A stress fracture is a small crack in one of your bones. It’s a type of bone fracture (the medical term for broken bones). Stress fractures are exactly what their name sounds like — fractures that happen when something puts too much stress on your bone. Healthcare providers sometimes call stress fractures overuse injuries because repetitively using the same part of your …
Burns are a type of injury that happens when something — usually something hot — damages tissues of your body. They’re more severe when they’re deeper and cover a larger part of your body’s surface area. Burns are extremely common and usually unintentional. Worldwide, about 10 million people experience burns, and about 180,000 die from them each year. In the …
To diagnose bipolar disorder, your healthcare provider may use many tools, including: A physical exam. A thorough medical history, which will include asking about your symptoms, lifetime history, experiences and family history. Medical tests, such as blood tests, to rule out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms, such as hyperthyroidism. A mental health evaluation. Your healthcare provider may perform …
Auditory processing disorder, also known as APD, is a condition in which the brain has difficulty processing sounds, even though the ears may be working normally. Unlike other forms of hearing loss that result from damage to the ear, APD involves problems in the part of the brain responsible for interpreting sound. Auditory processing disorder is sometimes called central auditory …
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals perceive, communicate, and interact with others. It is characterized by difficulties in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. The term “spectrum” reflects the wide range of symptoms and their varying severity. Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions previously considered separate, such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, …
Autoimmune hepatitis is a liver disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the liver, causing inflammation, irritation, and damage. The exact cause is unclear, but a combination of genetic and environmental factors appears to trigger the disease over time. If left untreated, autoimmune hepatitis can lead to liver scarring, known as cirrhosis, and may eventually result in liver failure. …
Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is inflammation of the pancreas caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the organ. Two subtypes of AIP are recognized: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 AIP, also called IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), can affect multiple organs, including the pancreas, bile ducts, salivary glands, kidneys, and lymph nodes. Type 2 AIP typically affects only the pancreas, although …
Autonomic neuropathy occurs when the nerves that control automatic body functions are damaged. This can affect blood pressure, temperature regulation, digestion, bladder function, and sexual function. Nerve damage disrupts communication between the brain and organs within the autonomic nervous system, including the heart, blood vessels, and sweat glands. Diabetes is the most common cause, but other health conditions, infections, or …
Avascular necrosis is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. Also called osteonecrosis, it can cause tiny breaks in the bone and eventually lead to bone collapse. The process can take months or even years. Blood flow to a bone can be interrupted by a broken bone or dislocated joint. Long-term use of high-dose steroid …
Bird flu (avian influenza) is an infection from a type of influenza (flu) virus that usually spreads in birds and other animals. Sometimes, humans can get bird flu from infected animals. Like the versions of flu that people usually get, bird flu can make you severely ill. It’s extremely rare for it to spread from person to person. You might hear about bird flu when there’s …