Glossary

A type of stroke caused by an artery in the brain splitting causing bleeding to surrounded tissues.

There are two common types of Brain Injuries. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – The brain is damaged after an accident or a fall & Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) – When the brain is damaged since birth following a health issue such as a stroke, infection, haemorrhage or a medical accident.

A disorder which results in fragile bones that break easily. The condition usually stems from birth and only develops in children if there is a family history of the illness.

Brittle bone disease is also known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) which translates to “imperfectly formed bone”

Severe forms of the disease can lead to further complications such as hearing loss, permanent deformities, spinal cord problems and heart failure.

Symptoms of bronchitis include a sore throat, tiredness, a runny or blocked nose, headache and aches and pains although the most obvious sign of the condition is a hacking cough which could continue for several weeks.

You may also find it difficult to breathe normally and wheezing.

A rare spinal injury when the spinal cord has been damaged instead of breaking. Those who have Brown-Sequard syndrome may be paralysed where the spine has been affected. If the condition isn’t diagnosed in its early stages the effects may be permanent.

Symptoms usually first appear with pain and rising temperature below the trauma. You may also experience loss of bladder and bowel control and weakness in the muscles, although in most cases these symptoms are restored over a period of time.

The condition can be caused by other spinal disorders, in extreme cases Brown-Sequard syndrome can be ‘triggered’ from a gunshot or a stabbing.

People with bulimia try to control their weight by limiting their food intake and binge eating to make themselves vomit. They also use laxatives to they can quickly pass unwanted food and lose weight.

Bulimic people can have severe low esteem and suffer from depression, alcohol misuse and self-harm.

There are an estimated 1.6 million people in the UK living with the illness, a quarter of which are thought to be male.

Bursitis occurs when the fluid-filled sacs which cushion your joints – also known as bursa – become inflamed.

It can be cause pain to your joints and make them swollen, tender, warm and make them uncomfortable when you apply pressure.

Common places for Bursitis are the knees, shoulders, elbows and hips.

A general term which describes heart disease which is a result of a blood clot or the artery’s being clogged up with fatty deposits – known as atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) falls into four categories…

Stroke

Peripheral arterial disease

Aortic disease

Coronary heart disease

Cardiovascular disease, also known as CVD, is the collective name given to diseases which involve blood vessels or the heart.

Examples of CVD include coronary artery diseases such as anginas and heart attacks.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as CTS is a nerve on the wrist which causes numbness, tingling and pain in the hand and fingers.

Symptoms include pins and needles, numb hands, difficulty gripping and aches in the fingers, arm or hand.

The condition could clean up within a few months.

People with cartilage hair hypoplasia are born with a short stature and small limbs, known as dwarfism.

Those with CHH also have very fine and sparse hair and an abnormal cartilage. In some cases the condition affects their immune system leaving them open to infections which can cause a severe course of chicken pox.

The condition can also affect white blood cells which can cause anaemia.

The term given to the sudden weakness of muscles triggered by emotions such as anger, laughter and surprise.

Seizures usually last for a couple of minutes or seconds but in extreme cases they can carry on for up to half an hour.

Statistics suggest about 75% of people with narcolepsy experience cataplexy.

Cataracts occurs when the eye lens develop cloudy patches which can enlarge over time causing misty vision and blindness.

The condition usually affects both eyes although the deteriorating may be quicker in one eye compared to the other.

A condition, also known as CES, which occurs when the nerves below the end of the spinal cord – known as the cauda equine - are damaged.

Symptoms include numbness around the anus, loss of bladder or bowel control as well as pain in down the leg and around the lower back.