Difficulty swallowing (Dysphagia)

Dysphagia is the inability or difficulty in swallowing food or liquid.  Normally, muscles in the throat (pharynx) and esophagus (food pipe) contract rhythmically to move food and liquids from mouth to stomach. Dysphagia occurs when there is a narrowing or lack of coordination of movem

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix. Appendix is a small, finger-shaped tubular structure attached to the large intestine located at the right side of lower abdomen. There is no known function of appendix in human body. When infected with bacteria or due to the blockage, the appendix gradually swells and g

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer (Bronchogenic carcinoma) is the most common type of cancer worldwide and  a leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. Lung cancer occurs when the normal cells of lungs abnormally change their characteristics and grow uncontrollably. Lung cancers may be

Shortness of breath (Dyspnea)

Shortness of breath or dyspnea is an abnormal awareness of own breathing. It is described differently by different people. Some describe it as not getting enough air or feeling suffocated while others describe it as a sensation of chest tightness or inability to breath out completely. Dy

Neck Swelling

Any abnormal enlargement of structures between chin and clavicle bones can cause a neck swelling. Neck swelling usually occurs as a result of disease of lymph nodes in the neck or thyroid gland.  Sometimes salivary glands and diseases of muscle and skin around neck may produce a swelling.  A neck swelling from enlarg

Chest Pain or Tightness

Chest pain is the pain that may be felt anywhere from the level of shoulder to the bottom of ribs. Chest pain or tightness is sometimes a serious symptom, resulting from heart attack. But having chest pain does not necessarily mean you are having a heart attack. Most people who go to the emergency room with chest pain

Fever

Definition A fever or pyrexia is a rise in body temperature above normal and often indicates an illness. Average normal body temperature is 98.6oF  but it can range between 97  and 99.5

Cough

Cough is our body’s protective response to the presence of irritants in the airway. It is a reflex action caused by the stimulation of the nerve endings in the respiratory tract by  stimuli such as allergen, microbes, foreign body or excessive mucous. After the stimuli reaches the bra

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by a variety of germs. These germs reach the air sacs (lowest part of airways) after inhalation, overcoming body's normal defense mechanism like nasal hairs, mucus and cough which are weakened by smoking or dust inhalation. Once in the lungs,

Tuberculosis

  Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can affect any organ in the body but lungs (Pulmonary TB) are the most common site of infection. Other common sites of infection are bones, lymph nodes, kidneys, uterus, brain (meninges), skin, etc. Tuberculosis i

Acute Kidney Failure

Kidney failure means the kidneys become unable to filter the blood and remove waste and excess salt and water from body. Kidney failure can occur acutely over hours and days or develop gradually over a period. When kidney stops working abruptly, it is called acute kidney failure (injury) . When kidney function

Ascariasis

Ascariasis is infestation of humans intestine by roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides). The roundworm may reside in the guts for 6 to 24 months. The eggs are passed into the stool and under warm, shady, moist conditions they can survive for up to 10 years.  The infection is transmitted by in

Weight Loss

Weight loss that is meaningful clinically (in relation to your disease) is the loss of more than 5% of usual body weight over a six-month period. This arbitrary cut-off needs to be considered carefully as this does not tell about whether the given weight loss is due to loss of body fat (

Fatigue / Tiredness

  Tiredness means you feel exhausted both during activity as well as rest,, even while sleeping as well. It is not a disease but could be a symptom of various physical and psychological ailments. It can alternatively be called as fatigue; exhaustion; lethargy or weariness. We all

Sore Throat

Sore throat (Pharyngitis & Tonsillitis) refers to pain, irritation or itchiness of the throat resulting from inflammation of the lining of  throat and tonsils. It is common infection in children, but can affect people of any age. Symptoms include dryness of throat, swollen glands in

Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins are a group of substances that are needed, in very small amounts, for your body to grow and develop normally.  There are two broad categories of Vitamins based upon how they are absorbed:

• Fat-soluble vitamins

Red Eye

  When the white part of eyes appears red, it is called a red eye.  It is caused by  dilatation of local blood vessels  due to  inflammation usually from either infection or irritation. Red eye can be a manifestation of local eye pathology or a sign of systemic disease. Red e

Coughing up Blood

Coughing up blood can be alarming, even in small amounts. But not all hemoptysis is serious or life-threatening. The blood may be mixed with the sputum or it could be frank blood which  could be bright red, dark brown or pink and frothy. When you cough up blood, most of the time it is c

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of immune system that can affect many organs in the body. Normally, the immune system produces proteins directed against infectious agents and protects us from infection. In SLE, however, your body produces antibodies that attack body’s o

Malaria

Malaria is a febrile, mosquito-borne disease caused by parasitic protozoa, Plasmodium. Four different species of Plasmodium cause malaria. The parasite is transmitted by bite of female Anopheles mosquito. It occurs mostly in high temperature areas - tropical regions and the Terai belt of Nepal. Infected female Anoph

HIV/AIDS

Introduction HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Infection by HIV weakens your immune system. When the immune system becomes too weak to fight, organisms that would otherwise not cause an infection in a normal person, that person is

Heart Failure

Heart failure means your heart is not able to pump out sufficient amount of blood into the rest of the body. It does not mean that your heart has stopped to beat which is called “cardiac arrest” (see Heart Attack for more informat

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is defined as increased frequency of defection (more than 3 per day) with excessive or abnormally loose consistency. Stool weights more than 200g/day are sometimes used to define diarrhoea but in the absence of abnormal consistency, weight alone is not an ideal indicator as bowel weight is influenced by high f

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus (commonly called diabetes) is a chronic disease where your blood sugar levels are persistently high. There is an important hormone called insulin in our body that keeps the blood glucose level within normal range. Insulin is produced by pancreas which is a gland located behind the stomach between the

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is a chronic condition of the lungs that causes difficulty in breathing. It is caused by long standing  exposure to irritant gas or particles most commonly by cigarette smoking. In developing countries indoor smoke exposure from firewood burning also is an important risk factor.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects your airways (windpipe). The windpipe is inflamed,  narrowed and swollen that  causes  difficulty in breathing now and then.  A person with asthma  has no difficulty in breathing most of the time except during an asthma attack. As

Anemia

Anemia Anemia is  a condition where your hemoglobin level is low.  Hemoglobin is the substance found in the red blood cell that carries oxygen in  the blood.  When you are anemic the oxygen carrying capacity of you blood in reduced and it  may not be enough to meet the dem

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Liver is one of vital organs and largest internal solid organ. Liver has large blood supply and functions as a chemical factory removing many unwanted substances from the body. This exposes  liver to many insults including infections, drugs or

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The infection affects the respiratory passage leading to sore throat and breathing difficulties. The disease produces a

Depression

Depression is a condition where people persistently feel down or sad. Depression impacts on how people feel, think, and behave; as a result it affects your normal day-to-day activities. Hence if severe enough, it can be very distressing. Depression can be major or minor. Usually you are diagnosed with depression if you

Cancer

Cancer is a disease of abnormal cell proliferation. In a healthy organs, cells divide and grow in a regulated and controlled fashion. When these cell start to divide and grow unpredictably and uncontrollably, it develops into a lump know as tumor. These groups of abnormal cell can infiltrate causing destruction of surr

Amoebiasis/Giardiasis

Amoebiasis is an infection of gastrointestinal tract caused by an intestinal parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. It causes dysentery, liver abscess and rarely affects lungs, heart and brain. It occurs everywhere in the world but especially in the areas where there is poor sanitation and poor socioeconomic status. Th