Description Ankylosing spondylitis or AS, is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, although other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. The disease leads to calcification of the spine’s ligaments and discs and …
Read More »Hyperkeratosis- Types, Causes, and Treatment
Definition Hyperkeratosis is when the outer layer of the skin is thickened. The outer layer of the skin will contain keratin, which is a protective protein. It is a form of keratosis, which is a skin disorder caused by overproduction of keratin. It occurs most often on skin that has …
Read More »Galactosemia- Definition, Causes, and Prevention
Definition Galactosemia is a rare, hereditary disorder of carbohydrate metabolism that affects the body’s ability to convert galactose (a sugar contained in milk, including human mother’s milk) to glucose (a different type of sugar). The disorder is caused by a deficiency of an enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) which is …
Read More »Chalazion- Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Definition A chalazion is a swollen bump on the eyelid. It happens when the eyelid’s oil gland clogs up. It may start as an internal hordeolum (stye). At first, you might not know you have a chalazion as there is little or no pain. But as it grows, your eyelid …
Read More »Niemann-Pick disease (NPD)- Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Treatment
Definition Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) is a group of inherited metabolic disorders in which harmful quantities of a fatty substance (lipids) accumulate in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow, and brain. There is a deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme called acid sphingomyelinase or disturbance in cholesterol breakdown or transportation. This enzyme …
Read More »Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) – Definition, Causes, and Prevention.
Description Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis in children under the age of 16. This condition is an autoimmune disorder, which means that the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body’s organs and tissues, in this case, the joints. Previously …
Read More »Patau’s syndrome or Trisomy 13- Definition, Causes and Treatment
Definition Trisomy 13, also called Patau syndrome, is a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities in many parts of the body. Individuals with trisomy 13 often have heart defects, brain or spinal cord abnormalities, very small or poorly developed eyes (microphthalmia), extra fingers or toes, an …
Read More »Pneumoconiosis – Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.
Description Pneumoconiosis is a general term given to any lung disease caused by dust that is breathed in and then deposited deep in the lungs causing damage. Pneumoconiosis is usually considered an occupational lung disease because exposure to the dust that can cause pneumoconiosis often are found in the workplace. …
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