Diseases and Conditions Encyclopedia
Tap into this interactive encyclopedia for instant access to information on more than 835 diseases and conditions.
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A person with H1N1 flu can pass the virus to others for seven or more days after symptoms appear. Children may be contagious for even longer.
Half of Americans experience some degree of hair loss. Hair loss affects both men and women, but with different results.
Some hair on your head falls out every day, no matter what your age. And that's perfectly normal.
Although hand tools do not pose the same lethal threat as some power tools, they are still a factor in a high number of accidents each year.
Many common household products contain chemicals that can cause injury or death if they are handled, stored or used improperly.
Halloween safety begins at home, with the child's costume. Every part of the costume -- masks, beards, wigs and clothing -- should be made of flame-resistant material.
Unlike other muscles, your heart muscle does not tire from use. Your heart is like other muscles, however, in that it needs exercise to work efficiently. What kind of exercise would that be? All it takes is a brisk 30-minute walk most days of the week.
Your loss of appetite may be because of anxiety or depression, aging, medications or a health concern.
If you've been the victim of office gossip, you know it can be both cruel and destructive. Such malicious gossip has shattered many people's lives and careers.
Depending where you work and the substances you handle, you may be at risk of accidental poisonings, chemical burns or suffocation. Knowing and following the right precautions can help keep you safe.
How did Erik Chopin lose more than half his weight—dropping from 407 pounds to 193? "One meal at a time," he says.
Don't panic if your child has head lice. They are common and are more of a nuisance than a health risk.
Sinusitis. It even sounds painful. This inflammation of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection, is one of the most common problems doctors treat. Yet a lot of us don't know much about it.
People who feel they're unable to regain control of their lives because of their responses to the trauma may have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Recognizing health care-related terms and abbreviations can help you understand treatment plans and insurance coverage.
There are a number health myths where knowing the facts can make a world of difference to your health.
Patient advocates fulfill many roles, even, in some cases, staying with hospitalized patients around the clock to help guard against medical errors.
It's important to understand how alcohol and drugs can affect your health and well being.
Experts say the long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity.
In general, it's more difficult to react to change that happens to you, such as getting laid off or experiencing a health scare. But the change you initiate, such as switching jobs or moving, also can be difficult.
Time takes its toll on a body, but you don't have to sit back and let the effects of aging take place without a fight.
There are strategies you can use to reduce the calories and fat in restaurant food without sacrificing the flavor and fun of a meal out.
You can't stop the aging clock, but research shows you can at least slow it down.
It doesn't take a thunderous rock concert to cause hearing loss. Any repeated high-volume experiences or one-shot booms can damage the delicate nerve cells of your inner ear.
For many women, a heart attack may feel like a strange discomfort in the back or some other easily ignored sign, instead of crushing chest pain.
If your father or mother has heart disease, that doesn't mean you will automatically develop it, too. It's true that you are more likely to get it than someone who does not have a family history of heart disease, but you can take steps to try to prevent it.
In many cases, the progression to high blood pressure occurs within four years of being diagnosed with prehypertension.
Using antibiotics incorrectly can make your illness worse and can lead the bacteria and parasites that cause disease to become resistant to antibiotics.
You want to help a child with cold symptoms feel better, but choosing among countless over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicines can be daunting. Here are some guidelines that can help.
Heel pain has many possible causes. Learning about the symptoms can help you take care of your heels and prevent problems.
A hernia doesn't occur overnight. The most common kind is actually set in motion right before you're born.
Almost everyone has a tension headache from time to time. These headaches aren’t caused by disease. They are so common they are considered to be “normal” headaches.
The unrealistic expectations of the season, time and financial pressures, missing loved ones and reflecting on past events as the year comes to an end all contribute to the blues.
Grieving always hurts, but it's not a bad thing. It's a very normal and necessary process for adjusting to difficult life changes.
The teen years often bring a sharp drop in physical activity, especially for girls.
