Know more about Diseases and Cures
Know more about Diseases and Cures
ANAEMIA
Anaemia is a haemoglobin concentration in blood below the lower limit of the normal range for the age and sex of the individual. In adults, the lower extreme of the normal haemoglobin is 13.0 g/dl for males and 291 11.5 g/dl for females. New-born infants have higher haemoglobin levels; therefore, 15 g/dl is the lower limit at birth. In contrast, at three months, the normal lower level is 9.5 g/dl. Although haemoglobin value is a major parameter for determining whether or not anaemia is present, the red cell counts, haematocrit (PCV), and absolute values (MCV, MCH, and MCHC) provide alternate means of assessing anaemia
ANXIETY
Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders characterised by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person’s social, occupational, and personal functions are significantly impaired.
ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive.
ADHD symptoms arise from executive dysfunction, and emotional dysregulation is often considered a core symptom. In children, problems paying attention may result in poor school performance. ADHD is associated with other neurodevelopmental and mental disorders and some non-psychiatric disorders, which can cause additional impairment, especially in modern society. Although people with ADHD struggle to focus on tasks they are not particularly interested in completing, they often maintain an unusually prolonged and intense level of attention for tasks they find enjoyable or rewarding; this is known as hyperfocus.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. The condition occurs after the 5th decade of life, and its incidence progressively increases with age.
ASTHMA
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs, which is marked by episodic bronchospasms due to increased airway sensitivity to various stimuli, bronchial wall inflammation, and mucus secretion.
CARIES (tooth decay)
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, cavities, or caries, is a breakdown of teeth due to the activities of bacteria. The cavities may be of several different colours, from yellow to black.
CEREBRAL PALSY
A cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people over time but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, and speaking.
DIABETES
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders characterised by a high blood sugar level over a prolonged period.
DIABETES INSIPIDUS
Diabetes insipidus is characterised by large amounts of dilute urine and increased thirst. The amount of urine produced can be nearly 20 litres per day. The reduction of fluid has little effect on the concentration of urine. Complications may include dehydration or seizures.
DOWN SYNDROME
Down’s syndrome. There is trisomy 21 in about 95% of Down’s syndrome cases due to nondisjunction during meiosis in one of the parents. Down’s syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder and is the commonest cause of mental retardation. The incidence of producing offspring with Down’s syndrome rises in mothers over 35 years.
ECZEMA\DERMATITIS
It is an inflammatory response to various agents acting on the skin from outside or within the body, such as chemicals and drugs, and hypersensitivity to various antigens. Many idiopathic varieties of skin disorders have pompholyx, seborrheic dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis (erythroderma), and neurodermatitis (lichen simplex chronic).
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE DISEASES
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Prolapsed Uterus
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Uterine Fibroids
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Vulvovaginitis
Female Infertility
Ovarian Cysts
Ovarian Cancer
Female Sexual Dysfunction
HEADACHE
Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.
Hernia
A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the cavity wall in which it normally resides.
External hernia is the protrusion of the bowel through a defect or weakness in the peritoneum.
Internal hernia is the term for herniation that does not present on the external surface.
Inguinal hernias are more common, as compared to femoral and umbilical hernias.
Hepatitis
VIRAL HEPATITIS
The term viral hepatitis describes liver infection caused by hepatotropic viruses. Currently, there are five main varieties of these viruses and a sixth poorly-characterised virus, causing distinct types of viral hepatitis:
Types of hepatitis :
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) causes a faecally-spread self-limiting disease.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes a parenterally transmitted disease that may become chronic.
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is sometimes associated with superinfection with hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), previously termed non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis virus involved chiefly in transfusion-related hepatitis.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes water-borne infection.
Hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a recently discovered transfusion-transmitted hepatotropic virus but is not known to cause hepatitis.
Hypertension
Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms.
Hypotension
Hypotension is low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood.
HAEMORRHOIDS
Haemorrhoids , commonly known as piles, are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum region. Haemorrhoids can be Internal (develop inside the rectum ) or external (under the skin around the anus).
