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General Illness Information Common Name: Claudication Medical Term: Claudication Description: Muscle fatigue and pain in an extremity, after a period of minimal exertion. Resting the extremity always relieves this. Repeating a similar exercise can reproduce the pain. It is more common in the lower extremity. Causes: Blockage of an artery in the affected area. Prevention: Stop smoking; Lose weight, if obese; Routine exercise program; Minimize the amount of saturated fats…

General Illness Information Common Name: Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Medical Term: None Specified Description: A slow growing cancer of blood forming cells, which produce a specific kind of white blood cell (lymphocyte). This causes proliferation of mature lymphocytes, with resulting infiltration of bone marrow. More common in men over 60. Uncommon before 10 years of age. Rare in China and Japan. Causes: Unknown. There may be a familial component. Prevention: None…

General Illness Information Common Name: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Medical Term: None Specified. Description: Profound fatigue of at least 6 months duration, in the absence of other causes of fatigue. Does not resolve with bed rest. Impairs daily activity below 30% usual level for at least 6 months. Occurs mainly in adults between ages of 20 to 40 years.  Twice as common in women than men. Causes: Unknown. Immunological and viral…

General Illness Information Common Name: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Medical Term: None Specified. Description: Chronic airway obstruction resulting from chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or a combination of the two.  Estimated to affect 12-15 million people in North America. Males are more affected than females.  Incidence in females is rising. It is the fourth common cause of death Causes: Damage to airways occurs from: Cigarette smoking – most important cause; Air…

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: Lung Cancer (Bronchogenic Carcinoma) Medical Term: None Specified Description: A highly malignant primary lung tumor that accounts for most cases of lung cancer and has a very poor prognosis. It is the second most common cancer in men (13%) and the third most common cancer in women (13%).  It is the leading cause of cancer death among men (32%) and women (25%), and its incidence…

General Illness Information Common Name: BUNION Medical Term: Hallux Valgus Description: A bony protrusion from the outside edge of the joint at the base of the big (first) toe. Three times as many women as men have the disorder. Causes: If the big toe has grown or been forced into a position where it overlaps one or more of the other toes, that is called hallux valgus. Prevention: Wear wide-toed…