If you suspect your child is depressed, see your health care provider at once. Says one doctor: "The good news is that depression is very treatable, particularly if we identify it early and make sure the kids get the help they need."
When you're looking for a babysitter, give yourself enough time to be selective.
Your back is important to almost every move you make, but you probably won't realize that until you hurt it.
Win or lose, experts say, it's far more important for young people to take away from sports some lessons about self-esteem, motivation, discipline and getting along with others.
Most weight problems are caused by too little activity and too much food. Most children who are overweight don’t need to diet.
Air pollution hurts infants and children more than adults, studies show. Kids' lungs are still developing, they breathe faster and they spend more time outdoors.
Kids must cope with all the issues, such as violence or global warming, that stress out adults. But they must also handle stresses added by their parents and the media.
Every day, about 3,000 U.S. teenagers start smoking. If you're a parent of a young smoker, you can take steps to help the child quit. But first, it helps to understand why teens light up.
With so many mall shops offering sexy styles for the youngest girls, some parents wonder whether their daughters are risking sexual harassment for the sake of fashion.
You can lose a significant amount of weight by making small changes in your eating habits that don't require record keeping or a food scale.
When a friend shows signs of abusing alcohol or other drugs, it's hard to know what to do or say.
You don't have to wait for someone to hit rock bottom to act. Here are steps to help an alcoholic get treatment.
Studies indicate that almost all children report having fears. Some of the most common fears are of bugs or ghosts, and studies have shown that kids are afraid of pretty much the same things no matter where they live in the world.
Children learn by watching, and grandparents are special role models. That means they can bring a healthy perspective about food to a child's world.
Anger, fear, separation anxiety, a sense of abandonment, self-blame, sadness and embarrassment are common reactions to divorce for most children.
Every day, nearly 6,000 teens and pre-teens try cigarettes for the first time, according to the American Lung Association. A third of these first-timers will end up becoming smokers.
You and your loved ones will benefit if they understand your condition and how best to help.
Although a lot of young children are finicky about food, they need help when they won’t eat the amount or variety required to keep up their nutritional status.
Caring for someone you love who is sick or disabled is never easy. When the illness affects your loved one’s state of mind, the demands placed on you can be especially difficult.
Take action if you suspect a friend and/or family member suffers from depression. It's a condition that can cloud thinking and make people believe they aren't worth helping, so they often can't help themselves.
In older people, it's easy to mistake memory problems for the everyday forgetfulness that some people experience as they grow older.
A rehabilitation program often can help heart patients live better with their disease and recover from medical procedures like surgery and angioplasty. But experts say that only 25 percent of those who could benefit from cardiac rehab are getting it.
Most Americans survive a first heart attack. By taking action, however, they can significantly reduce their chances for a second heart attack.
Atherosclerosis means a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart.
Meal planning and blood sugar monitoring. Medicines and multiple injections. The day-in and day-out requirements of diabetes management can overwhelm those with this chronic disease.
Adolescence is naturally a time of change, and change can cause stress. But it is also an exciting time for kids and parents to get to know and interact with each other in new and different ways.
Children deal with death in many different ways, and not necessarily in the same manner as adults.
Anger is as legitimate an emotion as joy or sadness, and it's the most common way children express feelings of frustration.
Getting our daily dose of fiber is something we as adults think about as we get older. But fiber is as important for children, too. Often, children don't get enough.
A willingness to help your partner overcome job stress is the single most important factor in dealing with the fallout from work.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Over time, HCV can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Most people who have hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms for years. Many don’t know that they are infected until their liver is already damaged.
It's critically important to tell your health care provider about any herbal medications, supplements, or mega-vitamins you may be taking.
Buying a thermometer isn't as easy as it used to be. You face an array of choices. But the decision doesn't have to be hard. Like temperature, it's a matter of degrees.
Some children are very involved in competitive sports, but many other youngsters get no exercise at all. That lack of exercise is tied to an increase in childhood weight problems.
