Conditions & Diseases, FAM-HEP
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
familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited metabolic disease that is caused by deficiency of the LDL (low-density......
Paul Farmer was an American anthropologist, epidemiologist, and public-health administrator who, as cofounder of......
farmer’s lung, a pulmonary disorder that results from the development of hypersensitivity to inhaled dust from......
fascioliasis, infection of humans and grass-grazing animals caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, a small......
fasciolopsiasis, infection of humans and swine by the trematode Fasciolopsis buski, a parasitic worm. Human and......
fatigue, specific form of human inadequacy in which the individual experiences an aversion to exertion and feels......
favism, a hereditary disorder involving an allergic-like reaction to the broad, or fava, bean (Vicia faba). Susceptible......
feline distemper, viral disease of cats, kittens two to six months old being most susceptible. Highly contagious,......
feline leukemia, viral disease of cats, one of the most serious diseases affecting domestic cats and a few other......
Walter E. Fernald was an American doctor and administrator who was known for his work with the intellectually disabled......
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), various congenital abnormalities in the newborn infant that are caused by the mother’s......
fever, abnormally high body temperature. Fever is a characteristic of many different diseases. For example, although......
fibrocystic disease of the breast, noncancerous cysts (harmless swellings caused by fluid trapped in breast tissues)......
fibroma, any benign tumour of fibrous tissue. Specific fibromas include nonossifying fibroma, found in the large......
fibromyalgia, chronic syndrome that is characterized by musculoskeletal pain, often at multiple anatomical sites,......
fibrosarcoma, rare malignant tumour of fibrous tissue most commonly found in middle-age adults and primarily occurring......
fibrous dysplasia, rare congenital developmental disorder beginning in childhood and characterized by replacement......
filariasis, a group of infectious disorders caused by threadlike nematodes of the superfamily Filarioidea that......
fish poisoning, illness in humans resulting from the eating of varieties of poisonous fishes. Ciguatera poisoning......
fistula, abnormal duct or passageway between organs. Fistulas can form between various parts of the body, including......
flatfoot, congenital or acquired flatness of the longitudinal arch of the foot. Usually associated with loss of......
fluoride deficiency, condition in which fluoride is insufficient or is not utilized properly. Fluoride is a mineral......
fluorosis, chronic intoxication with fluorine (usually combined with some other element to form a fluoride) that......
folic acid deficiency anemia, type of anemia resulting from a deficient intake of the vitamin folic acid (folate).......
food allergy, immunological response to a food. Although the true prevalence of food allergy is unclear, studies......
food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal illness resulting from the consumption of foods containing one or more representatives......
foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral disease affecting practically all cloven-footed domesticated......
Forbes’ disease, rare hereditary disease in which the the metabolic breakdown of glycogen to the simple sugar glucose......
Michel Foucault was a French philosopher and historian, one of the most influential and controversial scholars......
fracture, in pathology, a break in a bone caused by stress. Certain normal and pathological conditions may predispose......
fracture–dislocation, a severe injury in which both fracture and dislocation take place simultaneously. Frequently,......
Heinz L. Fraenkel-Conrat was a German-American biochemist who helped to reveal the complementary roles of the structural......
fragile-X syndrome, a chromosomal disorder associated with a fragile site on the end of the X chromosome. The major......
Thomas Francis, Jr. was an American microbiologist and epidemiologist who isolated the viruses responsible for......
frigidity, in psychology, the inability of a woman to attain orgasm during sexual intercourse. In popular, nonmedical......
frostbite, a freezing of living tissue; frostbite occurs whenever heat loss from a tissue is sufficient to permit......
fructosuria, disturbance of fructose metabolism resulting from a hereditary disorder or intolerance. Normally,......
Fröhlich’s syndrome, rare childhood metabolic disorder characterized by obesity, growth retardation, and retarded......
fugue state, loss of memory (amnesia), often temporary, in which affected individuals typically do not remember......
galactorrhea, excessive flow of milk from the breast, or lactation that is not associated with childbirth or nursing.......
galactosemia, a hereditary defect in the metabolism of the sugar galactose, which is a constituent of lactose,......
Edward Miner Gallaudet was an American educator and administrator who helped establish Gallaudet University, the......
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was an educational philanthropist and founder of the first American school for the deaf.......
gallbladder cancer, disease characterized by the growth of malignant cells in the gallbladder. Gallbladder cancer......
ganglion cyst, saclike structure containing thick gelatinous fluid that appears on the top or underside of the......
gangrene, localized death of animal soft tissue, caused by prolonged interruption of the blood supply that may......
gastritis, acute or chronic inflammation of the mucosal layers of the stomach. Acute gastritis may be caused by......
gastroenteritis, acute infectious syndrome of the stomach lining and the intestine. It is characterized by diarrhea,......
Gaucher disease, rare inherited metabolic disorder characterized by anemia, mental and neurologic impairment, yellowish......
gender dysphoria (GD), formal diagnosis given by mental health professionals to people who experience distress......
gene doping, use of substances or techniques to manipulate cells or genes in order to improve athletic performance.......
human genetic disease, any of the diseases and disorders that are caused by mutations in one or more genes of the......
