Disorders and Diseases
220 Articles & Excerpts
Paget's Disease
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Many people dismiss symptoms of this bone disease as part of the aging process. But effective treatments are available and are best begun early. Paget's disease is the second most common bone disease in the United States. Osteoporosis is No. 1.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
by CDC
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease from rodents. Humans can contract the disease when they come into contact with infected rodents or their urine and droppings. HPS was first recognized in 1993 and has since been identified throughout
Epilepsy: What the Future Holds
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Approximately 150,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed annually. Although few people actually die during seizures, the sheer numbers of people battling the disorder, the high costs associated with the condition, and lifestyle limitations make advocates
Tropical Diseases: Prevention
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Preventive measures are staying indoors from dusk to dawn and using bed nets with 18 or more holes per inch - sandflies are a third the size of mosquitoes. Treatment of choice is with injectable drugs containing pentavalent antimony, a potentially toxic
Treating Tropical Diseases
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Americans traveling to certain areas of the globe may contract tropical diseases despite their best efforts to avoid them. Fortunately, effective treatments are available for most of these exotic maladies.
Post-Polio Management, Vaccine Conquers Killer
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
In treating the post-polio person, the doctor must first rule out or treat other conditions that may be causing loss of muscle function, especially as they affect breathing capacity. This includes a thorough medical history and physical examination, as we
Anthrax: Background and Epidemiology
by CDC
Anthrax is one of the great infectious diseases of antiquity. The fifth and sixth plagues in the Bible's book of Exodus may have been outbreaks of anthrax in cattle and humans, respectively.
Amebiasis
by CDC
What is amebiasis? Amebiasis is a disease caused by a one-celled parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. Who is at risk for amebiasis? Although anyone can have this disease, it is most common in people who live in developing countries that have poor
Lupus : FAQ
by Women's Health Information Center
Lupus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus (sis-teh-mik lew-pus er-eh-thee-muh-toh-sis) or SLE, is a disease that affects your immune system. Normally, your immune system fights infections caused by germs.
Interstitial Cystitis: Disabling Bladder Condition
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Interstitial cystitis is a bladder condition far more common in women than in men. It can be devastating to quality of life. Treatments include drugs and special diets. Sometimes a diagnostic tool - cystoscopy - can temporarily improve the condition.
Controlling Urinary Incontinenc
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
At least 13 million Americans experience urinary incontinence, the involuntary leakage of urine sufficient to be a problem, and 11 million of them are women, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Spinal Cord Injuries
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Medical experts once considered extensive recovery after spinal cord injury hopeless. But now the outlook is more optimistic, due to advances such as electrical muscle stimulation, restorative devices, and drug research.
Smallpox Disease and Vaccine
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The last confirmed case of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949, and the last naturally occurring case in the world was recorded in Somalia in 1977. Three years later, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated.
Botulinum Toxin : Infant Botulism
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Infant botulism differs from food-borne botulism in that the toxin itself is not ingested. Instead, C. botulinum spores swallowed by the infant germinate and produce the toxin in the favorable environment of the baby's large intestine.
Arboviral Encephalitides
by CDC
Arthropod-borne viruses, i.e., arboviruses, are viruses that are maintained in nature through biological transmission between susceptible vertebrate hosts by blood feeding arthropods (mosquitoes, psychodids, ceratopogonids, and ticks).
West Nile Virus : Diagnostic and Blood-Screening Tests, Transmission
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA cleared the first commercially available test that will help physicians diagnose cases of potentially deadly WNV earlier than current methods allow. The test, called the IgM Capture ELISA, detects the levels in the blood of a particular type
Cystic Fibrosis : Genetic Testing, To Test or Not To Test?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Developing a test to detect the gene that causes CF would provide a definitive diagnosis, because this mutant gene is the only cause of the disorder. The first step was to find out where the gene behind CF lies among the 23 pairs of chromosomes.
American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas' Disease)
by CDC
Chagas' disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas' disease is usually transmitted by contact with the feces of an infected triatomine ('cone nose' or 'kissing') bug.
Epilepsy and Seizures Can Occur at Any Age
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Few events compare to the drama of an epileptic seizure. Ancient people once thought that those with epilepsy were being attacked by evil spirits that had to be driven from the body with magic or prayer.
Botulinum Toxin : Use as Medicine
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Meanwhile, purified botulism toxin is the first bacterial toxin to be used as a medicine. FDA licensed botulinum toxin as Oculinum in December 1989 for treating two eye conditions - blepharospasm and strabismus - characterized by excessive muscle contract
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