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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: 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…

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, JUVENILE RHEUMATOID (JRA) Medical Term: None Specified Description: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis begins before 16 yrs of age. It is a syndrome of unknown cause causing inflammation affecting one or more joints for at least six weeks. Joint inflammation is characterized by swelling, warmth, tenderness, pain on movement, limitation of movement or redness. Starts at age 2-5 years old and often disappears by young adulthood….

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, INFECTIOUS Medical Term: Septic Arthritis Description: Painful swelling in an inflamed joint resulting from infection in the synovial fluid and the tissues of the joint. Any joint may be involved, but larger joints are more commonly affected. Causes: Infection is mainly caused by bacteria which usually enter the joint through the blood stream. However, a joint can be infected directly if it is contaminated…

General Illness Information Common Name: ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATOID Medical Term: None Specified Description: A chronic auto-immune disease characterized by inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints, and it affects muscles, membrane linings of the joints and cartilage. Usually joints of the hands and feet are symmetrically inflamed. It is a multi-system disease, and sometimes the eyes and blood vessels are affected. It is 3 times more common in women than men….

General Illness Information Common Name: ANEMIA, PERNICIOUS Medical Term: None Specified Description: This anemia is caused by lack of vitamin B-12 (cobalamin). It is a megaloblastic anemia . In this type of anemia the bone marrow produces large abnormal blood cells (megaloblasts). It often affects adults between the ages of 50 and 60. The symptoms of pernicious anemia develop slowly and gradually and may not be immediately recognized . This…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANEURYSM Medical Term: None Specified Description: Weakness in the wall of an artery is causing an abnormal enlargement or bulge. Aneurysms may be round (saccular) or tube-like (fusiform) swellings. Majorities are fusiform in shape. Aneurysms usually affect the aorta (major artery in the chest and abdomen) but may affect other arteries e.g. those that supply the brain, legs, or heart wall. Aneurysms can develop anywhere…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANEMIA DURING PREGNANCY Medical Term: None Specified Description: A low level of hemoglobin (less than 10 gm/dl) during pregnancy. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to body tissues via the red blood cells. Anemia in pregnancy is very common and is present in almost 8o% of pregnant women. Because volume of blood increases during pregnancy (hemodilution), a moderate decrease in the concentration of red blood cells and hemoglobin…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANAL FISSURE Medical Term: Fissure-in-Ano Description: A tear or ulcer in the lining of the anus, causing pain on defecation. Causes: Causes include stretching of the anal wall by large hard stool or tightening of the anal canal due to tension or the laceration by foreign body. Prevention: Avoid constipation by: Drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily; Eating a diet high in fiber;…

General Illness Information Common Name: ANAL FISTULA Medical Term: None Specified. Description: An abnormal channel from the anus or rectum to the skin near the anal opening but may occasionally be to another organ such as the vagina. Most fistulas begin from a deep gland in the wall of the anus or rectum. However, fistulas may sometimes result from drainage of an ano-rectal abscess. The fistula may be painful and…