Epilepsy Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and...

Gender Features Males are significantly more likely than females to fall within each major disability group. The largest disparity is within the category of emotionally disturbed, where boys comprise some 80 percent of the population. Boys also...

Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases Acromegaly Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (GH). It most commonly affects middle-aged adults and can result in serious illness and premature...

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome The problems present in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a group of approximately 10 disorders, include changes in the physical properties of skin, joints, blood vessels, and other tissues such as...

Congenital Heart Diseases Congenital heart diseases are abnormalities of the heart's structure and function caused by abnormal or disordered heart development before birth. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a broad term that can describe a...

Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects 2 to 2.6 percent of the United States population, or between 5.8 and 7.5 million people. Although the disease occurs in all age groups, it...

Rheumatic Fever Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease which may develop after an infection with streptococcus bacteria (such as strep throat or scarlet fever) and can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. Rheumatic fever is common...

Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial organism that is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected tick. Most people bitten by an infected tick develop a characteristic skin rash around the area of the bite. The rash may feel...

Lead Poisoning Too much lead in the body can seriously injure the brain, nervous system, red blood cells, and the kidneys. Higher levels of lead in the body can cause mental retardation, fits (convulsions), falling out (unconsciousness, coma),...

Tuberculosis Many people think tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of the past. But, TB is still a leading killer of young adults worldwide. Some 2 billion people – one-third of the world's population – are infected with the TB bacterium, M....