Glossary

A condition which affects the brain development, primarily involving the cerebellum (an area at the back of the brain which controls movement) and the fluid-filled areas surrounding it.

Symptoms include slow motor development and progressive enlargement in the skull at a young age.

In older children the condition can lead to vomiting, irritability, seizures, problems with the eyes, face and neck, abnormal breathing, convulsions, abnormal sized head and seizures.

A combination of hearing loss and vision loss which affects a person’s ability to communicate.

Degenerative Disc Disease is one of the most common causes of low back and neck pain caused by wear and tear on a spinal disc.

It can cause weakness, numbness and painful sensations on the arms and legs.

A result of a continuous process based on degenerative changes in cells which affect organs or tissues which will deteriorate over a period of time.

Dementia is a collection of symptoms which cause brain damage. These can fall into such categories as Alzheimer’s, Vascular dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and advanced dementia.

Symptoms of dementia include confusion, memory loss, difficulty with tasks, communication problems, personality disorder and depression.

We all feel upset from time-to-time – but if the feelings progress over a long period of time it could be a sign of depression. People with depression can’t ‘cheer themselves up’ overnight. Symptoms also include tiredness, a lack of appetite or sex drive, irregular sleeping patterns and body aches.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living.

People with Dermatillomania have a continue urge to scratch their skin so badly they can leave wounds. It’s a psychological condition which also brings emotional problems to the surface. Most patients with the condition will have blood and bruising as a result of the intense scratching.

Diabetes can be broken down into two…Type 1 – When the pancreas isn’t producing any insulin and the more common form…Type 2 – The pancreas is producing insulin, but it’s not enough or the cells aren’t reacting to it. The condition materialises when a person’s blood level becomes too high, most of us have a high blood level although it isn’t enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Around 90% of adults have type 2 although it’s not unlikely for the condition to develop into type 1 requiring insulin injections to keep the sugar levels at bay. Statistics show around five million people across the UK will be diabetic by 2025.

The most common cause of vision loss among diabetics and the leading cause of blindness among adults.

Diabetic retinopathy affects the blood vessels positioned in the retina located at the back of the eye.

An eating disorder which affects people with type 1 diabetes who deliberately lower their insulin levels so they can lose weight.

A rare form of partial twinning when a baby is born with two heads side by side on one torso.

Also known as 22q11.2, DiGeorge syndrome is caused by the deletion of a small segment of chromosome 22.

Symptoms can include frequent infections, learning difficulties, congenital heart problems, developmental delays and specific facial features including a cleft palate.

Some people with DiGeorge Syndrome may not know they even have the condition, although others may have severe cases and the illness could be fatal.

The condition is usually diagnosed soon after birth by a blood test.

A heart condition which is caused when the pumping chambers of the heart become enlarged which means blood can’t be pumped around the body efficiently.

Dilated cardiomyopathy can be a genetic condition and in some cases it is not life threatening although it can lead to sudden death in some instances.

Statistics show around 775 babies are born with Down's Syndrome every year in the UK which usually implies the child will grow up coping with a learning disability and characteristic physical features. People with Down's Syndrome are likely to have a small mouth with a protruding tongue, eyes which are looking upwards, a reduced muscle tone and a flat surface located at the back of their heads. However, the level of learning disability will vary for each individual.