Addison�s disease   

a disorder of the adrenal glands, leading to deficient output of cortisol and aldosterone (steroid hormones).

Alzheimer�s disease   

(alts'hy-merz)
a degenerative disorder of the brain characterised by memory loss.

anaemia   

(an-eem'ee-yah)
a condition in which the concentration of the oxygen-carrying pigment in the blood, known as haemoglobin, is below normal.

aneurysm   

(an'yoo-rizm)
abnormal swelling (dilation) of an artery caused by the pressure of blood flowing through a weakened area.

angina pectoris   

(an-jy'na pek-tor'is)
pain in the chest due to insufficient oxygen being carried to the heart muscle in the blood.

appendicitis   

(ap-end-i-sy'tis)
acute inflammation of the appendix .

arthritis   

(ar-thry'tis)
inflammation of one or more joints, with pain, swelling and stiffness.

asthma   

(ass'ma)
a lung disease in which there is intermittent narrowing of the bronchi (airways) causing shortness of breath, wheezing and cough.

benign prostatic hypertrophy   

(bee-nine' pros-tat'ik hy-per'tro-fee)
enlargement of the prostate gland.

bradycardia   

(brad-i-kar'dee-er)
an abnormally slow heart rate.

bronchitis   

(bron-ky'tis)
a disorder in which the bronchi - the airways connecting the trachea to the lungs - are inflamed.

cataract   

loss of transparency of the crystalline lens of the eye due to changes in its delicate protein fibres.

cellulitis   

(sel-yoo-ly'tis)
a bacterial infection of the skin and the tissues beneath it; the affected area is hot, tender and red.

cerebral palsy   

(se'ri-brul pol'zee)
disorder of posture and movement resulting from damage to a child�s developing brain, before, during or immediately after birth.

cerebrovascular accident   

(se'ri-broh-vas'kyoo-lar)
sudden rupture or blockage of a blood vessel in the brain, causing serious bleeding and/or local obstruction to blood circulation and leading to a stroke.

cholecystitis   

(kol-i-sis-ty'tis)
inflammation of the gall bladder.

cholelithiasis   

(kol-i-lith-ee'er-sis)
formation of stones (calculus) in the gall bladder .

chondritis   

(kon-dry'tis)
inflammation of cartilage.

claudication   

(klor-di-kay'shun)
a cramp-like pain in a muscle, most often in the legs, due to inadequate blood supply. In intermittent claudication, pain is felt in the calves after walking a certain distance and is relieved by rest.

conjunctivitis   

(kon-junk-ti-vy'tis)
inflammation of the conjunctiva causing redness, discomfort and discharge from the affected eye.

Cushing�s disease   

a hormone disorder caused by an abnormally high level of corticosteroid hormones in the blood.

cystitis   

(sis-ty'tis)
inflammation of the urinary bladder caused by infection.

cystocele   

(sis'toh-seel)
herniation of the bladder into the vagina.

dental caries   

(kair'eez)
tooth decay.

dermatitis   

(dur-mur-ty'tis)
inflammation of the skin from any cause.

diabetes mellitus   

(dy-a-bee'teez mel'i-tus)
a disorder caused by insufficient or absent production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas.

disc prolapse   

(disk pro'laps)
condition where an intervertebral disc ruptures and part of its core protrudes, causing pain and occasionally pressure on either a nerve root or the spinal cord.

dislocation   

(dis-loh-kay'shun)
complete displacement of two bones within a joint so that they are no longer in contact.

dysmenorrhoea   

(dis-men-oh-ree'er)
pain or discomfort during or just before menstruation.

eczema   

(eks'ima)
inflammation of the skin, usually causing itching and sometimes scaling or blistering. Can also be referred to as dermatitis.

embolism   

(em'bol-izm)
blockage of an artery, usually by a blood clot (embolus).

emphysema   

(em-fi-see'mer)
a disease in which the walls of the air sacs in the lungs, known as alveoli, are progressively destroyed, thus reducing the area of lung available for gaseous exchange.

endometriosis   

(en-doh-mee-tree-oh'sis)
a condition in which fragments of the endometrium are located in other parts of the body, usually in the pelvic cavity.

epididymitis   

(ep-i-did-i-my'tis)
inflammation of the epididymis due to infection.

epilepsy   

(ep-i-lep'see)
a tendency to have recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical discharge to the brain.

fibroids   

(fy'broydz)
a slow-growing benign tumour of the uterus consisting of smooth muscle and connective tissue.

fracture   

(frak'chur)
a break in a bone, either open or closed.

gastroenteritis   

(gas-troh-ent-er-eye'tis)
inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small intestine from infection with organisms.

gingivitis   

(jin-ji-vy'tis)
inflammation of the gums.

glaucoma   

(glor-koh'ma)
a condition in which the pressure of the fluid in the eye is abnormally high causing the compression and obstruction of the small blood vessels that nourish the retina.

