Medical Conditions

Carcinoid syndrome is a pattern of symptoms that occurs in people who have carcinoid tumours. The symptoms are caused by hormones and chemicals produced by the …

Carotid artery disease, or carotid artery stenosis, refers to a narrowing within the carotid arteries that is usually caused by the buildup of plaque within the …

Carpal tunnel syndrome is due to squeezing of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist to the hand. This nerve is contained in the carpal …

Cataracts are a condition where the lens (a part of the eye that focuses light) becomes cloudy. The lenses in the eyes are normally clear or …

Celiac disease is also called celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. It is a hereditary autoimmune condition in which a person has a …

Cellulitis is a serious infection that spreads under the skin, affecting soft tissues such as the skin itself and the fat underneath it. Bacteria are the most …

Cerebral palsy is a name given to a group of different nervous system disorders that are present at birth or appear in the first 3 years of life. What these …

Chickenpox is a preventable illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It was very common before the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine was …

Children are born with a natural immunity to certain infections. Antibodies pass through the mother's placenta to the fetus before birth, protecting the baby …

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Canada, affecting youths and young adults most often, with young women …

Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small bowel that can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. There have been seven great pandemics (worldwide epidemics) …

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a condition causing persistent fatigue that lasts for at least 6 months (or longer) and isn't due …

Leukemia is a type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It was first discovered in the 19th century by European physicians, who called it Weisses blut or white …

Everyone has experienced pain at some time or other. A cut, a sports injury, childbirth, surgery, or kidney stones all can produce varying degrees of pain. In …

Chronic renal failure, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a slow and progressive decline of kidney function. It's usually a result of a complication from …

Congenital talipes equinovarus, commonly known as clubfoot, is a foot deformity in which the foot is twisted inward with the toes pointing down. It affects …

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are caused by a virus called herpes simplex. They usually appear around the mouth and on the lips. They are highly …

It's appropriate that we should still call this condition by its medieval name "colic," since we know as much about its causes today as we knew 800 …

The colon is what we commonly call the last ~2 metres of the intestines, which leads from the small intestine to the rectum. The colon is sometimes referred to as …

Colour blindness, also called colour vision deficiency, is a condition where the eyes have trouble distinguishing certain colours. Most affected people have either …

A concussion is a brain injury of such severity that it alters the way the brain functions for a short period of time. When jarred or shaken, the soft tissue …

Congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when the heart isn't able to pump blood normally. As a result, there is not enough blood flow to provide the body's …

Conjunctivitis, also known as "pink eye," is a common eye condition. It's an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the white of …

Constipation occurs when stool or waste material moves too slowly through the large intestine. Feces that stay in the bowel too long before elimination become …

It's important for sexually active people to be aware of the different types of contraception available. Contraception has 2 primary roles. It prevents …

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are together called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. This is a chronic condition, usually attributed to tobacco …

Often simply called bypass surgery, this operation is extremely effective in relieving symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) and angina. It can relieve chest …

Coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type of heart disease, refers to the narrowing of arteries that supply blood to the heart due to a build-up of a …

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that first came to worldwide attention in December 2019. Cases of COVID-19 infection began to spread globally in increasing …

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a very rare, fatal disease that attacks the nervous system. There are 2 types of CJD: classical CJD and variant CJD. Unlike …