dysplasias

A cervix disorder is a problem with your cervix. The cervix is part of the female reproductive system. It is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb), which opens into the vagina (birth canal). The cervix has a small opening that expands during childbirth. It also allows menstrual blood to leave your body.

You may not have any symptoms of a cervix disorder, but routine pelvic exams and a Pap smear test can help determine if you may need treatment.

Cervix disorders can include:

• Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix.
• Cervicitis is swelling of the cervix. An infection usually causes it, but it can also be caused by skin irritation. Treatment can help you avoid potential complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Cervical incompetence (also called cervical insufficiency) can happen during pregnancy. The opening of your cervix widens too early. This may cause you to give birth too soon, or you could lose the fetus.
• Cervical polyps and cysts are fleshy or fluid-filled growths on your cervix. These growths are usually benign (not cancer). They are more common during your reproductive years, especially after age 20.

You are more likely to develop a cervix disorder if:

• You've had a previous cervical procedure or surgery.
• You've had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia or gonorrhea.
• You used a latex condom or a feminine product such as a spermicide or douche that irritated the skin of your vagina.
• You left something in your vagina too long, such as a diaphragm, tampon, or cervical cap, and it caused irritation.
• You don't consistently use a condom when you have sex, or you have multiple sex partners.

You may not know that something is wrong since cervix disorders may not have any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may vary based on the cervix disorder.

Symptoms can include:

• Vaginal bleeding that's not normal for you, such as bleeding between menstrual periods
• Pain during sex or a pelvic exam
• Abnormal vaginal discharge

If you are pregnant, a few signs of an incompetent cervix could include light vaginal bleeding, a feeling of pelvic pressure, or mild cramps. But you may not have any signs.

Even if you don't have symptoms, your health care provider may notice changes to the cells of your cervix during a pelvic exam. Your provider may look for:

• Redness or inflammation (swelling) of your cervix or vaginal walls
• Vaginal discharge or strong odor

Your provider may perform a Pap test to look for changes in your cervix.

The treatment for cervix disorders depends on the cause. It might include antibiotics or stopping using a product that causes skin irritation.

If you have had an incompetent cervix in the past, you might take medicine or have ultrasound imaging tests to check how your pregnancy is going.

You can take steps to prevent some cervix disorders. This can include to:

• Use a condom every time you have sex. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading STIs. If you or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
• Have regular pelvic exams.
• Get tested for STIs as needed.
• Avoid using personal care products that may cause skin irritation to your vagina.

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:

• Low bone density and osteoporosis, which make your bones weak and more likely to break
• Osteogenesis imperfecta makes your bones brittle
• Paget's disease of bone makes them weak
• Bones can also develop cancer and infections
• Other bone diseases, which are caused by poor nutrition, genetics, or problems with the rate of bone growth or rebuilding

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Your connective tissue supports many different parts of your body, such as your skin, eyes, and heart. It is like a "cellular glue" that gives your body parts their shape and helps keep them strong. It also helps some of your tissues do their work. It is made of many kinds of proteins. Cartilage and fat are types of connective tissue.

Over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue. There are different types:

• Genetic disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and osteogenesis imperfecta
• Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and scleroderma
• Cancers, like some types of soft tissue sarcoma

Each disorder has its own symptoms and needs different treatment.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

People with dwarfism have short stature. This means that their height is under 4' 10" as an adult. They are usually of normal intelligence. Dwarfism most often does happen in families where both parents are of average height.

More than 300 different conditions can cause dwarfism. Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people. It makes your arms and legs short in comparison to your head and trunk. You may also have a larger head and weak muscle tone. Other genetic conditions, kidney disease, and problems with metabolism or hormones can also cause dwarfism.

The conditions that cause dwarfism can also cause other health problems. Most of them are treatable. It is important to have regular checkups throughout your life. With proper medical care, most people with dwarfism have active lives and live as long as other people.

Craniofacial is a medical term that relates to the bones of the skull and face. Craniofacial abnormalities are birth defects of the face or head. Some, like cleft lip and palate, are among the most common of all birth defects. Others are very rare. Most of them affect how a person's face or head looks. These conditions may also affect other parts of the body.

