Health Topics beginning with "A"

• Abortion - is the ending of a pregnancy before the fetus is able to live outside a woman's body (viability).
• Abruptio Placentae - Partial separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus in the last 3 months of pregnancy.
• Acne rosacea - Chronic inflammation of skin of the face (usually cheeks and nose).
• Acne Vulgaris - is a common skin condition that can affect people of all ages, although teenagers develop acne most often.
• Acromegaly - is a disease of adults, in which excessive secretions from the pituitary gland produces excessive growth hormone.
• Actinomycosis - is an infection caused by the bacterium Actinomyces.
• Addison's disease - Gradual, progressive destruction of the adrenal glands, which are located over the kidneys.
• Adjustment disorders - Excessive emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressful situation in one's life.
• Agoraphobia - is a fear of being out in public.
• Albuminuria - is the presence of albumin in the urine.
• Alcoholism - a psychological and physiological dependence on alcohol, resulting in chronic disease and disruption of interpersonal, family and work relationships.
• Allergy, Food - is an overreaction of the immune system to certain foods or substances that are otherwise harmless.
• Alopecia areata - is a condition where hair is lost in patches.
• Alzheimer's disease - a brain disorder characterized by gradual mental deterioration.
• Amebiasis - a parasitic infection of the large intestine and sometimes the liver.
• Amenorrhea, primary - complete absence of menstruation in a young woman who is at least 16 years old, or at age 14 with a lack of normal growth or absence of secondary sexual development.
• Amenorrhea, secondary - cessation of menstruation for at least 3 months in a woman who has previously menstruated.
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - a progressive breakdown of the cells of the spinal cord, resulting in gradual loss of muscle function.
• Anal fissure - a laceration, tear, or crack in the lining of the anus. It affects all age groups, including infants.
• Anal fistula - a very small tube or tract that leads from the anal canal to the skin near the anal opening.
• Anaphylaxis - a life-threatening allergic response to medications and many other allergy-causing substances.
• Anemia during pregnancy - an inadequate level of hemoglobin during pregnancy. Hemoglobin is the protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissues.
• Anemia, folic acid deficiency - anemia caused by a deficiency of folic acid.
• Anemia, hemolytic - anemia due to the premature destruction of mature red blood cells.
• Anemia, iron deficiency - a decreased number of circulating blood cells or insufficient hemoglobin in the cells.
• Anemia, pernicious - caused by inadequate absorption of vitamin B-12 (cobalamin).
• Aneurysm - Enlargement or bulge in an artery caused by a weak artery wall.
• Angina Pectoris - chest pain arising from the heart, usually under the sternum (breastbone), due to a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle.
• Animal Bites - bite wounds to humans from dogs, cats, or other animals, including humans.
• Ankylosing spondylitis - is a chronic inflammation of the spine, which is seen where vertebrae join each other.
• Anorectal abscess - an abscess that develops in the area around the anus and rectum.
• Anorexia nervosa - a psychological disorder in which a person refuses to eat adequately in spite of hunger and loses enough weight to become emaciated.
• Antenatal care and pregnancy - is the name of the particular form of medical supervision given to a pregnant woman and her baby starting from the time of conception up to the delivery of the baby.
• Anxiety Disorders - a vague, uncomfortable feeling of fear, dread or danger from an unknown source.
• Aplastic anemia - is a serious disorder in which an inadequate number of red blood cells
• Appendicitis - inflammation of the vermiform appendix, a small intestinal pouch that extends from the cecum, the first part of the large intestine.
• Arthritis, infectious - inflammation in a joint resulting from infection.
• Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid - an inflammatory disease of connective tissue, mostly joints, that affects children. May be confused with the arthritis of Lyme disease.
• Arthritis, rheumatoid - a long-term illness characterized by joint disease that involves muscles, membrane linings of the joints and cartilage.
• Arthroscopy - is the examination of a joint using a special instrument called an arthroscope.
• Asbestosis - inflammation of the lung due to breathing asbestos particles.
• Ascites - is an abnormal accumulation of fluid within the abdominal cavity.
• Asthma - a chronic disorder with recurrent attacks of wheezing and shortness of breath.
• Atelectasis - collapse of part or all of one lung, preventing normal oxygen absorption.
• Atherosclerosis - an extremely common form of hardening of the arteries in which plaque deposits form in the walls of the blood vessels that carry oxygen and other nutrients from the heart to other body parts.
• Athlete's foot - a common, contagious fungus infection of the skin on the feet, especially the soles and skin between toes.
• Atrial fibrillation - a completely irregular heartbeat rhythm. Fibrillation means a quivering of heart-muscle fibers.
• Attention Deficit Disorder - a pattern of behavior in children characterized by short attention spans and impulsivity, with or without hyperactivity.
• Avian flu - is a type of influenza A virus which generally only affects birds and sometimes pigs.

Drugs listed by generic starting with A

• Acyclovir - is an antiviral agent that is highly active against Herpes Simplex (HSV) type 1 and 2 viruses.
• Amoxicillin - is used for the treatment of middle-ear and sinus infections, chest infections (including exacerbations of chronic bronchitis), Salmonella infections, urinary-tract infections, and gonorrhoea.
• Arimidex - is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
• Atomoxetine - is used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression.
• Atorvastatin - is a cholesterol-lowering drug.
• Avodart - is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate.
• Azithromycin - a macrolide antibiotic used for the treatment of infections of the respiratory tract, ear, skin, and soft tissues and for genital infections.
• Amitriptyline - a tricyclic antidepressant drug used for the treatment of depressive illness, especially when sedation is required, and to treat bedwetting in children.
• Ampicillin - can reduce the volume of diarrhea in patients with severe cholera.