Recognized as a world expert on aging, neuropsychiatrist Robert Neil Butler, M.D., helped lead the drive to make "geriatrics" a formal medical discipline.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is the second leading cause of kidney disease in the United States, after diabetes.
Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
New research shows that it’s never too late to start exercising—and building bone.
Technology has given us the automated external defibrillator (AED), which is turning up far from hospitals. Some schools and public buildings already have AEDs.
Many frauds focus on older people on the theory that they're generally more trusting and polite to strangers.
"Home for the holidays" sounds heartwarming, but it can easily morph into "the nightmare before (and during) Christmas."
Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome is a medical condition marked by lingering fatigue with no explained cause. About 800,000 Americans, including children, have the illness.
Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
Knowing you have high blood pressure is your cue to protect your future health. And you can do plenty of things to help control your blood pressure.
For most people, lupus is a mild disease that strikes just a few organs. For others, it can cause serious, even life-threatening problems.
People who lose their central vision to macular degeneration can usually be helped by low-vision specialists.
In recent years, researchers have discovered new and better ways to detect and treat breast cancer—and to keep it from coming back.
As medical progress prolongs our lives, the end can linger. So, more and more people are turning to hospice care.
"I've worked very hard over the years at doing all the things I need to do to keep my asthma under control," says Jerome Abram Bettis.
A training log helps you organize and save information about your exercise routine so you can work toward your important goals.
If your child has asthma, take time to learn about the disease and how it's successfully treated.
If you’ve tried everything, yet weight loss continues to elude you, don’t give up. There are ways to up the odds and increase your chance of success.
Energy bars, fitness drinks, protein powders, sports supplements -- are these the best ways to power your workout?
You can prevent many discomforts by arranging your workstation and computer components to accommodate your body and work tasks.
That hobby you've been toying with could be your prescription for a healthier, more satisfying life.
Can you keep on talking while working out? Then you're exercising at a moderate intensity.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in one year, more than 10,000 children ages 5 to 14 see doctors with backpack-related complaints.
If you've ever squinted to see that next line on the eye chart clearly, join the crowd. It's probably time for an eye exam.
A private advisory group's call for 60 minutes of physical activity each day are in line with the 2005 USDA Guidelines for exercise of 30 to 60 minutes. The new advice was meant to get people moving, but some experts are worried about recommending 60 minutes.
Influenza, with its fever, aches, fatigue and threat of complications, seems a uniquely human illness. But the flu, caused by a virus, can infect animals and birds, as well.
A flute or a bow or a drumstick may be just as fine an instrument of success as a bat or ball or racquet.
A lot of parents have long since acknowledged that cell phones are a staple of teen life, but what about for 8- to 12-year-olds?
Age lowers your ability to endure long periods of cold. You're also at risk if your response to cold is impaired by certain illnesses or medications.
Research indicates your parents may have played a significant role in shaping your perception and reaction to illness. You can in turn pass these behaviors along to your children.
During the school year, 23.5 million elementary and secondary school children ride a bus to and from school each day. Add in extracurricular activities, and school bus system becomes the single largest public transit system in our country.
Cutting back on sugar is a smart move for many people. Luckily, there are other ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.
The nose on your face is just the tip of an iceberg. The important functions—breathing and smelling—actually happen mostly inside your head, in your nasal cavity.
Here are ways to help you fine-tune your lifestyle to promote optimum health.
If your computer, chair and other parts of your workstation aren't positioned properly, you can end up with sore wrists or a backache or other physical problems.
Knowing about common injuries and how to prevent them can keep you on track toward achieving your fitness goals.
Sports injury rates could be reduced by 25 percent if all athletes — professionals and amateurs — followed essential safety, conditioning, and preventive strategies.
Once your baby begins to walk, you'll need to keep a close eye on your child to protect your roving tot from hazards in the home.
As a new parent, you may find "tub time" a bit scary. Here are some suggestions on how to make it less stressful.
Whether you're a first-time hiker out for an easy walk in the woods or an expert camping in the wilderness, think about safety before you head outdoors.
The benefits of being an active medical consumer include better health, more effective health care, and lower health costs.
