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Health Topics beginning with "P"

  • Paget's Disease - A gradual, progressive bone disease characterized by bones breaking down and regenerating excessively.
  • Panic Disorder - a severe, spontaneous form of anxiety that is recurrent and unpredictable.
  • Parkinson's disease - a disease of the central nervous system in older adults characterized by gradual, progressive muscle rigidity, tremors and clumsiness.
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease - infection of the female internal reproductive organs.
  • Pericarditis, Acute - Inflammation of the pericardium (thin membrane around the heart).
  • Periodontitis - inflammation and infection of the gums, causing loss of supporting bone.
  • Peripheral neuropathy - A group of symptoms caused by abnormalities in sensory or motor nerves.
  • Peripheral vascular disease - refers to any disorder affecting blood flow through the veins and arteries.
  • Perirectal abscess - is a condition in which either the anal area or surrounding area has been infected with a microbial agent.
  • Peritonsillar Abscess - is a collection of pus between a tonsil and the tissue at the back of the throat. It usually occurs as a complication of tonsillitis.
  • Personality Disorder, Antisocial - demonstrates antisocial or criminal acts but is not synonymous with criminality.
  • Personality Disorder, Avoidant - is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
  • Personality disorder, paranoid - is characterized as a longstanding suspiciousness and mistrust of people in general.
  • Petit mal seizure - refer to a type of seizure characterized by decreased responsiveness and a sudden cessation of ongoing conscious activities.
  • Pharyngitis - inflammation and infection of the pharynx that can be caused by a variety of germs.
  • Pheochromocytoma - A tumor, usually found in the core of the adrenal glands.
  • Phobias - a type of anxiety involving a persistent, irrational or exaggerated fear of a particular object, situation, activity, setting or even a bodily function (none of which is basically dangerous or an appropriate source of anxiety).
  • Pleurisy - inflammation and irritation of the pleura, a thin, two-layered membrane that lines the lung and chest cavity.
  • Pneumonia, bacterial - infection and inflammation of the lungs with bacterial germs.
  • Polyarteritis nodosa - a disorder of connective tissue that is one of several related diseases of collagen tissue.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome - Ovary enlargement from many small cysts.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - a type of anxiety seen in people who have experienced an event that would be extremely distressing to most human beings.
  • Preeclampsia and Eclampsia - a serious disturbance in blood pressure, kidney function and the central nervous system that may occur from the 20th week of pregnancy until 7 days after delivery. Eclampsia is an extension of the preeclampsia process.
  • Premature Labor - labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy.
  • Premenstrual syndrome - about half of all women experience PMS at some time, some very frequently.
  • Prostate cancer - growth of malignant cells in the prostate gland, the gland at the base of the urinary bladder in men that helps form semen.
  • Prostate, enlarged - It occurs more often in men over age 50.
  • Prostatitis - inflammation or infection of the prostate.
  • Pruritus Ani - Itching or burning around the anus and genitals.
  • Psoriasis - a chronic, scaly skin disorder characterized by frequent remissions and recurrences.
  • Psoriatic arthritis - joint inflammation that accompanies psoriatic lesions in nearby nails and skin.
  • Psychotic disorder - describes a severely impaired understanding of reality.
  • Pulmonary Edema - refers to an accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
  • Pulmonary Embolism - a blood clot or fat cells (rarely) in one of the arteries carrying blood to the lungs.
  • Pyuria - refers to urine which contains pus.
  • Pancreatic cancer - Cancer that begins in the cells and tissues of the pancreas. It is the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States.
  • Pancreatitis - Inflammation or irritation of the pancreas, often due to gallstones or alcohol abuse.
  • Paronychia - Often tender infection of inflammation around the base of the nail fold that either starts suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic).
  • Peritonitis - Inflammation or irritation of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity.
  • Pica - The urge to consume non-food objects, such as soil, hair, string or chalk, or large amounts of food objects generally regarded as ingredients rather than actual foods, such as flour or starch.
  • Pilonidal Disease - A skin disease affecting the area at the base of the spine and top of the cleft of the buttocks.
  • Pinworm Infection - A parasitic infection by a small, white intestinal worm called Enterobius vermicularis that lives in the human rectum.
  • Pituitary tumor - Abnormal growths found in the pituitary gland. Most are noncancerous, but may cause the gland to produce too many hormones.
  • Pityriasis rosea - Common skin disorder with a characteristic rash that tends to affect young people. It is believed to be caused by a virus and most often appears in the spring and fall.
  • Placenta previa - A potentially serious condition in which the placenta lies very low in the uterus, partially or completely obstructing the opening to the cervix.
  • Pneumocystis - A fungal infection that causes inflammation of the lung (pneumonia).
  • Pneumonia, mycoplasma - A type of bacteria that causes pneumonia. It is transmitted through exposure to respiratory secretions of an infected person and typically has an incubation period of one to four weeks.
  • Pneumonia, viral - Inflammation of the lungs with congestion that may be caused by infection (e.g., bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites) or irritants (e.g., allergens, pollutants, chemicals).
  • Pneumothorax - Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity (between the lungs and the chest cavity).
  • Polycythemia Vera - A disorder in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
  • Polymyalgia rheumatica - A rheumatic disease that involves tendons, muscles, ligaments and tissues around the joints, often in people over 50.
  • Polymyositis - A type of inflammatory myopathy that causes muscle weakness and generally begins in second decade of life.
  • Porphyrias - A rare group of inherited blood disorders that affects the part of blood that carries iron.
  • Postpartum depression - Depression, anxiety or anger estimated to affect 13 percent of women around the time of or after childbirth.
  • Premature ejaculation - Conditions in which sexual climax is either absent or delayed despite sufficiently long and intense sexual stimulation.
  • Prickly heat - A skin irritation caused by profuse sweating in a hot or humid climate. It is most common in young children, but can occur at any age.
  • Proctitis - Inflammation and irritation of the rectum.
  • Pseudogout - Calcification of articular cartilage. May be associated with attacks of joint inflammation that may mimic gout.
  • Pseudomembranous Colitis - A severe bacterial infection of the colon that may occur after taking oral antibiotics, which kill the intestinal flora that keep the bacteria in check.
  • Psittacosis - Illness caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. Infection occurs from inhaling dried secretions from infected birds.
  • Purpura - Purplish discoloration in the skin caused when small vessels bleed near the surface of the skin.
  • Pyloric stenosis - A narrowing of the pyloric sphincter (the muscle between the stomach and the small intestine), preventing food to pass normally from the stomach to the small intestine.

Drugs starting with P

  • Paroxetine - is used for the treatment of depressive illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.
  • Prednisone - used for the treatment of inflammatory and allergic disorders, including rheumatoid conditions.
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