IBS INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
The term ‘inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)’ is commonly used to include two idiopathic bowel diseases having many similarities, but the conditions usually have distinctive appearances.
These two conditions are Crohn’s disease (regional enteritis) and ulcerative colitis:
- Crohn’s disease or Regional enteritis is an idiopathic chronic ulcerative IBD, characterised by transmural, non-caseating granulomatous inflammation, affecting most commonly the segment of the terminal ileum and/or colon, though any part of the gastrointestinal tract may be involved.
- Ulcerative colitis is an idiopathic form of acute and chronic ulcers-inflammatory colitis affecting chiefly the mucosa and submucosa of the rectum and descending colon, though sometimes it may involve the entire length of the large bowel.
Both these disorders primarily affect the bowel but may have systemic involvement in the form of polyarthritis, uveitis, ankylosing spondylitis, skin lesions, and hepatic involvement. Both diseases can occur at any age but are more frequent in 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Females are affected slightly more often.
JAUNDICE
Jaundice or icterus refers to the yellow pigmentation of the skin or sclerae by bilirubin. Bilirubin pigment has a high affinity for elastic tissue, and hence jaundice is particularly noticeable in tissues rich in elastin content. Jaundice is the result of elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood, termed hyperbilirubinemia.
LIVER Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repair and subsequent formation of scar tissue, which over time, can replace normal functioning tissue, leading to the impaired liver function of cirrhosis.
The disease typically develops slowly over months or years. Early symptoms may include tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and discomfort in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. As the disease worsens, symptoms may include:
- Itchiness
- Swelling in the lower legs
- fluid build-up in the abdomen
- jaundice
- Bruising easily
- The development of spider-like blood vessels in the skin.
The fluid build-up in the abdomen may become spontaneously infected. More serious complications include hepatic encephalopathy, bleeding from dilated veins in the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines, and liver cancer.
Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH – the progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), heroin abuse, chronic hepatitis B, and chronic hepatitis C. Heavy drinking over several years can cause alcoholic liver disease. Liver damage has also been attributed to heroin usage over an extended period. NASH has several causes, including obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Less common causes of cirrhosis include autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis that disrupts bile duct function, genetic disorders such as Wilson’s disease and hereditary hemochromatosis, and chronic heart failure with liver congestion.
LEUKAEMIA
LEUKAEMIA is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukaemia cells.
Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising, bone pain, fatigue, fever, and an increased risk of infections. These symptoms occur due to a lack of normal blood cells.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Parkinson’s disease, or simply Parkinson’s, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly; as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms become more common. The most prominent early symptoms are tremor, rigidity, slow movement, and difficulty with walking. In many people with PD, cognitive and behavioural problems may also occur with depression, anxiety, and apathy. Parkinson’s disease dementia becomes common in the advanced stages of the disease. Those with Parkinson’s can also have a sleep and sensory system problems.
POLY CYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME(PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by oligomenorrhoea, anovulation, infertility, hirsutism, and obesity in young women with bilaterally enlarged and cystic ovaries. The principal biochemical abnormalities in most patients are excessive androgens production and low pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone levels (FSH).
Menstrual disorders: PCOS mostly produces oligomenorrhea (fewer than nine menstrual periods in a year) or amenorrhea (no menstrual periods for three or more consecutive months), but other types of menstrual disorders may also occur.
- Infertility: This generally results directly from chronic anovulation (lack of ovulation).
- High levels of masculinising hormones: Known as hyperandrogenism, the most common signs are acne and hirsutism (male pattern of hair growth, such as on the chin or chest), but it may produce hypermenorrhea (heavy and prolonged menstrual periods), androgenic alopecia (increased hair thinning or diffuse hair loss), or other symptoms. Approximately three-quarters of women with PCOS have evidence of hyperandrogenemia.
- Metabolic syndrome: This appears as a tendency towards central obesity and other symptoms associated with insulin resistance, including low energy levels and food cravings. Serum insulin, insulin resistance, and homocysteine levels are higher in women with PCOS.
