| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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Your skin is your body's largest organ. It covers the entire outside of your body. There are many ways that your skin protects your body and helps keep you healthy. For example, it:
There are many different problems and conditions which can affect your skin. Some of them can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as itching, burning, redness, and rashes. They might also affect your appearance. Some of the more common skin conditions include:
Since your skin protects your body in many ways, it's important to try to keep your skin healthy. For example, you can:
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. You usually get the patches on your elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet, but they can show up on other parts of your body. Some people who have psoriasis also get a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis.
A problem with your immune system causes psoriasis. In a process called cell turnover, skin cells that grow deep in your skin rise to the surface. Normally, this takes a month. In psoriasis, it happens in just days because your cells rise too fast.
Psoriasis can be hard to diagnose because it can look like other skin diseases. Your doctor might need to look at a small skin sample under a microscope.
Psoriasis can last a long time, even a lifetime. Symptoms come and go. Things that make them worse include:
Psoriasis usually occurs in adults. It sometimes runs in families. Treatments include creams, medicines, and light therapy.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Acne is a common skin disease that causes pimples. Pimples form when hair follicles under your skin clog up. Most pimples form on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Anyone can get acne, but it is common in teenagers and young adults. It is not serious, but it can cause scars.
No one knows exactly what causes acne. Hormone changes, such as those during the teenage years and pregnancy, probably play a role. There are many myths about what causes acne. Chocolate and greasy foods are often blamed, but there is little evidence that foods have much effect on acne in most people. Another common myth is that dirty skin causes acne; however, blackheads and pimples are not caused by dirt. Stress doesn't cause acne, but stress can make it worse.
If you have acne:
Treatments for acne include medicines and creams.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder. If you have it, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your skin and mouth, causing blisters and sores. No one knows the cause. Pemphigus does not spread from person to person. It does not appear to be inherited. But some people's genes put them more at risk for pemphigus.
Pemphigoid is also an autoimmune skin disease. It leads to deep blisters that do not break easily. Pemphigoid is most common in older adults and may be fatal for older, sick patients.
Doctors diagnose pemphigus with a physical exam, a biopsy, and blood tests. The treatment of pemphigus and pemphigoid is the same: one or more medicines to control symptoms. These may include:
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes inflammation between your vertebrae, which are the bones that make up your spine, and in the joints between your spine and pelvis. In some people, it can affect other joints.
AS is more common and more severe in men. It often runs in families. The cause is unknown, but it is likely that both genes and factors in the environment play a role.
Early symptoms of AS include back pain and stiffness. These problems often start in late adolescence or early adulthood. Over time, AS can fuse your vertebrae together, limiting movement. Some people have symptoms that come and go. Others have severe, ongoing pain.
A diagnosis of AS is based on your medical history and a physical examination. You may also have imaging or blood tests.
AS has no cure, but medicines can relieve symptoms and may keep the disease from getting worse. Eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and exercising can also help. In rare cases, you may need surgery to straighten the spine.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease
If you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Over time, a swollen joint can become severely damaged. Some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.
Types of arthritis include:
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
If you've ever groaned, "Oh, my aching back!", you are not alone. Back pain is one of the most common medical problems, affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives. Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain. Acute back pain comes on suddenly and usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Back pain is called chronic if it lasts for more than three months.
Most back pain goes away on its own, though it may take awhile. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and resting can help. However, staying in bed for more than 1 or 2 days can make it worse.
If your back pain is severe or doesn't improve after three days, you should call your health care provider. You should also get medical attention if you have back pain following an injury.
Treatment for back pain depends on what kind of pain you have, and what is causing it. It may include hot or cold packs, exercise, medicines, injections, complementary treatments, and sometimes surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Your bones are made of living tissue. To keep them strong, your body breaks down old bone and replaces it with new bone. But when more bone is broken down than replaced, you lose bone density, also called bone mass. Bone density is a measure of the amount of calcium and other minerals in bone. Bones containing more minerals are denser. They tend to be stronger and less likely to fracture (break).
Losing bone density can weaken your bones. In some cases, it can lead to osteoporosis. This is a disease which can make your bones more likely to break. Low bone density that is not low enough to be osteoporosis is sometimes called osteopenia.
What can make you lose bone density?Your bones become less dense as you age. Other factors can also make you more likely to lose bone mass, such as:
Not everyone who has low bone mass gets osteoporosis, but they are at higher risk for developing it.
Is there a test to measure your bone health?A bone density scan is the best way to measure your bone health. It compares your bone density, or mass, to that of a healthy person who is the same age and sex as you are. It can show:
To help keep your bones strong and help prevent osteoporosis, the best thing to do is to eat a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Getting regular physical activity, limiting alcohol, and not smoking can also help. In some cases, your health care provider may prescribe medicines to prevent osteoporosis.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Your bones help you move, give you shape and support your body. They are living tissues that rebuild constantly throughout your life. During childhood and your teens, your body adds new bone faster than it removes old bone. After about age 20, you can lose bone faster than you make bone. To have strong bones when you are young, and to prevent bone loss when you are older, you need to get enough calcium, vitamin D, and exercise. You should also avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol.
Bone diseases can make bones easy to break. Different kinds of bone problems include:
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between a bone and other moving parts, such as muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed. People get bursitis by overusing a joint. It can also be caused by an injury. It usually occurs at the knee or elbow. Kneeling or leaning your elbows on a hard surface for a long time can make bursitis start. Doing the same kinds of movements every day or putting stress on joints increases your risk.
Symptoms of bursitis include pain and swelling. Your doctor will diagnose bursitis with a physical exam and tests such as x-rays and MRIs. He or she may also take fluid from the swollen area to be sure the problem isn't an infection.
Treatment of bursitis includes rest, pain medicines, or ice. If there is no improvement, your doctor may inject a drug into the area around the swollen bursa. If the joint still does not improve after 6 to 12 months, you may need surgery to repair damage and relieve pressure on the bursa.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases