Parvovirus infection

Parvovirus infection is a common and highly contagious childhood ailment — sometimes called slapped-cheek disease because of the distinctive face rash that develops. Parvovirus infection has also been known as fifth disease because, historically, it was one of five common childhood illnesses characterized by a rash.

In most children, parvovirus infection is mild and requires little treatment. However, in some adults, the infection can be serious. Parvovirus infection in some pregnant women can lead to serious health problems for the fetus. Parvovirus infection is also more serious for people with some kinds of anemia or who have a compromised immune system.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is pathologic inflammation of the pancreas. Your pancreas resides behind your stomach. It secretes enzymes that help you digest food and also regulates how your body manages glucose.

Pancreatitis can come and go quickly, or it can be a chronic problem. Treatment will depend on whether your pancreatitis is acute or chronic.

The pancreatic duct carries digestive enzymes from the pancreas. The common bile duct carries bile or other biliary substances from the liver and gallbladder. When a gallstone gets stuck here, it can cause a backup of these substances. This can lead to inflammation in both the common bile duct and pancreas.

Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that occurs constantly over the long haul. People with chronic pancreatitis can have permanent damage to their pancreas. Scar tissue develops from this long-term inflammation.

Foodborne illness

Foodborne illness is an infection or irritation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by food or beverages that contain harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, or chemicals. Common foodborne illness symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and chills.

Most foodborne illnesses are acute, meaning they happen suddenly and last a short time, and most people recover on their own without treatment. Occasionally, foodborne illness may lead to more serious complications.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is inflammation or infection that can affect one or more hair follicles. Your hair follicles are the small cavities that surround the roots of your hair.

Folliculitis can occur on your skin wherever hair grows, including your scalp. It’s most likely to occur on your thighs, buttocks, neck, and armpits — places where friction is common. It usually appears as small bumps. It may look like acne or a rash. It can be isolated to one hair follicle or affect many. It can be acute or chronic. Acute cases occur for a short time, while chronic cases are ongoing.

Folliculitis is relatively common. People who are obese are more likely to experience it.

Heat Stroke

Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are illnesses caused by exposure to extreme heat. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress into heatstroke, which may be life-threatening.

As temperatures rise, it is important to know how to avoid heat-related illnesses. Learn about the symptoms and treatments of heatstroke and heat exhaustion below.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body overheats in response to external factors, like high temperature. Heat exhaustion can happen to anyone. It’s common in athletes, particularly those who exercise outdoors during extreme summer weather. It can also occur if you’re in a hot car or other indoor area that isn’t air-conditioned. Babies, small children, and older adults are more susceptible.

Heat exhaustion is less severe than heatstroke, but can lead to this more dangerous condition. Keep reading to learn more about this condition and what you can do to prevent heat exhaustion.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Even low levels of dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy, and constipation.

The human body is roughly 75 percent water. Without this water, it cannot survive. Water is found inside cells, within blood vessels, and between cells.

A sophisticated water management system keeps our water levels balanced, and our thirst mechanism tells us when we need to increase fluid intake.

Although water is constantly lost throughout the day as we breathe, sweat, urinate, and defecate, we can replenish the water in our body by drinking fluids. The body can also move water around to areas where it is needed most if dehydration begins to occur.

Most occurrences of dehydration can be easily reversed by increasing fluid intake, but severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical attention.

Cholecystitis

Cholecystitis is the sudden inflammation of your gallbladder. If this condition persists over time, such as for months, with repeated attacks, or if there are recurrent problems with gallbladder function, it’s known as chronic cholecystitis.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located on the underside of your liver. It stores bile made by the liver and sends it to the small intestine via the common bile duct (CBD) to aid in the digestion of fats. The CBD connects the liver, the gallbladder, and the pancreas to the small intestine. Gallstones blocking the CBD are the leading cause of cholecystitis. This blockage causes bile to build up in the gallbladder, and that buildup causes the gallbladder to become inflamed.

If this happens acutely in the face of chronic inflammation, it is a serious condition. The gallbladder could rupture if it’s not treated properly, and this is considered a medical emergency. Treatment usually involves antibiotics, pain medications, and removal of the gallbladder.

Bell's palsy

Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. It can occur when the nerve that controls your facial muscles becomes inflamed, swollen, or compressed.

The condition causes one side of your face to droop or become stiff. You may have difficulty smiling or closing your eye on the affected side. In most cases, Bell’s palsy is temporary and symptoms usually go away after a few weeks.

Although Bell’s palsy can occur at any age, the condition is more common among people between ages 16 and 60. Bell’s palsy is named after the Scottish anatomist Charles Bell, who was the first to describe the condition.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcoholism has been known by a variety of terms, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Today, it’s referred to as alcohol use disorder.

It occurs when you drink so much that your body eventually becomes dependent on or addicted to alcohol. When this happens, alcohol becomes the most important thing in your life.

People with alcohol use disorder will continue to drink even when drinking causes negative consequences, like losing a job or destroying relationships with people they love. They may know that their alcohol use negatively affects their lives, but it’s often not enough to make them stop drinking.

Some people may drink alcohol to the point that it causes problems, but they’re not physically dependent on alcohol. This used to be referred to as alcohol abuse.

Addison's disease

Addison's disease, or adrenal insufficiency, occurs when the outer layer of the adrenal glands are damaged.

Most commonly, it is caused by the immune system attacking the glands as if they were harmful bacteria or viruses. However, it can be caused in other ways.

The adrenal glands, which form part of the endocrine system, are situated just above each kidney. They produce hormones that affect every organ and tissue in our bodies. The adrenal glands consist of 2 layers, the medulla (interior) and cortex (outer layer). The medulla produces adrenaline-like hormones, while the cortex secretes corticosteroids.

