Disorders and Diseases

Understanding Mastocytosis
by National Institute of Health
Mastocytosis is a disorder in both children and adults. It is caused by the presence of too many mast cells in your body. You can find mast cells in skin, linings of the stomach and intestine, and connective tissue (such as cartilage or tendons).

SARS: Viral Cause Suspected
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
SARS was first recognized in February 2003 after a sudden outbreak of unexplained pneumonia that affected people in China and several other Asian countries. Symptoms included coughing, fever and shortness of breath.

West Nile Virus Prevention
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
West Nile Virus is one of a group of disease-causing viruses called flaviviruses, which are spread by insects, usually mosquitoes. Other flaviviruses include yellow fever, dengue, and St. Louis encephalitis viruses.

Orphan Products: Hope for People with Rare Disorders
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
People with hemophilia, certain leukemias, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS-related conditions are among those benefiting from FDA's Orphan Products Program, which has helped get more than 100 products for rare diseases on the market since it began in 1983.

Mad Cow Disease Prevention
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
BSE is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of cattle. A similar disorder in people, called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), is believed to be caused by eating certain tissues from BSE

Understanding Constipation
by National Institute on Aging
Nearly everyone becomes constipated at one time or another. Older people are more likely than younger people to become constipated, but most of the time it is not serious. Constipation is a symptom, not a disease.

Children and Anthrax: Information for Parents
by CDC
Help your children feel safe. Let them talk about their fears and worries. Stick to family routines that help children feel comfortable and secure. Reassure them that parents, teachers, doctors, and government officials are doing everything possible

Hendra Virus Disease and Nipah Virus Encephalitis
by CDC
Hendra virus (formerly called equine morbillivirus) is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus was first isolated in 1994 from specimens obtained during an outbreak of respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans in Hendra

Aches in Your Legs: Understanding Peripheral Arterial Disease
by National Institute of Health
If you're past age 50, you may have resigned yourself to feeling a few more aches these days. However, if you've had pain or cramping in your legs when you're walking that goes away when you stop, don't shrug it off.

Urinary Incontinence
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Certain organs, muscles, nerves, and the brain all work together to control the process of urination. The kidneys filter the blood to remove waste and water, producing urine. From the kidneys, urine travels down tubes called ureters to the bladder.

Anthrax: The Disease
by CDC
Inhalational anthrax generally occurs after an incubation period of 1 to 6 days. During the Sverdlovsk outbreak, however, spontaneous cases appeared to arise as late as 43 days after the assumed release date.

Myths about Kidney Stones
by National Institute of Health
Kidney stones. Just mention them and people cringe - and for good reason. They are one of the most painful conditions a person can have. Chances are you know someone who's had them. More people are developing kidney stones, and researchers are trying

Adenoviruses
by CDC
Adenoviruses most commonly cause respiratory illness; however, depending on the infecting serotype, they may also cause various other illnesses, such as gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cystitis, and rash illness.

Urinary Incontinenc: Diagnosis and Treatment
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The first step toward successful treatment is to determine the type of incontinence and the cause. A doctor's evaluation usually includes a physical examination, medical history, and urine tests.

Reye Syndrome
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
As the public has become aware of the relationship between Reye syndrome in children and the use of aspirin during a viral illness, the incidence or this disease has declined. But vigilance is still needed to prevent this fatal condition.

Epilepsy: Reach Out
by CDC
As parents, it seems we never stop worrying about our children. And when they finally reach adolescence, the risks seem endless. Although our instinct is to protect them and anticipate any harm that might come their way, it becomes increasingly difficult

Cystic Fibrosis : Advances and Stumbling Blocks
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The symptoms of CF were first described in medical journals in 1938. The malady was attributed to a defect in the channels leading from certain glands - a remarkably accurate description, it would turn out.

C. difficile (Clostridium difficile)
by Health Canada
Clostridium difficile, commonly called C. difficile, is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and other serious intestinal conditions. It is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients in the industrialized world.

Rare Diseases : Research, Patient Support Groups
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Medical devices are not eligible for orphan designation. However, in 1996, the FDA took a major step intended to make it easier and less costly for manufacturers to bring to market medical devices for orphan diseases.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
by CDC
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses from the family Bunyaviridae. HFRS includes diseases such as Korean hemorrhagic fever, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, and nephropathis epidemica.