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General Illness Information Medical Term: Disk, Ruptured Common Name: Herniated disk, Slipped Disk Description: A herniated disk is a spinal disk which has collapsed and is bulging into the spinal cord, pressing on the spinal cord or the nerves emanating from it. This occurs as a result of  degeneration of the ligaments and tissues surrounding a spinal disk (i.e.. the cushion separating bony spinal vertebrae). The disks of the lower…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Diverticulosis, Diverticulitis Common Name: None Specified Description: Divertculosis is the presence of small, sac-like swellings or pouches (diverticula) in the walls of the large intestine. Diverticula may appear anywhere in the large intestine but they are most common in the sigmoid colon, the last part of the large intestine before the rectum. A diverticula bulges at a point of weakness, usually where an artery penetrates…

General Illness Information Medical Term: DIABETES MELLITUS – NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT (NIDDM) Common Name: Type II Diabetes Description: Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which blood levels of glucose are abnormally high due to either an absolute deficiency of insulin secretion, or as a result of reduced effectiveness of insulin, or both. Diabetes Mellitus is classified into two major types – Type I (Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus ), and Type II (Non-Insulin…

General Illness Information Common Name: Cushing’s Disease, Cushing’s syndrome. Medical Term: Cushing’s Disease, Cushing’s syndrome Description: Clinical abnormalities associated with chronic exposure to excessive amounts of cortisol. Causes: The most frequent cause is prolonged use of  steroid medications (Cortisone, or ACTH) Other causes: ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor Ectopic ACTH production (e.g., small-cell carcinoma of lung, bronchial carcinoid) Endogenous ACTH-independent hypercortisolism: Adrenal adenoma Adrenal carcinoma Macro/micro nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal gland….

General Illness Information Medical Term: Multiple Sclerosis Common Name: None Specified Description: Chronic, slowly progressive, neurological disease characterized by myelin loss in the brain and spinal cord, causing neurological symptoms. Myelin is the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord. It usually begins in young adulthood (ages 20 to 40), is more common in females, and is more prevalent in cooler climates. A third of all affected patients have…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Muscular Dystrophy Common Name: None Specified Description: A group of inherited muscular disorders, especially of the extremities, pelvis, and hips.  It is characterized by progressive muscle weakness.  It typically presents in boys aged 3 to 7 years. There are 9 forms of Muscular Dystrophy, with the major 2 being Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy and Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy.  These are inherited through the X-chromosome, affect only males,…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Mononucleosis Common Name: None Specified Description: An acute illness,characterised by fever, sore throat and enlarged lymph glands, caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus. Causes: The causative agent is the Epstein-Barr virus.  After gaining entry to the nasopharynx and replicating, the virus infects B lymphocytes in the body. Prevention: Avoid contact with persons having infectious mononucleosis. Signs & Symptoms Fever. Sore throat (sometimes severe). Fatigue. Swollen lymph…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Morning sickness during pregnancy Common Name: Morning sickness Description: Common symptom of nausea and vomiting,  usually during the first trimester of pregnancy. Occurs in over 50% of all pregnancies. Causes: Nausea probably results from rising levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin in the blood. These rising levels of hormones probably activate the vomiting center in the brain. Prevention: It is sometimes recommended for patients suffering nausea…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Multiple Myeloma Common Name: None Specified Description: Multiple myeloma is the most common malignancy of the bone. It is a  malignancy beginning in the plasma cells of the bone marrow and characterized by the presence of large amounts of monoclonal immunoglobulins in the blood. Plasma cells normally produce antibodies to help destroy germs and protect against infection. With myeloma, this function becomes impaired, and the…

General Illness Information Medical Term: Molluscum Contagiosum Common Name: None Specified Description: A harmless viral infection characterized by shiny, pearly white bumps on the skin surface. Causes: The causative factor is the DNA virus of the pox group This virus may be transmitted by local or sexual contact. The incubation period is 2 weeks to 6 months. Prevention: Contact avoidance. Signs & Symptoms Papules (small, raised bumps on the skin)…