Acne

Acne is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that causes spots and pimples, especially on the face, shoulders, back, neck, chest, and upper arms.

Whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, cysts, and nodules are all types of acne.

It commonly occurs during puberty, when the sebaceous glands activate, but it can occur at any age. It is not dangerous, but it can leave skin scars.

The glands produce oil and are stimulated by male hormones produced by the adrenal glands in both males and females.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

An aneurysm is an area of a localized widening (dilation) of a blood vessel. The word "aneurysm" is borrowed from the Greek "aneurysma" meaning "a widening." An aortic aneurysm involves the aorta, the major artery that leaves the heart to supply blood to the body. An aortic aneurysm is a dilation or bulging of the aorta.

Aortic aneurysms can develop anywhere along the length of the aorta but the majority are located in the abdominal aorta. Most of these abdominal aneurysms are located below the level of the renal arteries, the vessels that provide blood to the kidneys. Abdominal aortic aneurysms can extend into the iliac arteries.

The inside walls of aneurysms are often lined with a blood clot that forms because there is stagnant blood. The wall of an aneurysm is layered, like a piece of plywood.

Meningitis

Meningitis is a rare infection that affects the delicate membranes called meninges. that cover the brain and spinal cord. You or your children can catch it. There are several types of this disease, including bacterial, viral, and fungal.

Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening and spreads between people in close contact with each other. Viral meningitis tends to be less severe, and most people recover completely without treatment.

Fungal meningitis is a rare form of the disease. It usually only happens in people who have a weakened immune system -- the body's defense against germs.Meningitis is almost always caused by a bacterial or viral infection that begins somewhere else in the body besides the brain, like your ears, sinuses, or throat.

Congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle fails to supply adequate forward blood flow to vital organs. Systolic heart failure results when the heart muscle is weakened by processes such as heart attacks, alcohol abuse, infections, or rare disorders affecting the muscle itself. 

Diastolic heart failure results when the heart muscle fails to relax properly. Like a spring that stores energy as it is stretched, the heart muscle does the same. When it loses this elasticity, or “spring-like” quality, diastolic heart failure results. Despite its misleading name, "heart failure" does not mean that your heart suddenly stops working. 

Instead, heart failure develops slowly as your heart muscle gradually weakens. The term "failure" refers to your heart's inability to pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.

Migraine

Migraine is a common clinical problem characterized by episodic attacks of head pain and associated symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light, sound, or head movement. 

It is generally thought of as a headache problem, but it has become apparent in recent years that many patients suffer symptoms from migraine who do not have severe headaches as a dominant symptom. 

These patients may have a primary complaint of dizziness, of ear pain, of ear or head fullness, “sinus” pressure, and even fluctuating hearing loss. Fortunately, treatment regimens long established for the treatment of “classic” migraine headaches are generally effective against these “atypical” symptoms of migraine.

Hypertension

High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels. Your blood pressure measurement takes into account how much blood is passing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping.

Narrow arteries increase resistance. The narrower your arteries are, the higher your blood pressure will be. Over the long term, increased pressure can cause health issues, including heart disease.

Hypertension is quite common. In fact, since the guidelines have recently changed, it’s expected that nearly half of American adults will now be diagnosed with this condition.

Hypertension typically develops over the course of several years. Usually, you don’t notice any symptoms. But even without symptoms, high blood pressure can cause damage to your blood vessels and organs, especially the brain, heart, eyes, and kidneys.

Early detection is important. Regular blood pressure readings can help you and your doctor notice any changes. If your blood pressure is elevated, your doctor may have you check your blood pressure over a few weeks to see if the number stays elevated or falls back to normal levels.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by impaired ability of the body to produce or respond to insulin and thereby maintain proper levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood.

Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, though these outcomes are not due to the immediate effects of the disorder. They are instead related to the diseases that develop as a result of chronic diabetes mellitus.

These include diseases of large blood vessels (macrovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease) and small blood vessels (microvascular disease, including retinal and renal vascular disease), as well as diseases of the nerves.

Diabetes insipidus

Diabetes insipidus: Excessive urination and extreme thirst as a result of inadequate output of the pituitary hormone ADH (antidiuretic hormone, also called vasopressin) or the lack of the normal response by the kidney to ADH.

DI is different from diabetes mellitus (DM), which involves insulin problems and high blood sugar. The symptoms can be similar. However, DI is related to how your kidneys handle fluids. It's much less common than DM. Urine and blood tests can show which one you have.

Usually, DI is caused by a problem with your pituitary gland or your kidneys. Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. Medicines can often help.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a group of progressive lung diseases. The most common are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Many people with COPD have both of these conditions. Emphysema slowly destroys air sacs in your lungs, which interferes with outward air flow. Bronchitis causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which allows mucus to build up.

COPD makes it harder to breathe. Symptoms may be mild at first, beginning with coughing and shortness of breath. As it progresses, it can become increasingly difficult to breathe. You may experience wheezing and tightness in the chest. Some people with COPD have exacerbations, or flare-ups of severe symptoms.

The top cause of COPD is smoking. Long-term exposure to chemical irritants can also lead to COPD. It’s a disease that takes a long time to develop. Diagnosis usually involves imaging tests, blood tests, and lung function tests.

There’s no cure for COPD, but treatment can help ease symptoms, lower the chance of complications, and generally improve quality of life. Medications, oxygen therapy, and surgery are some forms of treatment. Untreated, COPD can lead to heart problems and worsening respiratory infections.