Treatment depends on the type of problem. Plastic and reconstructive surgery may help the person's appearance.

Your hip is the joint where your femur (thigh bone) meets your pelvis (hip bone). There are two main parts: a ball at the end of the femur, which fits in a socket in the pelvis. Your hip is known as a ball-and-socket joint. This is because you have a ball at the end of your femur, and it fits into a socket in your pelvis. This makes your hips very stable and allows for a wide range of motion. When they are healthy, it takes great force to hurt them. However, playing sports, running, overuse, or falling can sometimes lead to hip injuries such as:

• Strains
• Bursitis
• Dislocations
• Fractures (broken bones)

Certain diseases also lead to hip injuries or problems. Osteoarthritis can cause pain and limited motion. Osteoporosis of the hip causes weak bones that break easily. Both of these are common in older people.

Another problem is hip dysplasia, where the ball at the end of the femur is loose in the hip socket. It can cause hip dislocation. Babies who have hip dysplasia are usually born with it, but sometimes they develop it later.

Treatment for hip disorders may include rest, medicines, physical therapy, or surgery, including hip replacement.

When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.

The most common problem with the bronchi is bronchitis, an inflammation of the tubes. It can be acute or chronic. Other problems include:

• Bronchiectasis - a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to widen and become flabby and scarred
• Exercise-induced bronchospasm - a breathing problem that happens when your airways shrink while you are exercising
• Bronchiolitis - an inflammation of the small airways that branch off from the bronchi
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia - a chronic lung condition in infants, most often premature infants

Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix. The cervix is part of the female reproductive system. It is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb), which opens into the vagina (birth canal).

Cervical cancer usually develops slowly. Before cervical cells become cancer, they start to look abnormal. These cells are called "precancers." If they aren't destroyed or removed, they may become cancer cells that grow out of control and spread to other parts of your body.

Screening tests for cervical cancer can help find abnormal cells so you can get treatment to prevent cervical cancer. These tests can also find cervical cancer early when it's usually easier to treat.

Almost all cervical cancers are caused by a long-lasting infection with a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). There are many types of HPV. The types that cause cancer are called "high-risk HPV." High-risk HPV is very common. It can be passed from one person to another through close skin-to-skin touching, usually during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Most people who are infected have no symptoms and don't know they have it.

If you're infected with high-risk HPV, usually your immune system will get rid of it within a year or two. But if your immune system can't control the infection, it may last for many years. Over time, HPV can turn normal cervical cells into abnormal cells. Without treatment, these cells may keep changing until they become cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is most common in people over age 30. If you have a high-risk HPV infection in your cervix, you're more likely to develop cervical cancer if you:

• Have a weakened immune system because you:
  • Have a disease that harms your immune system, such as HIV.
  • Take medicine to control your immune system, such as certain medicines to treat cancer or autoimmune diseases
• Smoke tobacco or breathe secondhand smoke.
• Use birth control pills or have given birth to many children.
• Have obesity.
• Were exposed to a medicine called DES (diethylstilbestrol) before you were born. Between 1940-1971, DES was sometimes prescribed during pregnancy to prevent miscarriages. DES was later linked to health problems, including cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer usually doesn't cause symptoms when it first starts to grow. But when it does cause symptoms, they may include:

• Vaginal bleeding that's not normal for you, such as bleeding after sex or between menstrual periods
• Vaginal discharge (fluid) that's watery and has a strong odor or contains blood
• Pelvic pain or pain during sex

If cervical cancer spreads to other parts of your body, symptoms may include:

• Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
• Pelvic pain or pain during sex
• Difficult or painful bowel movements (poops) or bleeding from the rectum when having a bowel movement
• Difficult or painful urination (peeing) or blood in your urine (pee)
• Dull backache
• Swollen legs
• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Fatigue

If you have symptoms or had an abnormal result on a screening test for cervical cancer, your health care provider will do more tests to find out if you have cervical cancer. They will:

