Category: Disease

Overview: A sore throat is pain, scratchiness or irritation of the throat that often worsens when you swallow. The most common cause of a sore throat (pharyngitis) is a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. A sore throat caused by a virus resolves on its own. Sore throats are divided into types, based on the part of the throat they affect: Pharyngitis affects...

Overview: Obesity often results from taking in more calories than are burned by exercise and normal daily activities. Obesity is an epidemic in the U.S. This condition puts people at a higher risk for serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is a calculation that takes a...

Overview: Malaria is a human disease that is caused by sporozoan parasites(genus Plasmodium) in the red blood cells which are transmitted by the bite of anopheline mosquitoes and is characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever.   Where does it originate from? It is a mosquito-borne infectious disease affecting humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans(a group of single-celled microorganisms).   Causes: Malaria can be caused if a mosquito infected...

Overview: Constipation is a condition of the digestive system where an individual has hard feces that are difficult to expel. In most cases, this occurs because the colon has absorbed too much water from the food that is in the colon. The slower the food moves through the digestive tract, the more water the colon will absorb from it. Consequently, the feces become dry and hard. When this...

Overview: Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. These abnormal cells are termed as cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells. These cells can infiltrate normal body tissues. Many cancers and the abnormal cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer). Cancer is not confined to humans;...

Overview: Your bronchial tubes deliver air from your trachea (windpipe) into your lungs. When these tubes become inflamed, mucus can build up. This condition is called bronchitis, and it causes symptoms that can include coughing, shortness of breath, and low fever. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic: Acute bronchitis typically lasts less than 10 days, but the coughing can continue for several weeks. Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, can last for several weeks and...

Overview: Cancer occurs when changes called mutations to take place in genes that regulate cell growth. The mutations let the cells divide and multiply in an uncontrolled, chaotic way. The cells keep multiplying, producing copies that get progressively more abnormal. In most cases, the cell copies eventually form a tumor. Breast cancer is cancer that develops in breast cells. Typically, the cancer forms in either the lobules...

Overview: Lower back pain also called lumbago, is not a disorder. It’s a symptom of several different types of medical problems. It usually results from a problem with one or more parts of the lower back, such as: ligaments muscles nerves the bony structures that make up the spine, called vertebral bodies or vertebrae It can also be due to a problem with nearby organs, such as...

Symptoms: The symptoms of severe asthma are much like the symptoms of mild to moderate asthma. However, these symptoms tend to be more intense, potentially life-threatening, and can’t be easily controlled by asthma medications or treatments. Signs and symptoms of severe asthma may include: shortness of breath which continues to worsen pain or tightness in your chest cough wheezing that persists after breathing treatments   Causes: The triggers of asthma, including severe asthma,...

Overview: Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. It can affect one joint or multiple joints. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, with different causes and treatment methods. Two of the most common types are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The symptoms of arthritis usually develop over time, but they may also appear suddenly. Arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the...