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General Illness Information Common Name: Depression Medical Term: Major mood or affective disorder Description: Depression is a continuing and persistent feeling of deep sadness, despondency or hopelessness, with accompanying symptoms of depression. (See DSM IIIR Criteria below). It may follow a recent loss or a sad event, but is out of proportion to the event and persists beyond an appropriate length of time. Depression, however, may occur without any precipitating…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Nasal Polyps Common Name: Description: Benign fleshy outgrowths of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavities, usually in both sides of the nose. They sometimes grow large and numerous enough to cause nasal obstruction. They are more common in adults than in children. Â Causes: Chronic inflammation or allergy in the nose (allergic rhinitis) that causes the nasal mucous membranes to swell and produce excess…

General Illness Information Common Name: Cystic Fibrosis Medical Term: Cystic Fibrosis, CF Description: An inherited disease of the exocrine glands, primarily affecting the Gastro-intestinal and respiratory systems, and usually characterized by chronic obstructive lung disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and abnormally high sweat electrolytes. Causes: Autosomal recessive genetic defect. Prevention: In prenatal situations Genetic counseling; Prenatal diagnosis for future pregnancies. For complications: For respiratory infections – maintain pertussis and measles immunity;…

General Illness Information Medical Term: CYSTITIS IN FEMALES Common Name: Bladder Infection Description: A common problem in women who are otherwise healthy. Caused by inflammation or infection of the urinary bladder. It is particularly common during the reproductive years.  3-8% of women have bacteriuria at any given time and 30% of females have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI). Causes: Commonest cause is bacteria in the vagina that travel to…

General Illness Information Common Name: Dementia Medical Term: None Specified Description: Dementia is a brain disorder characterized by a gradual and progressive mental deterioration  Memory loss is most common, but other mental faculties may be affected including attention, judgment, comprehension, orientation, learning, calculation, problem solving, mood and behavior.  Agitation or withdrawal, hallucinations, delusions, insomnia and loss of inhibitions are common. There are many different causes of dementia but it is essential…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Myasthenia Gravis Common Name: None Specified Description: Autoimmune disorder, characterized by progressive muscle fatigue and weakness, and improved by drugs which inhibit the enzyme choline-esterase. Usually involves muscles around the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs. Usually presents between ages 20-40, and is more common in women Causes: This is an autoimmune disorder. The body produces antibodies to a receptor (acetyl-choline) at the level of the…

General Illness Information Medical Term: MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROMES (FIBROSITIS) Common Name: Fibromyalgia (Fibromyositis) Description: Fibrositis (fibromyalgia syndromes, myofascial pain syndromes) are a group of disorders characterized by chronic widespread aches and pains in the muscles, muscle sheath and connective tissues of tendons, muscles, bones and joints, with associated tenderness. The pain and stiffness (fibromyalgia) may affect the whole body or may be restricted to certain parts of the body, as…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Migraine headache Common Name: None Specified Description: A migraine headache is a recurring, throbbing, intense pain that most commonly affects one side of the head but may affect both sides. The pain is of sudden onset and may be preceded or accompanied by visual, neurologic, or gastrointestinal symptoms. It is a type of vascular headache: a genetically based, neuro-chemical instability of the nervous system triggered…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Spontaneous Abortion Common Name: Miscarriage (Spontaneous abortion) Description: Spontaneous termination of pregnancy within 20 weeks of fetal age.  At this stage. the fetus is considered to be unable to survive outside the uterus. About 20% of recognized pregnancies terminate in spontaneous abortions and 75% of these occur before the 8th week. Frequently the miscarriage occurs so early in pregnancy that the woman is not aware…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Mitral valve prolapse. Common Name: None Specified Description: Bulging of one or both leaflets of the mitral valve (valve between the left ventricle and left atrium in the heart) during the contraction phase of the heart cycle. This causes a characteristic heart murmur. This is a common and often benign disorder, and is most frequent in young to middle-aged women. Unknown in most cases. Occasionally…