Conditions & Diseases, PTO-SMA
Whether we like it or not, living things are susceptible to any number of illnesses and conditions that can threaten or harm the health of those afflicted. Bacteria, viruses, and other microbiological agents are obvious challenges to health. Human disease may be acute, chronic, malignant, or benign, and it is usually indicated by signs and symptoms such as fever or vomiting. Additionally, diseases may be communicable (contagious) or noncommunicable; of the latter, the four major types identified by the World Health Organization are cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Conditions & Diseases Encyclopedia Articles By Title
ptosis, drooping of the upper eyelid. The condition may be congenital or acquired and can cause significant obscuration......
puerperal fever, infection of some part of the female reproductive organs following childbirth or abortion. Cases......
pulmonary edema, buildup of excess fluid in the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. Alveoli are the sites of oxygen......
pulmonary embolism, obstruction of a pulmonary artery or one of its branches. The pulmonary arteries carry blood......
pulmonary fibrosis, end result of a variety of inflammatory diseases of the lungs in which dense fibrous connective......
pulmonary stenosis, narrowing of either the pulmonary valve—the valve through which blood flows from the right......
purpura, presence of small hemorrhages in the skin, often associated with bleeding from body cavities and in tissues.......
pus, thick, opaque, usually yellowish white fluid matter formed in association with inflammation caused by the......
pustule, a small circumscribed elevation of the skin that is filled with pus, a fluid mixture containing necrotic......
pyelonephritis, infection and inflammation of the kidney tissue and the renal pelvis (the cavity formed by the......
pyromania, impulse-control disorder characterized by the recurrent compulsion to set fires. The term refers only......
Q fever, acute self-limited systemic disease caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. Q fever spreads rapidly......
quinsy, pus-filled swelling in the throat that develops infrequently as a complication of acute tonsillitis. It......
rabies, acute, ordinarily fatal, viral disease of the central nervous system that is usually spread among domestic......
radiation injury, tissue damage or changes caused by exposure to ionizing radiation—namely, gamma rays, X-rays,......
rat-bite fever, relapsing type of infection in which the causative bacteria are transmitted to humans by the bite......
Raynaud syndrome, condition occurring primarily in young women that is characterized by spasms in the arteries......
reactive arthritis, disorder characterized primarily by joint pain that also sometimes affects the eyes, urogenital......
reactive attachment disorder, rare condition in which infants and young children fail to form emotional bonds with......
rectocele, disorder in which the rectum bulges into the back wall of the vagina. It is caused when the muscles......
relapsing fever, infectious disease characterized by recurring episodes of fever separated by periods of relative......
renal carcinoma, malignant tumour affecting the epithelial (covering and lining) cells of the kidney. Most renal......
renal cell carcinoma, a disease arising from malignant epithelial cells in the kidneys. Renal cell carcinoma is......
renal cyst, cyst in the kidney. A cyst is an enclosed sac or pouch that usually contains liquid or semisolid material.......
renal osteodystrophy, chronic, probably hereditary disorder characterized by kidney dysfunction, bone-mineral loss......
renal system disease, any of the diseases or disorders that affect the human urinary system. They include benign......
repetitive strain injury (RSI), any of a broad range of conditions affecting muscles, tendons, tendon sheaths,......
reproductive system disease, any of the diseases and disorders that affect the human reproductive system. They......
- Introduction
- Infertility, Endometriosis, PCOS
- Intersexuality, Hormones, Disorders
- Precocious Puberty, Hormone Imbalance, Endocrine Disorders
- Menorrhagia, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids
- Impotence, Infertility, Endocrine Disorders
- Syphilis, STD, Bacteria
- Genital Herpes, Symptoms, Treatment
- Genital Warts, HPV, Symptoms
- Trichomoniasis, Symptoms, Treatment
- Infections, Symptoms, Treatments
- Tumours, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Testicular Cancer
- Uterine Fibroids, Symptoms, Treatment
respiratory disease, any of the diseases and disorders of the airways and the lungs that affect human respiration.......
- Introduction
- Immunity, Pathogens, Defense
- Morphology, Pathology, Diagnosis
- Asthma, COPD, Pneumonia
- Legionnaires, Bacteria, Symptoms
- Asthma, Symptoms, Treatment
- Bronchi, Acute, Symptoms
- Chronic Bronchitis, Symptoms, Treatment
- Lung Cancer, Symptoms, Treatment
- Occupational Lung, Prevention, Treatment
- Industrial Chemicals, Toxicity, Symptoms
- Circulation, Symptoms, Treatment
respiratory distress syndrome of newborns, a common complication in infants, especially in premature newborns,......
restless legs syndrome, condition characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs that usually appears......
retinitis pigmentosa, group of hereditary eye diseases in which progressive degeneration of the retina leads to......
retinopathy of prematurity, disease in which retinal blood vessels develop abnormally in the eyes of premature......
Rett syndrome, rare progressive neurological disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability, autism-like......
Reye syndrome, acute neurologic disease that develops primarily in children following influenza, chicken pox, or......
rheumatic fever, inflammatory disease of the heart, joints, central nervous system, and subcutaneous tissues that......
rheumatism, any of several disorders that have in common inflammation of the connective tissues, especially the......
rheumatoid arthritis, chronic, frequently progressive disease in which inflammatory changes occur throughout the......
rhinitis, generic term for inflammation of the mucous tissue of the nose. Rhinitis may be allergic in origin and......
rhinophyma, extensive overgrowth of the lower part of the nose. The sebaceous (oil-producing) glands seem to be......
Charles Richet was a French physiologist who won the 1913 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery......
rickets, disease of infancy and childhood characterized by softening of the bones, leading to abnormal bone growth......
