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....
Viral Hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Several different viruses cause viral hepatitis. They are named the hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses. All of these viruses cause acute, or short-term, viral hepatitis. The hepatitis B,...
IDEA Definition of Other Health Impairments IDEA Definition: Overview page providing important information on this topic. IDEA Definition of Other Health Impairments Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality or alertness,...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder characterized most commonly by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. IBS causes a great deal of discomfort and distress, but it does not permanently harm...
Diabetes Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism--the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body....
Oral-Facial Clefts A cleft is a separation in a body structure. Clefts that occur in the oral-facial region often involve the lip, the roof of the mouth (hard palate) or the soft tissue in the back of the mouth (soft palate). Cleft Lip A cleft...
Osteogenesis Imperfecta People with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have bones that fracture easily, low muscle mass, and joint and ligament laxity. There are four major types of OI ranging in severity from mild to lethal. The appearance of people...