- Polycystic Ovaries: Ovaries might get enlarged and comprise follicles surrounding the eggs. As a result, ovaries might fail to function regularly.
PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE(PID)
PID is an infection of one or more upper reproductive organs, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
- Pain ranging from mild to severe in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
- Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge that may have an unpleasant odour
- Unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially during or after sex or between periods
- Pain during sex
- Fever, sometimes with chills
- Painful, frequent, or difficult urination.
PEPTIC ULCER
Peptic ulcer disease is a break in the stomach’s inner lining, the small intestine’s first part, or sometimes the lower oesophagus.
An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines is a duodenal ulcer.
The most common symptoms of a duodenal ulcer are waking at night with upper abdominal pain and upper abdominal pain that improves with eating.
With a gastric ulcer, the pain may worsen with eating. The pain is often described as a burning or dull ache. Other symptoms include belching, vomiting, weight loss, or poor appetite.
About a third of older people have no symptoms.
Complications may include bleeding, perforation, and blockage of the stomach. Bleeding occurs in as many as 15% of cases. Common causes include the bacteria Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Heartburn
- upper abdominal pain
- nausea
- belching
- vomiting
- blood in the stool
- weight loss
- weight gain
- bloating
- loss of appetite
- yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
- difficulty swallowing
PNEUMONIA
Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung parenchyma distal to the terminal bronchioles (consisting of the respiratory bronchiole, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs, and alveoli). The terms’ pneumonia’ and ‘pneumonitis’ are often used synonymously for inflammation of the lungs, while ‘consolidation’ (meaning solidification) is the term used for the gross and radiologic appearance of the lungs in pneumonia.
- Cough
- difficulty breathing
- rapid breathing
- fever
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS(RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. The wrist and hands are most commonly involved, with the same joints typically involved on both sides of the body. The disease may also affect other body parts, including skin, eyes, lungs, heart, nerves, and blood. This may result in a low red blood cell count, inflammation around the lungs, and inflammation around the heart.
Warm, swollen, painful joints.
Fever and low energy may also be present.
STONE
- Kidney Stone
Severe pain in the lower back or abdomen, blood in the urine, vomiting, nausea
- Gall Bladder Stone
Gallstones, regardless of size or number, are often asymptomatic. These “silent stones” do not require treatment and can remain asymptomatic even years after they form.
A characteristic symptom of a gallstone attack is colic-like pain in the upper-right side of the abdomen, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Pain from symptomatic gallstones may range from mild to severe and can steadily increase over a period lasting from 30 minutes to several hours. Other symptoms may include fever and referred pain between the shoulder blades or below the right shoulder. If one or more gallstones block the bile ducts and cause bilirubin to leak into the bloodstream and surrounding tissue, jaundice and itching may also occur. In this case, liver enzyme levels are likely to be raised.
Often, gallbladder attacks occur after eating a heavy meal. Attacks are most common in the evening or at night.
THYROIDISM
Hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis) is a hyper-metabolic clinical and biochemical state caused by the excess production of thyroid hormones.
- Symptoms
The usual symptoms are emotional instability, nervousness, palpitation, fatigue, weight loss despite a good appetite, heat intolerance, perspiration, menstrual disturbances, and fine tremors of the outstretched hands.
Cardiac manifestations in the form of tachycardia, palpitations, and cardiomegaly are invariably present in hyperthyroidism. The skin of these patients is warm, moist, and flushed. Weakness of skeletal muscles and osteoporosis are common. Typical eye changes in the form of exophthalmos are a common feature in Graves’ disease.
Hypothyroidism is a hypometabolic clinical state resulting from inadequate production of thyroid hormones for prolonged periods or, rarely, from the resistance of the peripheral tissues to the effects of thyroid hormones. The clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism, depending upon the age at the onset of the disorder, are divided into two forms:
- Cretinism, or congenital hypothyroidism, is the development of severe hypothyroidism during infancy and childhood.
- Myxoedema is adulthood hypothyroidism.