Riedel thyroiditis, extremely rare form of chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland, in which the glandular tissues......
Rift Valley fever, viral infection of animals that is transmissible to humans and is caused by a type of Phlebovirus......
Riley-Day syndrome, an inherited disorder occurring almost exclusively in Ashkenazic Jews that is caused by abnormal......
rinderpest, an acute, highly contagious viral disease of ruminant animals, primarily cattle, that was once common......
ringworm, superficial skin lesions caused by a highly specialized group of fungi called dermatophytes that live......
Ed Roberts was an American disability rights activist who is considered the founder of the independent-living movement.......
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, form of tick-borne typhus first described in the Rocky Mountain section of the United......
roseola infantum, infectious disease of early childhood marked by rapidly developing high fever (to 106° F) lasting......
rotational stress, physiological changes that occur in the body when it is subjected to intense gyrational or centrifugal......
rubella, contagious viral disease that runs a mild and benign course in most people. Although rubella is not usually......
sadism, psychosexual disorder in which sexual urges are gratified by the infliction of pain on another person.......
sadomasochism, deriving pleasure, often of a sexual nature, from the infliction of physical or psychological pain......
salmonellosis, any of several bacterial infections caused by certain species of Salmonella, important as the cause......
Sanfilippo’s syndrome, rare hereditary (autosomal recessive) metabolic disease characterized by severe mental retardation.......
sarcoidosis, systemic disease that is characterized by the formation of granulomas (small grainy lumps) in affected......
sarcoma, tumour of connective tissue (tissue that is formed from mesodermal, or mesenchymal, cells). Sarcomas are......
sarin, synthetic organophosphate compound that is highly toxic to the nervous system. Exposure to sarin—which is......
SARS, highly contagious respiratory illness characterized by a persistent fever, headache, and bodily discomfort,......
scabies, skin inflammation accompanied by severe itching, particularly at night, caused by the itch mite (Sarcoptes......
scarlet fever, acute infectious disease caused by group A hemolytic streptococcal bacteria, in particular Streptococcus......
Scheie’s syndrome, uncommon hereditary metabolic disease characterized by clawing of the hands, corneal clouding,......
schistosomiasis, group of chronic disorders caused by small parasitic flatworms (family Schistosomatidae) commonly......
schizoaffective disorder, mental disorder characterized by a combination of mood (affective) symptoms, such as......
schizophrenia, any of a group of severe mental disorders that have in common symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions,......
Schmidt sting pain index, measure of the relative amount of pain that various insects of the order Hymenoptera......
scleritis, inflammation of the sclera, the white part of the eye. The inflammation is immune-mediated and is commonly......
scleroderma, a chronic disease of the skin that also can affect the blood vessels and various internal organs.......
scoliosis, lateral deviation of the spine. Scoliosis is a type of curvature of the...
scrofula, condition caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in which the organism infects the lymph......
scrub typhus, acute infectious disease in humans that is caused by the parasite Orientia tsutsugamushi and is transmitted......
scurvy, one of the oldest-known nutritional disorders of humankind, caused by a dietary lack of vitamin C (ascorbic......
seasonal affective disorder (SAD), mood disorder characterized by recurring depression in autumn and winter, separated......
separation anxiety disorder, condition characterized by intense and prolonged concern, dread, worry, or apprehension......
sepsis, systemic inflammatory condition that occurs as a complication of infection and in severe cases may be associated......
septic arthritis, acute inflammation of one or more joints caused by infection. In septic arthritis the joints......
septic shock, severe and potentially life-threatening condition characterized particularly by dangerously low blood......
septicemia, infection resulting from the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia). The onset of septicemia......
serum sickness, an allergic reaction to medicines that contain animal proteins or to antiserum injected into an......
sexual dysfunction, the inability of a person to experience sexual arousal or to achieve sexual satisfaction under......
sexually transmitted disease (STD), any disease (such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, or a genital form of herpes......
Sheehan’s syndrome, insufficiency of pituitary hormones (hypopituitarism), caused by destruction of cells of the......
shellfish poisoning, illness in humans resulting from the eating of certain mussels and clams. The source of the......
shigellosis, infection of the gastrointestinal tract by bacteria of the genus Shigella. The illness produces cramplike......
shock, in physiology, failure of the circulatory system to supply sufficient blood to peripheral tissues to meet......
sick building syndrome (SBS), term applied to a situation in which some or all the people occupying a building......
sickle cell anemia, hereditary disease that destroys red blood cells by causing them to take on a rigid “sickle”......
sinus squeeze, pain, inflammation, and possible bleeding of the membranes lining the sinus cavities in the head,......
sinusitis, acute or chronic inflammation of the mucosal lining of one or more paranasal sinuses (the cavities in......
Sjögren syndrome, chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by severe dryness of the eyes and mouth that results......
skin cancer, disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells in the skin. Skin cancers are of two distinct......
skin disease, any of the diseases or disorders that affect the human skin. They have a wide range of causes. Although......
skin squeeze, effect on the skin of exposure to a pressure less than that of the surrounding environmental pressure.......
Eleanor Clarke Slagle was a U.S. social-welfare worker and early advocate of occupational therapy for the mentally......
sleep apnea, respiratory condition characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. The word apnea is derived......
sleep paralysis, total inability to move for a very brief period that occurs as one is either falling asleep or......
sleeping sickness, disease caused by infection with the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or the......
sleepwalking, a behavioral disorder of sleep in which a person sits up and performs various motor actions, such......
smallpox, acute infectious disease that begins with a high fever, headache, and back pain and then proceeds to......