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Medical Articles

A comprehensive A to Z collection of medical articles.

Please note that all content on this website (including, but not limited to, copy, images, commentary, advice, tips, hints, guides, observations) is provided as an informational resource only.

It is certainly not a substitute for correct and accurate diagnosis or recommendation or treatment by a medical professional. Please ensure that you obtain proper guidance from your GP or other medical professional. The information provide on this website does not create any patient-medical expert relationship, and must not be used in any way as a substitute for such.

Guide by Condition: Acne

Acne vulgaris is known as a common acne skin condition that can affect people throughout their entire life. Acne is often associated with teenagers, as it can be linked to hormonal changes that happen during puberty. However, adults...

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Guide by Condition: Allergies

Allergies are the body’s reaction to a specific 'thing'. This 'thing' could be a chemical, a protein, or a food substance. Essentially, your body can develop an allergy to pretty much anything!

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Guide by Condition: Anaemia

Anaemia is a condition in which there is insufficient haemoglobin and red blood cells in the body, meaning there isn’t enough to meet the body’s requirements to function as it should.

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Guide by Condition: Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe reaction in the body caused by a specific trigger, such as an allergy. In comparison to a normal allergic reaction that may display mild symptoms, anaphylaxis can sometimes be life-threatening if not treated...

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Guide by Condition: Angina

Angina is where you suffer pain in your chest which is caused by a lack of blood flow to your heart. It is not a heart attack, but could be a warning sign that you are at...

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Guide by Condition: Anxiety and Stress

Are you currently experiencing increased feelings of anxiety? Do you find it hard to relax and clear your thoughts? If these symptoms fit your current situation, you might be experiencing what doctors refer to as –...

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Guide by Condition: Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a condition caused by the inflammation of the appendix.

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Guide by Condition: Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects airways and lung function.

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Guide by Condition: Bowel Polyps

Bowel polyps are small growths on the inner lining of the bowel, or rectum, or lining of the colon, they can also be referred to as colon polyps.

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Guide by Condition: Breast Cancer In Women

Breast cancer is the most common cancer to occur in women. According to the NHS website, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with a form of breast cancer during their lifetime

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Guide by Condition: Bulimia Nervosa

Eating disorders are on the rise, with approximately 2 in 100 women in the UK developing bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.

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Guide by Condition: Catarrh

Catarrh is a build-up of mucus in the airways, or in a cavity of the body. It tends to affect the back of the nose, the back of the throat and the sinuses, causing discomfort.

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Guide by Condition: Cervical Cancer

The cervix is a part of the female reproductive system. It is a small ring that sits between the vagina and the womb.

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Guide by Condition: Chilblains

Small, red and itchy patches on the skin are typically known as chilblains. In most cases, chilblains clear up on their own, but sometimes, a visit to the doctor may be required. 

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Guide by Condition: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that there are up to 1 in 250 individuals suffering with the condition. 

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Guide by Condition: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Kidneys are the waste filters of your body. Their job is to filter your blood and get rid of anything you don’t need, by passing it in your urine.

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Guide by Condition: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as COPD, is a common lung condition characterized by obstruction of the air passages inside the lungs, known as the bronchi. COPD occurs due to the narrowing of the...

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Guide by Condition: Chronic Pain

When you sustain an injury, or illness, the pain will usually become less severe, as the injury heals. Chronic Pain is ongoing and tends to last longer than six months. It is a type of...

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Guide by Condition: Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease. An auto-immune disease is where your body’s immune system starts to attack itself. Coeliac disease is triggered when you eat something called gluten. Gluten is a type of protein...

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Guide by Condition: Cold Sores

Cold sores are highly contagious blisters that can appear around the mouth, or on the lips. They are considered to be very common and typically will go away by themselves after 7 to 10 days.

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Guide by Condition: Constipation

Constipation often causes discomfort and sometimes severe pain. It makes going to the toilet an uncomfortable experience. Some causes of constipation may also highlight other health issues.

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Guide by Condition: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common heart conditions affecting people around the globe. It is a medical condition that occurs when blood supply to the heart is blocked.

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Guide by Condition: Dehydration

If you’re feeling thirsty, then you might be a little dehydrated. However, dehydration goes a lot further than just needing a glass of water; it can be a serious condition that, if left untreated, can lead...

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Guide by Condition: Dementia

As an umbrella term, dementia can be thought of as a condition leading to loss of memory, language and problem-solving abilities. By far the most common type is Alzheimer’s disease – generally, this is the type people are most...

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Guide by Condition: Depression

Depression is one of the most common illnesses affecting millions of lives all around the world. People suffering from depression describe it as an intense, overwhelming feeling of sadness, guilt and worthlessness.

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Guide by Condition: Diabetes

It is estimated that more than 4 million people are living with diabetes in the UK (6% of the UK population, or 1 in 16 people). Diabetes type 2 is much more prevalent than type...

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Guide by Condition: Diarrhoea

Every person has experienced diarrhoea at least once, or even several times throughout their life. Diarrhoea is a very common symptom affecting millions of people all around the world and can be caused by different...

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Guide by Condition: Earache

Earache is a common condition that people of all ages can experience. It can range from mild to severe pain. However, it usually doesn’t signify anything too serious.

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Guide by Condition: Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a fairly common and often painful condition in women in which endometrial-like tissue is present outside of the uterus.