- Symptoms
CRETINISM OR CONGENITAL
The clinical manifestations usually become evident within a few weeks to months of birth. The presenting features of a cretin are: slow to thrive, poor feeding, constipation, dry, scaly skin, hoarse cry, and bradycardia. As the child ages, the clinical picture of fully-developed cretinism emerges, characterised by impaired skeletal growth and consequent dwarfism, round face, narrow forehead, widely-set eyes, flat and broad nose, big protuberant tongue, and protuberant abdomen. Neurological features such as deaf-mutism, spasticity, and mental deficiency are more evident in sporadic cretinism due to developmental anomalies and dyshormonogenetic defects.
MYXOEDEMA
The onset of myxoedema is slow, and a fully-developed clinical syndrome may appear after several years of hypothyroidism. The striking features are cold intolerance, mental and physical lethargy, constipation, slowing of speech and intellectual function, puffiness of the face, loss of hair, and altered texture of the skin.
TUBERCULOSIS
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, which is known as latent tuberculosis. Around 10% of latent infections progress to active disease, killing about half of those affected if left untreated. Typical symptoms of active TB are a chronic cough with blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. It was historically referred to as consumption due to the weight loss associated with the disease. Infection of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms.
General signs and symptoms include fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. Significant nail clubbing may also occur.
URINARY TRACT INFECTION(UTI)
The most common pathogenic organism in urinary tract infection (UTI) is Escherichia coli (in 90% of cases), followed in decreasing frequency by Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Proteus. The bacteria gain entry into the urinary tract and thence into the kidney by one of the two routes: ascending infection and haematogenous infection.
- chills
- fever
- loin pain
- lumbar tenderness
- dysuria
- frequency of micturition.
URTICARIA
Urticaria or hives is the presence of transient, recurrent, pruritic wheals (i.e., raised erythematous areas of oedema). Hereditary angioneurotic oedema is an uncommon variant of urticaria in which there is recurrent oedema not only on the skin but also on the oral, laryngeal, and gastrointestinal mucosa.
VITILIGO
The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmented skin which tend to occur on the extremities. Some people may experience itching before a new patch appears. The patches are initially small but often grow and change shape. When skin lesions occur, they are most prominent on the face, hands, and wrists. The loss of skin pigmentation is particularly noticeable around body orifices, such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, genitalia, and umbilicus. Some lesions have increased skin pigment around the edges. Those affected by vitiligo who are stigmatised for their condition may experience depression and similar mood disorders.
VARICOSE VEINS
Varicose veins, also known as varicoses, are a medical condition in which superficial veins become enlarged and twisted. These veins typically develop in the legs, just under the skin. Varicose veins usually cause few symptoms. However, some individuals may experience fatigue or pain in the area.
Complications can include bleeding or superficial thrombophlebitis. Varices in the scrotum are known as varicocele, while those around the anus are known as haemorrhoids. The various physical, social, and psychological effects of varicose veins can negatively affect one’s quality of life.
WARTS
Warts are typically small, rough, hard growths similar in colour to the rest of the skin. They usually do not result in other symptoms, except when on the bottom of the feet, where they may be painful. While they typically occur on the hands and feet, they can also affect other locations.
A range of types of the wart has been identified, varying in shape and site affected, as well as the type of human papillomavirus involved. These include:
- Common wart (verruca Vulgaris), a raised wart with roughened surface, most common on hands, but can grow anywhere on the body. Sometimes known as a Palmer wart or Junior wart.
- Flat wart (verruca plana), a small, smooth flattened wart, flesh-coloured, can occur in large numbers; most common on the face, neck, hands, wrists, and knees.
- Filiform or digitate wart, a thread- or finger-like wart, most common on the face, especially near the eyelids and lips.
- Genital wart (venereal wart, condyloma acuminatum, verruca acuminata), a wart that occurs on the genitalia.
- Periungual wart is a cauliflower-like cluster of warts around the nails.
- Plantar wart (verruca, verruca plantaris), a hard, sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the center; usually only found on pressure points on the soles of the feet.
- Mosaic wart, a group of tightly clustered plantar-type warts, commonly on the hands or soles of the feet.