Asthma is the most common childhood disease that affects approximately nine million children and typically carries over into adulthood where approximately 20 million Americans are affected, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human...
Systemic lupus erthyematosus is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when an individual's body and organs are attacked by his own immune system. An individual with lupus can have flare-ups as well as periods when the disease is in remission. More...
According to the Mayo Clinic, between 5 percent and 15 percent of Americans suffer from temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, disorders. The TMJ is the joint that connects the main part of the skull to the jawbone, and is active when we speak and chew....
The ovaries are part of a woman's reproductive system, and are where eggs are formed. When cancer forms in the tissues of these organs, it is called ovarian cancer. The majority of ovarian cancers are epithelial carcinomas, which means the cancer...
According to Breastcancer.org, breast cancer starts in the milk-producing glands known as the lobules, or the breast ducts, which are channels that run from the lobules to the nipple. It can also begin in the fibrous connective tissue of the...
Celiac disease is an inherited condition caused by an intolerance to gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye. Also called celiac sprue, or gluten sensitive enteropathy, the disease damages the small intestine and results in malabsorption of...
There are different types of abdominal pain and many reasons for it. Some of the reasons may even require surgery, so you should always contact your physician and not try to self-diagnose. Sometimes, abdominal pain starts suddenly, is constant and...
Cerebral palsy, or CP, can produce a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The symptoms your child displays depends on the type of CP he suffers from. In most cases, children are diagnosed by age 1 or 2, according to the Mayo Clinic....
Bone cancer or bone tumor is a general term for a wide variety of conditions that can be present in the bone, and are made up of rapidly dividing cells. Bone cancer can be present in any bone in the body. There three major types of bone tumors:...
Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer and results in the common early symptom of persistent coughing, according to the Merck Manuals. Primary lung cancer starts in the lung cells and may develop in airways attached to the...
Swine flu is the common name for the novel influenza A virus H1N1, first identified in March 2009. According to the World Health Organization, swine flu became a pandemic, with cases reported in more than 200 countries.
Crohn's disease is a form of irritable bowel syndrome that is thought to be caused by an immune system abnormality and/or heredity. Diet and stress are known to aggravate the condition; however, these factors are not believed to be the cause of...
As the Internet has become a major resource for information, websites have appeared that provide medical information and can aid in diagnosing symptoms. These websites provide an alternative to visiting a physician and can be useful for your own...
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, is often diagnosed in childhood. Children with this disorder struggle to focus and attend to tasks, and may demonstrate difficulties controlling hyperactive and impulsive behavior. The...
Diabetes is a chronic disease that effects close to 26 million Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association. Around 90 to 95 percent of those have type 2 diabetes. As a type 2 diabetic, your body has become resistant to insulin, the...
Being overweight is generally defined as having too much body fat or being at an elevated weight, which can lead to acquiring certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypertension (elevated blood...
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is an important part of your body's overall health. However, high levels of certain types of cholesterol can have a detrimental effect on your heart. Understanding cholesterol and the risk factors...
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland found below the skin in the frontal part of the neck. It produces thyroid hormones, which control the speed at which many body processes, such as heartbeat, occur. The thyroid gland can be...
Symptoms or lab tests alone cannot verify someone has multiple sclerosis, also called MS, a progressive disease of the central nervous system. Doctors combine exams, magnetic resonance imaging, spinal fluid analysis and other techniques to reach a...
Mesothelioma is an almost always incurable cancer that affects the mesothelium, the membrane that protects and lines many vital organs in the body. This cancer is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos.
Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs because the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This can cause many of the body's system to slow down. The two main hormones that the thyroid gland produces are triiodothyronine (T3) and...
Eye floaters can be a highly annoying visual disturbance. Most of the time, a few floaters in your line of vision aren't harmful, but occasionally floaters, especially if they're large, numerous and develop suddenly, can be a sign of a problem in...
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, cystic fibrosis affects 70,000 people worldwide. It is an inherited disease in which the body produces a thick and sticky mucus due to a gene defect. This mucus can clog the lungs and cause lung...
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of chronic pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia may vary, depending on stress, physical activity and weather changes.
If your child often wheezes, coughs or finds it difficult to breathe, you or his doctor might suspect asthma. This chronic breathing disease is marked by excess mucus, muscle tightening or swelling of the lining in the airways. But while most...
Major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder, commonly known as dysthymia, represent two mood disorders classified by the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual" of the American Psychiatric Association. Both disorders are characterized by feelings...
Pinched nerves can be quite a painful condition. Resulting from too much pressure applied to the nerves by surrounding tissue, a person with this condition typically experiences tingling, numbness, decreased sensation, sharp or burning pain,...
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and, according to 2010 information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year about 785,000 Americans suffer a first heart attack, while another 470,000 who have...
Hammertoes are the result of birth defect, ill fitting shoes or pressure from bunions. Children's hammertoes are treated to effectively remove pressure and prevent future complications that could arise such as nerve damage. It is important to...
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