Here are common problems you may run into as a health care consumer, with tips for wise responses.
People who are actively involved in their medical care stay healthier, recover quicker when they're ill and live longer, healthier lives.
Are you reluctant to speak up when you're being treated unfairly at work? You don't have to suffer in silence. You can learn how to assert yourself without jeopardizing your job.
No one wants to think about disaster, but if one should occur, would you be prepared? Would you know what to do if you suddenly had no water, gas, electricity or phone service?
Bending properly can help you avoid back strain and injury. Here are some tips for proper bending.
Understand that change is normal, and come up with a plan of action to cope with the change.
One of the neatest things about being a parent is that you get to pick out all sorts of fun toys for your children.
Colds and the flu can be passed from one person to another, but did you realize that emotions can be passed just as easily?
Child-care experts say that a parent's top priority is to find someone qualified with experience in crisis management.
Although most crackers live up to their pretty packages and healthy claims, some crackers contain unexpected "extras" in the form of saturated fats and sky-high sodium and calories.
When you and your health care provider communicate well regarding health and personal issues, your health benefits.
If your doctor recommends that you have surgery or a medical procedure, taking time to research hospitals in your community to compare costs, care quality, infection control and other concerns can provide peace of mind.
Hospitalizations account for more than half of all health care costs, so avoiding surgery is one of the best ways to reduce your medical expenses.
The health care decisions you make have a big impact on your life and your wallet.
Cooking a healthful, low-fat meal doesn't take any longer than cooking one that's high in fat, cholesterol and sodium.
Problem-solving techniques can help you manage if your child has asthma, diabetes, autism, or some other serious health or behavior problem.
It helps to understand why and when you drink if you are going to successfully reduce the amount of alcohol you consume.
By adopting a dozen or so of these eating habits, most people can continue to enjoy the foods they like and still lose pounds. Don't forget to include daily exercise in the plan.
Although you may not be able to avoid a hospital stay, there are ways to trim the expenses.
To avoid being difficult yourself, keep your stress levels down and your happiness quotient up.
What's the difference between a can-do and a won't-try person? It's usually a matter of bravery.
To make sure you’re getting high-quality care, ask yourself if your health care provider is meeting your needs in five areas.
It's normal to have to deal with difficult situations and difficult people as you go through life. Here's how to change your thinking, so you can feel good when your life isn't perfect.
No one can avoid all stress -- and a certain amount actually is good for you. But it's always best to keep unhealthy levels in check when possible.
Your relationship with your health care provider is one of the most important in your life.
A lot of firsts in your child's life will make you smile: first laugh, first step, first word. One first that isn't as appealing is the first day you have to leave your child with someone else.
Experts say every child shines in at least one discipline. It's your job as a parent to discover and encourage your child's gifts, while downplaying any weaknesses.
To get your kids moving, find physical activities they can enjoy at their own pace -- and become active with them.
Here are strategies from the Food and Drug Administration to help you cut your prescription costs by 50 percent or more.
To get the best medical care you can, you should be an informed patient who works closely with your health care provider.
No purchase is more important than medical care, yet people spend more time shopping for houses and cars than they do for their own health care.
Experts recommend children get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days to maintain good health and fitness and for healthy weight during growth.
Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to keep salad greens, apples, oranges, onions, and other produce your family likes on hand.
When you're pregnant, you'll need to schedule regular visits with your health care provider, who can monitor your baby’s development.
This summer, whether traveling across country or around the world, you'll have a more enjoyable vacation if you plan ahead to stay healthy.
One minute you and your child are laughing at the dinner table. The next minute the child is choking. Here's what you should do.
To help someone who is starting out in your company, remember how you felt on your first day. Was it a pleasant experience? If so, what made it that way?
Ask a parent to name the greatest health threat to children and you'll hear about drinking or drugs. Rarely will anyone cite obesity -- even though it can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.
Growing up is a tough challenge for most adolescents, but when their parents are abusing alcohol or drugs, the obstacles can seem overwhelming.