- Introduction
- Sex Chromosome Abnormalities
- Autosomal Dominant, Inheritance, Genes
- Sex-Linked Inheritance
- Cancer Genetics, Mutations, Oncogenes
- Environmental Agents, Mutations, Diagnosis
- UV Radiation, Causes, Symptoms
- Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Estimating Probability, Bayes' Theorem
- Prenatal Diagnosis
- Genetic Testing, Inheritance, Diagnosis
- Ethical Issues
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French zoologist noted for his work on anatomical abnormalities in humans......
gestational diabetes mellitus, temporary condition in which blood sugar (glucose) levels increase during pregnancy......
gestational trophoblastic disease, any of a group of rare conditions in which tumours develop in the uterus from......
gigantism, excessive growth in stature, well beyond the average for the individual’s heredity and environmental......
gingivitis, inflammation of the gums (gingivae). Symptoms include tender, sometimes swollen, gums that bleed easily.......
glanders, infectious disease of primarily horses, but also mules and donkeys, that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia......
glaucoma, disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous......
glioma, a cancerous growth or tumour composed of cells derived from neuroglial tissue, the material that supports......
glossitis, inflammation of the tongue characterized by loss of the surface papillae, a condition that gives the......
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, hereditary metabolic defect characterized by an increased tendency......
glycogen storage disease, any of a group of enzymatic deficiencies resulting in altered glycogen metabolism. They......
goitre, enlargement of the thyroid gland, resulting in a prominent swelling in the front of the neck. The normal......
gonorrhea, sexually transmitted disease characterized principally by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the......
William Crawford Gorgas was a U.S. Army surgeon who contributed greatly to the building of the Panama Canal by......
gout, metabolic disorder characterized by recurrent acute attacks of severe inflammation in one or more of the......
graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), condition that occurs following a bone marrow transplant, in which cells in the......
granuloma inguinale, contagious sexually transmitted disease occurring predominantly in tropical areas and characterized......
granulomatosis and polyangiitis (GPA), uncommon disorder characterized by inflammation and degeneration of small......
granulomatous thyroiditis, inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland, of unknown but presumably viral origin. It......
Graves disease, endocrine disorder that is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (excess secretion of thyroid......
guinea worm disease, infection in humans caused by a parasite known as the guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis).......
Gulf War syndrome, cluster of illnesses in veterans of the Persian Gulf War (1990–91). Gulf War syndrome is characterized......
gumma, soft, granulomatous, tumourlike mass, sometimes appearing during the late stages of syphilis, that occurs......
gynecomastia, enlargement of the breasts in the male, usually because of hormone imbalance. The growth and development......
hallucination, the experience of perceiving objects or events that do not have an external source, such as hearing......
hamartoma, benign tumourlike growth made up of normal mature cells in abnormal number or distribution. While malignant......
hammertoe, deformity of the second, third, or fourth toe in which the toe is bent downward at the middle joint......
hapten, small molecule that stimulates the production of antibody molecules only when conjugated to a larger molecule,......
Hartnup disease, inborn metabolic disorder involving the amino acid tryptophan. Normally, one of the metabolic......
Hashimoto disease, a noninfectious form of inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis). Hashimoto disease is......
Havana syndrome, largely discredited medical condition reported among U.S. diplomats and other government employees......
hay fever, seasonally recurrent bouts of sneezing, nasal congestion, and tearing and itching of the eyes caused......
head and neck cancer, any of a group of malignant diseases that originate variously in the oral cavity (including......
headache, pain in various parts of the head. Headaches affect nearly everyone at some time in their life, recurrent......
heart attack, death of a section of the myocardium, the muscle of the heart, caused by an interruption of blood......
heart block, lack of synchronization in the contractions of the upper and the lower chambers of the heart—the atria......
heart disease, any disorder of the heart. Examples include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, and......
heart failure, general condition in which the heart muscle does not contract and relax effectively, thereby reducing......
heart murmur, condition characterized by prolonged noises made by blood circulating through the heart. A heart......
heartworm disease, parasitic disease, predominantly of dogs but also occurring in cats, that is caused by the nematode......
heatstroke, condition caused by continuous exposure to high temperature and humidity for several hours. The term......
hematoma, pooling of blood in tissues or spaces outside the blood vessels that results when a vessel is cut or......
hemochromatosis, inborn metabolic defect characterized by an increased absorption of iron, which accumulates in......
hemoglobinopathy, any of a group of disorders caused by the presence of variant hemoglobin in the red blood cells.......
hemophilia, hereditary bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of a substance necessary for blood clotting (coagulation).......
hemorrhage, Escape of blood from blood vessels into surrounding tissue. When a vessel is injured, hemorrhage continues......
hemorrhoid, mass formed by distension of the network of veins under the mucous membrane that lines the anal channel......
hepatitis, inflammation of the liver that results from a variety of causes, both infectious and noninfectious.......