bronchiolitis mainly affects children under 18 months of age and most commonly in infants younger than 6 months. Often occurs in epidemics Causes: Inflammation of the small airways called bronchioles; usually caused by a viral infection, most…

General Illness Information Common Name: BRONCHITIS, ACUTE Medical Term: None Specified Description: Infection or acute inflammation of the lung air passages (Bronchi, bronchioles) of sudden onset and short duration. Causes: Infection from one of many respiratory viruses. Most cases of acute bronchitis begin with a cold virus in the nose and throat that spreads to the airways. A secondary bacterial infection is common. Infectious bronchitis can also be caused by…