• Ask about your medical history and your family health history
• Do a pelvic exam
• Suggest tests to diagnose or rule out cervical cancer, including:
  • Colposcopy, a procedure using a device called a colposcope, which helps your provider examine your cervix for abnormal areas
  • Cervical biopsy, a procedure to remove a tissue sample from your cervix so that it can be examined under a microscope to look for signs of cancer. Most biopsies can be done in your provider's office

Different treatments are available for cervical cancer. The best treatment for you depends on your health, how much cancer you have, whether it has spread, and which treatment you prefer. You may have more than one treatment, including:

• Surgery to remove the cancer.
• Radiation therapy, which uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. The therapy may use radiation from a machine, or a radioactive substance may be placed in your body near the cancer.
• Chemotherapy (chemo), which uses special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The medicine may be pills, or it may be given through a vein (by IV). Sometimes, both types of chemo are used.
• Targeted therapy, which uses special medicines to block the growth and spread of cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy, which helps your immune system fight cancer cells.

Almost all cervical cancer can be prevented by:

• HPV vaccination. HPV vaccines provide the most protection if you get them before you're exposed to HPV. So, it's best to get vaccinated before you become sexually active. Medical experts recommend vaccinating children between ages 9 and 12.
• Routine cervical cancer screening. Two types of screening tests may be part of your routine health checkup. Both tests use a sample of cervical cells that your provider collects with a swab:
  • A Pap smear checks for abnormal cells so they can be treated before they become cancer
  • An HPV test checks for high-risk HPV infections that can cause cancer.
• Getting the right follow-up treatment if a screening test finds abnormal cells and/or high-risk HPV.

You can lower your risk for cervical cancer by not smoking. Using condoms correctly during sex lowers your risk of getting an HPV infection, but doesn't prevent it completely. Condom use has been linked to fewer cases of cervical cancer. If you or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Genes are the building blocks of heredity. They are passed from parent to child. They hold DNA, the instructions for making proteins. Proteins do most of the work in cells. They move molecules from one place to another, build structures, break down toxins, and do many other maintenance jobs.

Sometimes there is a mutation, a change in a gene or genes. The mutation changes the gene's instructions for making a protein, so the protein does not work properly or is missing entirely. This can cause a medical condition called a genetic disorder.

You can inherit a gene mutation from one or both parents. A mutation can also happen during your lifetime.

There are three types of genetic disorders:

• Single-gene disorders, where a mutation affects one gene. Sickle cell anemia is an example.
• Chromosomal disorders, where chromosomes (or parts of chromosomes) are missing or changed. Chromosomes are the structures that hold our genes. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder.
• Complex disorders, where there are mutations in two or more genes. Often your lifestyle and environment also play a role. Colon cancer is an example.

Genetic tests on blood and other tissue can identify genetic disorders.

NIH: National Library of Medicine

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:

• Holds body fluids in, which helps prevent you from getting dehydrated
• Keeps out harmful germs, which helps prevent infections
• Helps you feel things like heat, cold, and pain
• Helps control your body temperature
• Makes vitamin D when the sun shines on it
• Shields your body against heat and light

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:

• Acne, which causes pimples when hair follicles under your skin get clogged up
• Burns
• Cuts and scrapes
• Dandruff, flaking of the skin on your scalp (the top of your head)
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis), which causes inflammation, redness, and irritation of the skin
• Hives, which are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin
• Insect bites
• Psoriasis, which causes itchy, scaly red patches
• Skin cancer
• Skin infections

Since your skin protects your body in many ways, it's important to try to keep your skin healthy. For example, you can:

• Wear the right protective equipment, like gloves, long sleeves, knee and elbow pads, or helmets to protect against cuts, bumps and scrapes.
• If you do get a cut or scrape, clean it right away with soap and warm water. Put on a bandage to protect it while it heals.
• When you are spending time outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants and use insect repellant to prevent insect bites.
• Prevent sunburn by covering up and using sunscreen when outdoors.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• When you take a shower or bath, use warm (not hot) water. Use mild cleansers and wash gently (don't scrub).
• Use moisturizers, like lotions, creams, or ointments, to prevent dry skin.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases