Health Topics beginning with "P"

• Paget's Disease - A gradual, progressive bone disease characterized by bones breaking down and regenerating excessively.
• Panic Disorder - a severe, spontaneous form of anxiety that is recurrent and unpredictable.
• Parkinson's disease - a disease of the central nervous system in older adults characterized by gradual, progressive muscle rigidity, tremors and clumsiness.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease - infection of the female internal reproductive organs.
• Pericarditis, Acute - Inflammation of the pericardium (thin membrane around the heart).
• Periodontitis - inflammation and infection of the gums, causing loss of supporting bone.
• Peripheral neuropathy - A group of symptoms caused by abnormalities in sensory or motor nerves.
• Peripheral vascular disease - refers to any disorder affecting blood flow through the veins and arteries.
• Perirectal abscess - is a condition in which either the anal area or surrounding area has been infected with a microbial agent.
• Peritonsillar Abscess - is a collection of pus between a tonsil and the tissue at the back of the throat. It usually occurs as a complication of tonsillitis.
• Personality Disorder, Antisocial - demonstrates antisocial or criminal acts but is not synonymous with criminality.
• Personality Disorder, Avoidant - is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
• Personality disorder, paranoid - is characterized as a longstanding suspiciousness and mistrust of people in general.
• Petit mal seizure - refer to a type of seizure characterized by decreased responsiveness and a sudden cessation of ongoing conscious activities.
• Pharyngitis - inflammation and infection of the pharynx that can be caused by a variety of germs.
• Pheochromocytoma - A tumor, usually found in the core of the adrenal glands.
• Phobias - a type of anxiety involving a persistent, irrational or exaggerated fear of a particular object, situation, activity, setting or even a bodily function (none of which is basically dangerous or an appropriate source of anxiety).
• Pleurisy - inflammation and irritation of the pleura, a thin, two-layered membrane that lines the lung and chest cavity.
• Pneumonia, bacterial - infection and inflammation of the lungs with bacterial germs.
• Polyarteritis nodosa - a disorder of connective tissue that is one of several related diseases of collagen tissue.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome - Ovary enlargement from many small cysts.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - a type of anxiety seen in people who have experienced an event that would be extremely distressing to most human beings.
• Preeclampsia and Eclampsia - a serious disturbance in blood pressure, kidney function and the central nervous system that may occur from the 20th week of pregnancy until 7 days after delivery. Eclampsia is an extension of the preeclampsia process.
• Premature Labor - labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy.
• Premenstrual syndrome - about half of all women experience PMS at some time, some very frequently.
• Prostate cancer - growth of malignant cells in the prostate gland, the gland at the base of the urinary bladder in men that helps form semen.
• Prostate, enlarged - It occurs more often in men over age 50.
• Prostatitis - inflammation or infection of the prostate.
• Pruritus Ani - Itching or burning around the anus and genitals.
• Psoriasis - a chronic, scaly skin disorder characterized by frequent remissions and recurrences.
• Psoriatic arthritis - joint inflammation that accompanies psoriatic lesions in nearby nails and skin.
• Psychotic disorder - describes a severely impaired understanding of reality.
• Pulmonary Edema - refers to an accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
• Pulmonary Embolism - a blood clot or fat cells (rarely) in one of the arteries carrying blood to the lungs.
• Pyuria - refers to urine which contains pus.
• Pancreatic cancer - Cancer that begins in the cells and tissues of the pancreas. It is the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States.
• Pancreatitis - Inflammation or irritation of the pancreas, often due to gallstones or alcohol abuse.
• Paronychia - Often tender infection of inflammation around the base of the nail fold that either starts suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic).
• Peritonitis - Inflammation or irritation of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity.
• Pica - The urge to consume non-food objects, such as soil, hair, string or chalk, or large amounts of food objects generally regarded as ingredients rather than actual foods, such as flour or starch.
• Pilonidal Disease - A skin disease affecting the area at the base of the spine and top of the cleft of the buttocks.
• Pinworm Infection - A parasitic infection by a small, white intestinal worm called Enterobius vermicularis that lives in the human rectum.
• Pituitary tumor - Abnormal growths found in the pituitary gland. Most are noncancerous, but may cause the gland to produce too many hormones.
• Pityriasis rosea - Common skin disorder with a characteristic rash that tends to affect young people. It is believed to be caused by a virus and most often appears in the spring and fall.
• Placenta previa - A potentially serious condition in which the placenta lies very low in the uterus, partially or completely obstructing the opening to the cervix.
• Pneumocystis - A fungal infection that causes inflammation of the lung (pneumonia).
• Pneumonia, mycoplasma - A type of bacteria that causes pneumonia. It is transmitted through exposure to respiratory secretions of an infected person and typically has an incubation period of one to four weeks.
• Pneumonia, viral - Inflammation of the lungs with congestion that may be caused by infection (e.g., bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites) or irritants (e.g., allergens, pollutants, chemicals).
• Pneumothorax - Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity (between the lungs and the chest cavity).
• Polycythemia Vera - A disorder in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
• Polymyalgia rheumatica - A rheumatic disease that involves tendons, muscles, ligaments and tissues around the joints, often in people over 50.
• Polymyositis - A type of inflammatory myopathy that causes muscle weakness and generally begins in second decade of life.
• Porphyrias - A rare group of inherited blood disorders that affects the part of blood that carries iron.
• Postpartum depression - Depression, anxiety or anger estimated to affect 13 percent of women around the time of or after childbirth.
• Premature ejaculation - Conditions in which sexual climax is either absent or delayed despite sufficiently long and intense sexual stimulation.
• Prickly heat - A skin irritation caused by profuse sweating in a hot or humid climate. It is most common in young children, but can occur at any age.
• Proctitis - Inflammation and irritation of the rectum.
• Pseudogout - Calcification of articular cartilage. May be associated with attacks of joint inflammation that may mimic gout.
• Pseudomembranous Colitis - A severe bacterial infection of the colon that may occur after taking oral antibiotics, which kill the intestinal flora that keep the bacteria in check.
• Psittacosis - Illness caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. Infection occurs from inhaling dried secretions from infected birds.
• Purpura - Purplish discoloration in the skin caused when small vessels bleed near the surface of the skin.
• Pyloric stenosis - A narrowing of the pyloric sphincter (the muscle between the stomach and the small intestine), preventing food to pass normally from the stomach to the small intestine.

Drugs starting with P

• Paroxetine - is used for the treatment of depressive illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.
• Prednisone - used for the treatment of inflammatory and allergic disorders, including rheumatoid conditions.