Until recently, type 2 diabetes was also known as adult-onset diabetes. Now, the adult-onset prefix has been dropped because so many children are developing the condition.
Fees for specialists are almost always higher than those charged by health care providers, even when the same procedure is performed. Knowing how to find a specialist and work with him or her properly can help control your costs.
The social support of friends and family can provide a buffer to loneliness, depression, stress, and isolation, all of which can impair mental health.
The key to becoming more productive and efficient is to establish "do-it-now" work habits.
No matter how energetic you may be, stretching yourself to the limit every day puts your health and happiness at risk.
Whether you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight or improve your health, junk food can sabotage a worthy effort.
Although most insects are just nuisances, some can threaten our health.
Here are tips on the basics of child safety.
Up to eight in 10 Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. For most people, back pain resolves, but for 5 to 10 percent, low back pain becomes a chronic condition.
Brushing and flossing your teeth isn't hard to do, and doing both properly can help prevent gum disease and tooth loss.
Experts admit that a lot of parents would like to pull the plug. But they know that it isn't always the practical solution. Instead of eliminating it, use television viewing time to your benefit.
The National Weight Control Registry tracks people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years or more. Here's a look at their strategies for success.
Whether your credit card balances are soaring, or you and your partner are arguing constantly over nickels and dimes, there are things you can do to relieve financial stress.
When choosing a treatment, it's essential to check out all your options, make sure you have enough information to make an informed choice.
Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease and other heart conditions.
Keeping your primary relationship healthy, positive, supportive and together isn’t easy. But it can be done.
Adding more fruit to our diet is easy for most of us. It's the vegetables that hang up many people.
Moving a child from a crib to a bed can be a big deal, but it doesn't have to cause big problems. Good timing and advance planning can aid your child's adjustment to sleeping in a big-kid bed. Here are answers to some common questions.
You may need to see an allergist if you can't pinpoint the cause of your problems. Once you know what's causing your symptoms, the strategies described here can help you avoid the most common indoor allergies.
The best defense against back pain is regular aerobic exercise to keep your back fit and limber. It's also important to keep your back active throughout the day.
Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
By thinking ahead and planning for your vacation before you go, the only surprises you'll encounter are the nice ones.
Most older people are independent. But later in life, you or someone you love may need help with everyday activities, such as shopping, cooking and bathing.
People who prepare mentally and physically before their operations are likely to have fewer complications, less pain and a quicker recovery than those who don't prepare.
Just as simple things can upset your digestive system, simple changes can help. The following tips can help prevent or relieve digestive ills.
Folliculitis, or ingrown hairs, can occur anywhere on the skin or scalp. It resembles pimple-like eruptions or crusty sores.
People who work in certain occupations, such as nursing, are likely to have back pain. But so can folks who work in an office every day if they don’t take proactive steps to protect their backs.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one in five children in the United States is overweight or obese. That's twice as many overweight children as 20 years ago.
The less unnecessary stress you put on your joints, the less likely they are to wear out prematurely.
Although people know toys can be dangerous, injuries can still occur.
Many people with chronic illnesses depend on elaborate medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers or blood-glucose monitors for their health and well-being. Countless others help their loved ones, young or old, deal with an oxygen machine, asthma medication inhaler or other device. No matter how sophisticated or simple the piece of medical equipment is, it's crucial to use and maintain it properly.
Occasional memory lapses—what you ate for dinner last night or where you parked your car at the mall—are normal.
Fewer than a quarter of those who attempt to quit are able to make it beyond three months before resuming smoking. Women usually find it harder to quit than do men, even though women have a higher risk of smoking-related diseases. The following suggestions can help you kick the habit, again, for good.
Here are suggestions to help you help your children attain and maintain a healthy weight.
Back pain is something you don't want to repeat. Recovering properly from a back injury and taking preventive measures can help you reduce your risk of going through it again.
No need to search for a secret formula to erase the effects of getting older. You already have the power to keep yourself feeling young for years.