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Guide by Condition: Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition where people get frequent seizures. It can cause a spectrum of symptoms, depending on the type of epilepsy that you have and what may have caused it.

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Guide by Condition: Fibroids

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in the womb, or uterus area. These growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissues and can be different sizes.

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Guide by Condition: Fibromyalgia

Difficult to diagnose, the symptoms of Fibromyalgia vary from person-to-person and impacts each respective sufferer in different ways. The severity of Fibromyalgia can deviate from being something one can live with to seriously life restricting.

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Guide by Condition: Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a common illness that people get when they eat something contaminated, or toxic. In most cases, individuals will experience symptoms quickly, and these can make the sufferer feel extremely unwell for a...

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Guide by Condition: Ganglion Cyst

A ganglion cyst is a swelling that is filled with fluid. These cysts appear near joints or tendons and can vary in size. Sometimes, ganglion cysts go away by themselves and no treatment is required.

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Guide by Condition: Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids are enlarged veins that appear as lumps, which can be found in and around the rectum and anus. More commonly, they are referred to as 'piles'

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Guide by Condition: Headaches

Almost everyone will suffer from the occasional headache. However, if you are suffering with them frequently, this is known as a – headache disorder. What this essentially means is that you are suffering from headaches...

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Guide by Condition: Hearing Loss

According to the World Health Organization, hearing loss affects 460 million people worldwide. Hearing loss happens when a problem, even a tiny one, occurs in any part of the three sections that make up the...

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Guide by Condition: Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF), also known as cardiac failure, is the term used to describe the medical condition when your heart cannot pump blood effectively to other parts of your body. Simply put, heart failure occurs...

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Guide by Condition: High Blood Pressure/High Cholesterol

A growing number of people in the UK are suffering from both high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). But what exactly makes up a diagnosis of high blood pressure, or high cholesterol?

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Guide by Condition: Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s disease is a rare hereditary condition that causes the degeneration of brain cells over time. Progressively, the condition worsens and, subsequently, is usually fatal after approximately 20 years.

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Guide by Condition: Incontinence

We learn how to go to the toilet at a young age. It is drilled into us. The idea that losing control of our bowels, or bladder, in public, is a shameful thing. It is...

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Guide by Condition: Ingrown Toenail

An ingrown toenail, usually affecting the big toe, can be a painful condition for people of all ages. The most prominent sign that you have an ingrowing toenail is the pain you experience when wearing...

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Guide by Condition: Insomnia

Getting a good night’s sleep is not as simple as it seems. Once your body’s internal sleep clock gets used to a few hours of sleep, it becomes more challenging to reset that clock to...

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Guide by Condition: Itching

Itching is a common skin complaint and, in the majority of cases, is usually not a sign of anything more serious going on. Many things can irritate the skin and all ages can experience itchy...

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Guide by Condition: Laryngitis

Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx and causes pain and swelling in the throat. In most cases, the condition will usually go away within 1 to 2 weeks. Most commonly, laryngitis is caused by a...

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Guide by Condition: Liver Disorders

It has been estimated that around 90% of liver disorders are preventable. Despite this, more than 40 people die every day in the UK from liver disease.

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Guide by Condition: Lung Cancer

Cancer is where cells in a part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can destroy and invade healthy tissue, including organs.

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Guide by Condition: Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a lifelong condition that affects the spinal cord and brain. There is a wide range of symptoms that arise from this disorder, including issues with vision, balance, leg and arm...

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Guide by Condition: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea or OSA is a breathing issue that occurs when you’re sleeping. This condition is caused when the muscles in the body relax and narrow when you go to sleep.

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Guide by Condition: Oedema

Oedema is a condition that results in the retention of fluid, causing certain areas of the body to swell. The swelling can either occur in one place, or it can be more widespread across the whole...

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Guide by Condition: Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones become weak. Having weaker bones means that you are more prone to fracturing or breaking them from relatively minor bumps that you would not normally expect to get...

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Guide by Condition: Overactive Thyroid

An overactive thyroid is also known as hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. If you have an overactive thyroid or too many of the hormones, it can cause health issues that may require treatment.

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Guide by Condition: Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition. The most common and visible features of Parkinson’s disease are tremors, slow movements and 'shuffling' when walking.

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Guide by Condition: Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a medical condition characterised by damage or destruction of the peripheral nerves, i.e. the nerves that are found outside the brain and the spinal cord. These include the nerves of the...

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Guide by Condition: Pneumonia

Pneumonia is the term for what non-medical people generally call a chest infection. It is quite common for people to think that the two things are different, but this is not true.

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Guide by Condition: Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a serious condition that occurs when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrollable, random manner. Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK.

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Guide by Condition: Shingles

Shingles is really common. Around 25% of people will get shingles at least once in their lifetime. You are more likely to get a flare-up of shingles as you get older.

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Guide by Condition: Stomach Ache

There are so many organs inside your abdomen that it makes abdominal pain/stomach ache difficult to diagnose, as it can be caused by many different things.

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Guide by Condition: Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the world and the 17th most common cancer in the UK. Every year, around 6,600 new cases are registered in the UK.

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Visual Impairment

Throughout our lifetime our vision is likely to deteriorate. It is a fact that most of us in our older years will require some form of visual correction, such as glasses. There are many conditions...

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