glue ear   

accumulation of fluid in the cavity of the middle ear, causing impaired hearing.

goitre   

(goy'ter)
enlargement of the thyroid gland, visible as a swelling on the neck.

haematuria   

(heem-at-yoo-ree'er)
blood in the urine.

haemorrhoids   

(hem'er-oydz)
varicose veins of the anus.

hallux valgus   

(hal'luks val'gus)
a deformity of the big toe in which the joint at the base sticks out and the top of the toe turns inwards.

hemiplegia   

(hem-ee-plee'ja)
paralysis or weakness on one side of the body caused by damage or disease affecting the motor nerve tracts in the opposite side of the brain .

hepatitis   

(hep-a-ty'tis)
inflammation of the liver.

hiatus hernia   

(hy-ay'tus her'nee-ah)
a condition in which part of the stomach protrudes upwards into the chest through the opening in the diaphragm that is normally occupied by the oesophagus.

hydrocele   

(hy'droh-seel)
a soft painless swelling in the scrotum caused by the space around a testis filling with fluid.

hypertension   

(hy-per-ten'shun)
persistently raised blood pressure.

hyperthyroidism   

(hy-per-thy'roid-izm)
overactivity of the thyroid gland causing overproduction of thyroid hormones.

hypothyroidism   

(hy-poh-thy'roid-izm)
under production of thyroid hormones by an underactive thyroid gland.

ischaemic heart disease   

(is-kee'mik)
the most common form of heart disease in which narrowing or obstruction of the coronary arteries results in a reduced blood supply.

laryngitis   

(la-rin-jy'tis)
inflammation of the voice box ( larynx).

meningitis   

(men-in-jy'tis)
inflammation of the meninges.

menorrhagia   

(men-oh-ray'jia)
excessive loss of blood during menstruation.

multiple sclerosis   

(sklur-oh'sis)
an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), specifically damaging myelin.

myocardial infarction   

(my-oh-car'dee-al in-fark'shun)
sudden death of part of part of the heart muscle due to a blockage in the blood supply to the heart. More commonly known as a �heart attack�.

nephritis   

(nef-ry'tis)
inflammation of one or both kidneys.

oophoritis   

(oh-off-or-eye'tis)
inflammation of an ovary.

osteoarthritis   

(os-tee-oh-ar-thry'tis)
a joint disease characterised by degeneration of the cartilage that lines the joint.

otitis media   

(oh-ty'tis med-ee'ah)
inflammation of the middle ear.

pancreatitis   

(pan-kree-a-ty'tis)
inflammation of the pancreas.

Parkinson�s disease   

a neurological movement disorder characterised by slowness and difficulty initiating movement, which may also be associated with movement and/or tremor.

phimosis   

(fy-moh'sis)
tightness of the foreskin.

piles   

haemorrhoids.

pleural effusion   

(ploo'ral eff-yoo'zhun)
an accumulation of fluid between the layers of the pleura.

pneumonia   

(nyoo-moh'nee-ar)
inflammation of the lungs due to infection.

pneumothorax   

(nyoo-moh-thor'aks)
presence of air in the pleural cavity.

prostatitis   

(pros-ta-ty'tis)inflammation of the prostate gland.

psoriasis   

(sor-eye'a-sis)
skin disease characterised by thickened patches of red, inflamed skin, often covered by silvery scales.

pulmonary embolism   

(pul'mon-er-i em'bol-izm)
obstruction of the pulmonary artery or one of the branches in the lung, by an embolus (blood clot).

rectocele   

(rek'toh-seel)
herniation of the rectum into the vagina.

retention of urine   

(ree-ten'shun of yoo-rin)
inability to urinate or to empty a full bladder.

sinusitis   

(sy-nyoo-sy'tis)
inflammation of the membrane lining the facial sinuses caused by infection, usually spread from the nose.

sprain   

(sprayn)tearing or stretching of the ligaments that hold together the bone ends in a joint, caused by a sudden pull.

tachycardia   

(taki-kard'ee-ah)
an adult heart rate of over 100 beats per minute.

tonsillitis   

(ton-sil-eye'tis)
inflammation of the tonsils.

ulcer   

(ul'ser)
an open sore appearing on the skin or on a mucous membrane that results from the destruction of surface tissue.

ulcerative colitis   

(ul'ser-a-tiv col-eye'tis)
chronic inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the colon and rectum.

urinary calculus   

(yoo'rin-er-ee kal'kyoo-lus)
stones in the urinary tract.

uterine prolapse   

(yoo'ter-in pro'laps)
displacement of part or all of the uterus from its normal position.

varicocele   

(va'ri-koh-seel)
varicose veins surrounding a testis.

varicose veins   

(va'ri-kose)
enlarged and twisted veins just beneath the skin. Varicose veins occur most often in the legs but can also occur in the anus (haemorrhoids), oesophagus (oesophageal varices) and scrotum (varicocele).