Tag Archives: Health Conditions

What Is Rickets? Rickets is a disorder of cartilage cell growth and enlargement of epiphyseal growth plates in young children that is characterized by inadequate mineralization of developing cartilage and newly formed bone. The epiphyseal growth plate is located at the ends ...

What Is Turner Syndrome? Turner syndrome is a sex chromosome abnormality in females characterized by failure of the ovaries to respond to pituitary hormone stimulation as a consequence of having complete or partial absence of the two sex (X) chromosomes. ...

What Is Short Duration Of Breast Feeding? Short duration of breast feeding, or lactation, is characterized by inadequate milk production by a mother who has just given birth. Normally, lactation begins with the production and release of colostrum from the ...

What Is Arachidonic Acid? Arachidonic acid is a major essential (must have/can’t make) omega-6 fatty acid. Structurally, arachidonic acid is a key component of nerve membranes, together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major opposing omega-3 fatty acid, making up 15-20% ...

What Is Seborrhea Dermatitis? Seborrhea dermatitis is a recurring inflammatory disorder of sebaceous glands characterized by scaly patches of skin, often with bumps. Seborrhea dermatitis results from the body’s inflammatory reaction to invasion by pityrosporum yeast that naturally inhabits the ...

What Is Scleroderma? Scleroderma is a chronic skin manifestation of progressive systemic sclerosis characterized by generalized thickened, edematous skin firmly bound to subcutaneous tissue which causes limited movement. Systemic sclerosis a connective tissue disease that involves destructive changes in the ...

What Is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a thought disorder characterized by psychotic symptoms and inappropriate and bizarre behavior. Schizophrenia involves dysfunction in any of these areas: Cognition which are thinking skills that include intellect, language, mathematical ability, memory, perception, reasoning, judgment, ...

What Is Food Allergy? Food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food proteins that may damage the small intestinal  lining and produce malabsorption of food. The reaction is usually delayed which makes it difficult to identify the offending food that ...

What Is Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy? Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a progressive demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (brain) caused by JC virus that leads to rapid death. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy usually occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with ...

What Is Prurigo Nodularis (Hyde’s Prurigo)? Prurigo nodularis is a chronic dermatitis characterized by hard, dry, deep seated, intensely itchy papules (small bumps like pimples) and/or nodules (large bumps) that erupt most commonly on the arms, legs, and back. Papules ...

What Is Prolonged Prothrombin Time? Prolonged prothrombin time (PT) is a laboratory blood test result showing that blood clots too slowly which makes the patient subject to abnormal bleeding. Q: What does the prothrombin time (PT) test measure? A: The ...

What Is Progressive Myoclonic Ataxia? Progressive myoclonic ataxia is a movement disorder characterized by defective muscular coordination of a muscle group with its origin in the brain. The pathology is in the cerebellum.1 Myoclonus in a context of progressive ataxia ...

What Are Anti-Endomysium Antibodies? Anti-endomysium antibodies (EmA) are connective tissue autoantibodies produced in persons who have inherited the genes for celiac disease, an autoimmune disease, and are reacting to gluten in their diet. Autoantibodies are abnormal in that they attack ...

What Are Anti-Gliadin Antibodies? Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) are produced by the body as an immune response against partially digested gliadin peptides (fragments) that have abnormally entered the body from the intestinal tract. Gliadin is a protein in wheat grain. Anti-gliadin antibodies circulating ...

What Is Elevated Bone Alkaline Phosphatase? Elevated bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) is a laboratory result that indicates an abnormal blood level of this bone enzyme. A bone alkaline phosphatase blood level is one of the most frequently used biochemical markers of ...