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

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

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

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

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

Gasteroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gasteroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also known as acid reflux.  GERD occurs is when stomach contents leak  backwards (called “reflux”) into esophagus and cause symptoms or complications.  Reflux is a normal process in infant, child or adult, but when it causes troublesome s

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

Arthritis

Arthritis means inflammation of joints. It is a generic term that encompasses hundreds of conditions where joint inflammation causes symptoms of pain, swelling and stiffness of joints. Two most common causes of arthritis are Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Arthritis ca

Acid Reflux Disease

When we eat food, it travels through the mouth to the food pipe (esophagus) and then to the stomach. Once in the stomach, food cannot come back up into the esophagus under normal conditions because of the presence of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). LES is a group of fiber muscle rings at the lower end of the food