The bacterium Clostridium tetani is the causative agent of tetanus, commonly known as lockjaw. The bacteria most commonly enter the body through a skin wound. Clostridium tetani bacteria produce a protein called tetanospasmin or tetanus toxin,...
Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood. An estimated 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, based upon information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...
According to the American Diabetes Association, over 6 million people in the U.S. have diabetes but don't know it because the early symptoms of diabetes can often be mistaken for other conditions. Early diabetes symptoms such as fatigue may pass...
Over 33 million people throughout the world are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, reports the Merck Manual, an online medical encyclopedia for patients and caregivers. The early symptoms of HIV can be difficult to detect and...
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the mesothelium--a protective membrane that surrounds the organs within the body. Approximately 2,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this condition each year, based upon estimates...
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are the most common type of infectious disease, affecting more than 19 million people in the United States each year, according to health officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. People...
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a progressive disease characterized by the degradation of the nerves that send and receive messages between the brain and spinal cord. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this...
Patients who develop inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord can be diagnosed with a condition called meningitis. This inflammatory condition typically develops due to a bacterial or viral infection and is most commonly...
In the United States, women between the ages of 20 and 40 are at the highest risk of developing a progressive nerve degradation disease called multiple sclerosis, or MS, according to the Merck Manual, an online medical encyclopedia. Though there...
Scleroderma is a term used to describe a group of rare, chronic diseases characterized by unusual tightening and hardening of the connective tissues and skin. There are two major types of scleroderma: localized, which only affects the skin; and...
Gout is a form of arthritis that is characterized by severe flare-ups of pain in the joints. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that gout is a complex condition that affects men more often than women. Women become more susceptible to developing...
A cataract is a discoloration of the lens of the eye which causes the loss of its transparency. As a result, people with cataracts complain of visual disturbances. The incidence of cataracts increases with age; most people older than 65 can...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a rapidly progressive neuromuscular disorder that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, occurs when the motor neurons in the brain...
PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, affects women seven to 14 days before their period begins; symptoms can start out mild in early PMS, then become more severe. According to Safe Menopause Solutions, PMS affects an estimated three out of four...
Pneumonia is a condition in which the lungs become inflamed from infections caused by parasites, fungus, viruses and bacteria. While your lungs normally fight off such infections, if you are already in a weakened state, it is easier for pneumonia...
Diabetes is an endocrine or hormonal disease that affects the metabolism of food energy in the body. This occurs when the hormone insulin is not produced in normal amounts or is not effective in carrying glucose or sugar from the blood into the...
There are two types of the herpes simplex virus, or HSV, that can cause symptoms in patients: HSV-1, which typically results in oral herpes symptoms, and HSV-2, which typically results in genital herpes symptoms. Sexually active people can...
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 2.4 million adults in America suffer from schizophrenia, a group of severe brain disorders in which people abnormally interpret reality. Schizophrenia is diagnosed usually in the late teens or...
Sexually transmitted diseases can cause a variety of symptoms that may or may not be visible right away. Some sexually transmitted diseases can exhibit very mild and unnoticeable symptoms while others may show up immediately. Some early symptoms...
Hepatitis B refers to a serious inflammation of the liver that results from being infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to EMedicine.com, over 90 percent of healthy individuals will fight off this infection and recover. Hepatitis B...
When the body does not have enough water and fluids to carry out normal functions, the consequences can be serious. The Mayo Clinic defines the loss of fluid and inadequate replenishment as dehydration. There are some early signs of dehydration...
Tuberculosis is a long-term infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other organs such as the bones, liver and kidneys. It is spread from person to person through...
Cushing's syndrome results from the body's exposure to high levels of a hormone called cortisol over a long period. Cortisol is a hormone secreted in the body and is responsible for the breakdown of glucose, the regulation of blood pressure,...
Genital herpes is a commonly occurring viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus, Type 1 and Type 2. Both types cause similarly appearing blisters; however, Type 2 is more likely to infect the genitals,...
According to the Hepatitis B Foundation, the hepatitis B virus transmits itself through body fluids such as blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex, used needles or from a mother to infant during delivery. Failure to diagnose and treat hepatitis B...
There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Both are cancers that occur in blood cells called lymphocytes. The Mayo Clinic states that a cell called Reed-Sternberg appears in tests of people...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as both ALS and Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disease that is serious and for which there is no cure. While it was categorized in the 1870s by Jean-Marie Charcot, the "father of neurology," it became...
Pancreatitis is defined as the inflammation of the pancreas according to the National Institutes of Health. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that produces and releases hormones needed for digestion and absorption of food, including insulin and...
A gallstone is a buildup of uric acid in the gallbladder. These very hard stones can vary in size, from as small as a single grain of sand to as large as a marble. Patients can have more than one gallstone. In fact, many patients suffer from...
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