Disabilities and Medical Conditions

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common condition, where acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus (gullet). The ...

Acne is a common skin condition that causes spots and pimples to develop on the skin, usually on the face, ...

Alcohol misuse means drinking excessively and more than the recommended limits. People with alcohol dependence have an excessive desire to ...

Allergy is the word used to describe an adverse (bad) reaction that the body has to a particular substance in ...

An amputation is the surgical removal of part of the body, usually a leg or an arm causing disability Introduction ...

Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia and folate deficiency anaemia causing the body to produce abnormally large red blood cells. Tiredness, fatigue ...

Angina Pectoris is a syndrome that is caused when the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart becomes restricted causing ...

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of chronic (long-term) arthritis that affects parts of the spine, including the bones, muscles ...

Aphasia is a language disorder where people have problems speaking and writing and also understanding both the spoken and written ...

A cardiac arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm. Overview Arrhythmias or heart rhythm ...

A Guide to Arthritic Conditions including links to types, treatment, physiotherapy, diet, occupational therapy, aids and equipment. All Arthritic conditions ...

Asthma is caused by inflammation of the airways, a long-term condition, which can cause  cough, wheeze and breathlessness. The severity ...

Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious condition where the body’s medium and large arteries become clogged up by fatty substances, such ...

Atopic eczema is the most common form of eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis, it mainly affects children, but can also ...

A lifelong developmental disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour. Asperger ...

Back pain is a common condition that affects most people at some point during their life. Most cases of back ...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. About 46,000 women get breast cancer in the UK each ...

The disease osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), more commonly known as brittle bone disease, is a congenital disease causing bone fractures in ...

Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), which causes them to become inflamed. It is ...

A bunion is a bony swelling at the base of the big toe. The medical name for a bunion is ...

The damage to the human body caused by burns and scalds can range in severity from a mildly annoying injury ...

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a relatively common condition that causes pain, numbness and a burning or tingling sensation in ...

Neurological damage to a child’s brain causes cerebral palsy, which normally occurs before, during or soon after birth. Types Symptoms ...

Causing long-term tiredness (fatigue) – chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) affects everyday life. It does not go away with sleep or ...

A Guide to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema ...

Club foot is a deformed ankle and foot and is present at birth. The ankle is twisted and the foot ...

Affecting people of all ages, constipation is a very common condition. It can mean that you are not passing stools ...

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s biggest killer, with one in every four men and one in every six women ...

A chronic (long-term) condition, Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system. Introduction Symptoms Causes Diagnosing Treating ...

Cystic fibrosis is a common inherited disease. It affects over 8,500 children and young adults in the UK, where five ...

Deafblindness is a term that describes a number of conditions involving both vision and hearing problems Introduction Symptoms of deafblindness ...

Information and advice for people who are deaf or have hearing problems. Organisations and charities offering help. Your GP, your ...

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in one of the deep veins in the body. It can lead ...

Dehydration is a condition that occurs when the loss of body fluids, mostly water, is more than amount that is taken ...

Diabetes can lead to disabling conditions because the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone ...

Diarrhoea is passing looser or more frequent stools than is normal for you. You may get diarrhoea after being in contact with someone else who has ...

Double vision (its medical term is diplopia) is seeing two images of a single object. The two images may be ...

Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that was named after John Langdon Down, the doctor who first recognised it as ...

Dyslexia, or developmental reading disorder, is characterized by difficulty with learning to read fluently and with accurate comprehension despite normal ...

Dysphagia is a medical term that is used to refer to difficulties with swallowing. Some people with dysphagia have problems ...

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is commonly described as a collection of inherited conditions that fit into a larger group, known as ...

Fainting is a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness that usually results in a fall. Consciousness is usually regained within a ...

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome, is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. Introduction Symptoms of fibromyalgia ...

A food allergy is when the immune system experiences an adverse reaction to specific proteins found in food. It can ...

Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. Usually not serious, most people get better within a few ...

Glandular fever mostly affects teenagers and young adults. It gets better without treatment, but it can make you feel very ...

A group of eye conditions, glaucoma affects vision. It often affects both eyes, usually in varying degrees. One eye may ...

Gout is a common type of arthritis. The symptoms of gout include painful swelling and inflammation in one or more ...

Also known as piles, haemorrhoids are enlarged and swollen blood vessels in or around the lower rectum and anus. Solid ...

Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss. There are many types of hair loss with different symptoms and causes ...

A hangover is the unpleasant symptoms you suffer when you drink too much alcohol and the intoxicating effect of the ...

Hay fever is a type of allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nose) caused by the allergen ‘pollen’ with symptoms including ...