The number of cases for sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is starting to decline. A lot has to do with proactive steps parents are taking to lower their babies’ risk. Here are nine every parent should know and follow.
Taking a standard first-aid and CPR class can help prepare you for most medical emergencies. The National Safety Council, the Red Cross and many hospitals offer classes. The following suggestions can help you respond appropriately.
If you suffer a serious eye injury, what you don't do immediately afterward may help more than what you do.
Because burnout doesn’t happen overnight, it’s important to recognize early symptoms and take action before the problem becomes a liability.
Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and pain relievers, laxatives, and headache remedies may treat different conditions, but they all have one thing in common: They’re serious medicines that need to be taken with care.
As children grow older, risks get more complex and restrictions harder to enforce.
Goal setting is one of life's most difficult responsibilities -- not because goals are so hard to establish, but because you may lack the motivation or courage to ask yourself what you want.
If you spend most of your workday sitting down, you can do your body a favor by sitting properly in a chair designed for maximum support and comfort.
Want to save your skin? The first step is to stop new damage.
Although most adolescents who use drugs don't become drug abusers or drug addicts in adulthood, drug use in adolescence can put their mental, emotional and physical health at risk.
As they assert their growing independence, young people naturally want to act and make decisions on their own, but they still need and want to maintain a close relationship with the adults in their lives, experts say.
Because the 2009 H1N1 flu virus spreads from person to person, it is possible to catch the virus at work. Here are measures you can take to protect yourself at the office.
ER doctors and technology save lives. But some people use the ER simply because it’s convenient, or they don’t want to make a doctor’s appointment.
Each year thousands of concert- and festivalgoers are injured because of crowd problems—stampedes or even dehydration.
Many Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and most rely on regular tests and treatments to be healthier, more comfortable and more productive. But many people with chronic illnesses find it daunting to keep up with prescribed treatments.
Some babies cry for long stretches at 3 and 12 weeks of age during steps in development when their sleep is less settled.
Colds are caused by viruses. More than 200 different cold viruses are out there, passed by person-to-person contact.
Well-informed people who play a significant role in deciding how they’re going to treat their health conditions are likely to feel better about the decision process.
The key is communication. Talking to your children is only half the answer. Listening is the other half.
Orthodontic treatment most commonly begins between ages 9 and 14 because kids in this age range have at least some permanent teeth and are still growing.
Eye allergies usually affect both eyes. The main symptoms of an eye allergy include itchy eyes, increased tearing, red or pink eyes, and mild swelling of the eyelids.
It seems everyone has an opinion about pacifiers. That’s because there are both advantages and disadvantages to using them. Get the full facts so you can make the right choice for your baby.
Riders whose bicycle helmets don't fit right are at twice the risk for serious head injuries, compared with those whose helmets fit properly.
Is your boss always pointing out that your work isn't quite right? Does he or she expect you to work yourself to the bone?
A living will is a written statement that clearly states to your doctor and family what type of life-sustaining treatments you would accept or refuse if you have a terminal condition and are not able to express your wishes.
The key to managing diabetes is "checking your sugar, and checking it often," Brimley says.
Whether you’ve already gained a few extra pounds or have yet to reach perimenopause, here are strategies to help you maintain a healthy weight in midlife and beyond.
Most peptic ulcers are caused by pesky bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria live in the stomach and intestines.
Your lungs are remarkable organs with multiple roles. Each day, up to 2,300 gallons of air pass through your lungs.
Lymph is a colorless, watery fluid that originates as blood plasma. It seeps from the small blood vessels, or capillaries, to bring nutrients to cells and transport waste from the cells.
A good guffaw pumps up your heart, increases your circulation, works your muscles, and strengthens your immune system.
High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.
The idea that a patient can't resist a hypnotic suggestion is just plain false. Simply put, hypnosis is a normal state of relaxed, focused attention.
Chances are you know the difference between occasional sadness and depression. But here's a fact you may not know: Hypothyroidism, a common thyroid disorder, can cause depression.
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