Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Sinusitis

Sinusitis refers to an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the paranasal sinuses. If often follows the common cold, influenza and other general infections. Germs which are usually eliminated from body sometimes find their way into these sinuses or chambers on either side of the nasal passage, leading to sinus trouble.

Sexual Impotence

Sex is now regarded as a basic instinct like hunger. Sexual activity, however, demands complete concentration and relaxation. It cannot be performed in haste and tension. Persons who are usually tense and over-occupied are unable to follow these norms. Many persons, therefore, suffer from sexual dysfunctions. The most common male sexual dysfunction is impotence or loss of sexual power.

Rheumatism

The word rheumatism is derived from the Greek word "rheuma" which means a swelling. This disease is recognised as one of the most serious threats to health. It is a crippling disease which causes widespread invalidism, but seldom kills.
Rheumatism refers to an acute

Friday, 4 July 2014

Pyorrhoea

Pyorrhoea or periodontal disease to give it a proper medical term is a disease of the teeth socket. It is one of the most widely prevalent diseases these days. It affects the membrane surrounding the teeth-root, with loosening of the teeth, pus formation and shrinkage of the gum. This disease is the primary cause for tooth loss among adults. Pyorrhoea affects persons of all ages.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of the most stubborn skin diseases. It is a chronic disease characterised by thick, red, silvery, scaled patches of skin. This disease affects both sexes equally and usually first appears at the age ranging from 15 to 30 years, although it may appear at any age. It is, however, rare in infancy and old age. Psoriasis is not contagious.

Prostate Disorders

Nearly one-third of all men over 50 years suffer from prostate troubles of one form or another. The percentage rises with age and reaches 75 after the age of 80 years. Prostate and bladder disorders can lead to numerous other ailments such as arthritis, kidney disorders and uremia. The prostate gland is a male gland, comparable in shape and size to a large chestnut.

Thursday, 3 July 2014

Premature Greying of Hair

The hair has a tendency to lose its natural colour with advancing age. It is therefore natural for the hair to turn grey with age. But premature greying is a morbid condition and it makes even the young look older. This causes a great deal of concern to affected persons, especially women. The hair is an appendage of the skin. It is composed of the same kind of cells as are found in the outer layer of the skin, known as epidermis.

Piles

Piles or haemorrhoids are among the most common ailments today, especially in the Western world. They are a varicose and often inflammed condition of the veins inside or just outside the rectum. In external piles there is a lot of pain, but not much bleeding. In case of internal piles there is discharge of dark blood. In some cases the veins burst and this results in what is known as bleeding piles.

Peptic Ulcer

Peptic Ulcer refers to an eroded lesion in the gastric intestinal mucosa. An ulcer may form in any part of the digestive tract which is exposed to acid gastric juice, but is usually found in the stomach and the duodenum. The ulcer located in the stomach is known as gastric ulcer and that located in the duodenum is called a deudenal ulcer. Usually both are grouped together and termed peptic ulcer.

Obesity

Obesity may be described as a bodily condition characterised by excessive deposition or storage of fat in adipose tissue. It usually results from consumption of food in excess of physiological needs. Obesity is common among people in Western countries and among the higher income groups in India and other developing countries.

Nepthritis

Nepthritis refers to an inflammation of the kidneys. It is a serious condition and may be either acute or chronic. A synonym for nephthritis is " Bright’s disease, " for Bright (1789-1858) described examples of many different diseases which can be included under the term. This disease most often strikes during childhood or adolescence.

Neuritis

Neuritis is one of the serious nervous disorders. It refers to an inflammation of the nerves, involving a single nerve or a series of nerves. At times, several different groups of nerves in various parts of the body may be involved. This condition is known as polyneuritis. It is also known as polyneuropathy, for strictly speaking, the condition is not an inflammation, but a change in the state of the nerves resulting in weakness, loss of the reflexes and changes of sensation.

Leucoderma

Lecucoderma, also known as vitiligo, is a distressing skin condition. The word literally means ‘ white skin’. There isa gradual loss of pigment melanin from the skin layers which results in white patches. These patches look ugly, especially in persons with dark complexions. The condition does not cause any organic harm. It , however, brings about great psychological tension to the patient who is more embarassed than the victim of any pain or discomfort. The condition thus, besides being a medical problem, also becomes a social stigma.

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Kidney Stones

The formation of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract is a fairly common disorder. The stones are formed from the chemicals usually found in the urine such as uric acid, phosphorous, calcium and oxalic acid. They may vary in consistency from grit, sand and gravel-like obstructions to the size of the bird’s eggs.

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Jaundice

Jaundice is the most common of all liver disorders resulting from an obstruction in the bile duct, or the loss of function of the bile-producing liver cells. There are several forms of jaundice but all of them are marked by yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Insomnia

Insomnia or sleeplessness has assumed alarming proportions in present times, especially among the upper classes in urban areas. This is evident from the wide range of medication for this condition prescribed by physicians and sold by chemists. Instances of persons taking an overdose of sleeping pills with fatal results are quite frequent. Insomnia deprives a person of mental rest and thereby interferes with his activities in the daytime. It constitutes a severe health hazard when it becomes a habit.