Many people in the UK get headaches regularly, making them one of the most common health issues Tension Headaches Migraines ...

A heart attack (medically called a myocardial infarction) is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to ...

Heart palpitations are heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable. Although alarming they are usually harmless Overview With palpitations your heart ...

Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by inflammation and swelling of the liver that can occur as the result of ...

A hernia is when an internal part of the body, such as an organ, pushes through a weakness in the ...

A guide to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, usually defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg ...

Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid. Made by the liver from the fatty foods we eat, it ...

A hip replacement is a surgical procedure to replace your hip joint with an artificial version. It provides a long-term ...

HIV is a virus (human immunodeficiency virus) that attacks the immune system, and weakens your ability to fight infections and ...

Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease of the brain, for which there is no cure. Introduction Symptoms of Huntington’s disease ...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get and maintain an erection that is sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse. ED ...

A guide to urinary and faecal incontinence coping strategies and management. Information, Advice and Sources of Help for sufferers, disabled ...

Infertility is when a couple, despite having regular unprotected sex do not conceive (get pregnant). Figures show that one in ...

Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning. This happens ...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic (long-term) disorder that affects the digestive system. It causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea and ...

A kidney infection usually occurs when a bacterial infection (typically e-coli bacteria) moves up from the bladder or urethra and ...

In knee replacement surgery (arthroplasty), a damaged, worn or diseased knee is replaced with an artificial joint. Introduction Why knee ...

Local authorities, the NHS and voluntary organisations work to help people with learning disabilities to achieve more of their potential ...

See also: Low Male Libido – Sex Drive Products Overview While the desire to have sex and ability to attain ...

Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer Introduction Symptoms of lung cancer Causes of ...

Lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs ...

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless eye condition, usually in both eyes, that causes you to lose central vision ...

Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and many old buildings include asbestos in the walls, ceilings, and floors. It is a ...

A migraine is a severe headache usually felt as a throbbing pain at the front or on one side of ...

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare, serious and incurable condition where over time, the nerves in the brain and ...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological condition in young adults in the UK, affecting around 85,000 people. Introduction ...

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic (inherited) condition that over time gradually causes the muscles to weaken. This leads to ...

Obesity is when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and sex. A person is considered ...

Oedema is the medical term for fluid retention in the body. It was formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy and ...

Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the joints. It is the most common type of arthritis in the UK, with ...

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become weak and fragile and more likely to break ...

Overactive thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis, is a condition that occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone ...

Paralysis is the loss of the ability to move one or more muscles. It may be associated with loss of feeling ...

The long-term chronic neurological condition Parkinson’s disease affects around 120,000 people in the UK Introduction Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease Causes ...

Pneumonia is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both of your lungs which is usually caused by an ...

A guide to pressure ulcers known also as pressure sores, or bed sores. They occur when the skin and underlying ...

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales. The condition is ...

Commonly used to treat cancer, radiotherapy is a treatment involving the use of precisely targeted high-energy radiation History and Overview ...

Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, restless legs syndrome is a common condition of the nervous system that causes an overwhelming, ...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints. Hands, feet and wrists are commonly affected, ...

Sciatica is the name given to any sort of pain that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic ...

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. In people with the condition, the spine bends either ...

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are caused by infections passed from one person ...

Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin around it. It is caused by the herpes ...

Sickle cell disease affects the red blood cells and is the name for a group of inherited conditions. Sickle cell ...

Sinusitis is a condition where the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed. It’s usually caused by a viral infection and ...

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal ...

Spina bifida is a term that is used to refer to a series of birth defects that affect the development ...

Injuries and disability caused by sporting activities and exercising Introduction Symptoms of sports injuries Causes of sports injuries Treating sports ...

Stammering, or stuttering, is a speech impediment and problem relatively common which occurs in childhood and can persist into adulthood ...

A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Introduction Symptoms ...

Tennis elbow is a painful condition that often occurs as a result of strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons ...

Tinnitus is the medical name for the perception of noise in one ear, both ears or in the head. The ...

Tourette syndrome (also called Tourette’s syndrome) is a neurological condition that affects the brain and nervous system. It is characterised ...

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or ‘mini-stroke’, is a temporary fall in the blood supply to part of the brain ...

A Guide to Hypothyroidism which means a low level of thyroid hormone (called thyroxine, or T4) in the blood. The ...

Varicose veins are swollen and enlarged veins that usually occur on the legs and are usually blue or dark purple in ...

Vertigo is the sensation that you or the environment around you is moving or spinning.  It is commonly caused by ...

A traumatic neck injury, whiplash is caused by a sudden movement of the head forwards, backwards or sideways. It often ...