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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…

General Illness Information Common Name: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Medical Term: Pre-senile dementia Description: A brain disorder characterized by a gradual and progressive mental deterioration. A rapidly progressive form begins in adults around the ages of 36 to 45. A more gradual form, with slower development of symptoms, begins around ages 65 to 70. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of persons over 65 show some form of dementia. Dementia is a…

General Illness Information Common Name: AMENHORRHEA, PRIMARY Medical Term: None specified Description: Complete absence of menstruation in a young woman who is at least 16 years old. It is a rare disorder as over 95% of girls have their first menstrual period by age 15. Causes: Usually unknown. Possible causes include: Delayed puberty (i.e. hormonal causes); Congenital abnormalities, such as the absence or abnormal formation of female organs (vagina, uterus,…

General Illness Information Common Name: AMENORRHEA, SECONDARY Medical Term: None specified Description: Absence of menstruation for at least 3 months in a woman who has previously menstruated. Causes: Causes may include: Pregnancy; Breast-feeding; Discontinuing use of birth-control pills; Menopause; Emotional stress or psychological disorder; Surgical removal of the ovaries or uterus; Disorder of the endocrine system, including the pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and ovarian glands (Polycystic ovarian syndrome); Asherman’s…

General Illness Information Common Name: AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Medical Term: None specified Description: A progressive disease which usually begins with muscle weakness most frequently in the hands and less often in the feet .Weakness is usually asymmetric (usually progresses more on one side of the body) and is accompanied by muscle wasting and proceeds either up the arm or down the leg. It is due to progressive…

General Illness Information Common Name: ACNE ROSACEA Medical Term: Adult Acne Description: Chronic inflammation of facial skin, usually the cheeks and nose; tendency to appear between the ages of 30 and 50. It is more common in women, but more severe in men. Extensive nose involvement (i.e. a bulbous red nose), mostly in men; called rhinophyma. Causes: Unknown. May be worsened by stress, warm drinks, hot or spicy foods, and…

General Illness Information Common Name: Hay Fever Medical Term: Allergic Rhinitis Description: Allergic response to airborne inhaled allergens affecting the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes and frequently the eyes). Most common of all allergic diseases. Affects up to 15% of the population in the United States and Canada. Onset of symptoms usually before age 30. Hay fever name is misleading, since symptoms most frequent in the pollen…

General Illness Information Common Name: ALOPECIA AREATA Medical Term: None specified Description: Sudden hair loss in circular patches on the scalp (in the absence of any other visible skin disorder or systemic disease). Any hairy area may be involved, the scalp and the beard most frequently. Rarely, all the body hair may be lost (Alopecia universalis). Alopecia totalis is loss of all scalp hair and eyebrows. In most cases, the…