BMA Complete Home Medical Guide: The Essential Reference for Every Family

Contents 4
Taking control of your health 6 – 35
Introduction 6
Inheritance and health 8
Understanding inheritance 10
Health care throughout life 12
Lifestyle and health 15
Diet and health 16
Exercise and health 20
Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs 24
Sex and health 27
Psychological health 30
Safety and health 33
Assessing your symptoms 36 – 123
Introduction 36
General charts 38
Tiredness 38
Loss of weight 40
Difficulty sleeping 42
Fever 44
Lumps and swellings 46
Feeling faint and passing out 48
Headache 50
Feeling depressed 52
General skin problems 54
Rash with fever 56
Painful or irritated eye 58
Disturbed or impaired vision 60
Hearing loss 62
Earache 64
Sore throat 65
Coughing 66
Shortness of breath 68
Wheezing 70
Difficulty swallowing 71
Vomiting 72
Recurrent vomiting 74
Abdominal pain 76
Recurrent abdominal pain 78
Diarrhoea 80
Constipation 82
Chest pain 84
Frequent urination 86
Painful urination 88
Back pain 90
Neck pain or stiffness 92
Painful joints 94
Swollen ankles 96
Men’s charts 98
Erectile dysfunction 98
Testes and scrotum problems 99
Problems with the penis 100
Women’s charts 102
Breast problems 102
Lower abdominal pain in women 104
Genital irritation in women 106
Abnormal vaginal discharge 107
Abnormal vaginal bleeding 108
Painful periods 110
Children’s charts 111
Weight problems in children 111
Vomiting in children 112
Diarrhoea in children 114
Fever in children 116
Breathing problems in children 118
Coughing in children 120
Abdominal pain in children 122
Looking for disease 124 – 139
Introduction 124
Visiting your doctor 126
Medical history and examination 127
Visualizing internal organs 129
Imaging techniques 131
Viewing techniques 137
Your body and disease 140 – 565
Introduction 140
Genes and inheritance 144
Genetic disorders 150
Cancer 152
Living with cancer 156
Infections and infestations 160
Viral infections 164
Bacterial infections 171
Protozoal and fungal infections 175
Worm infestations 178
Serious injuries and environmental disorders 181
Serious injuries 182
Poisoning and environmental disorders 184
Skin, hair, and nails 189
Generalized skin conditions 192
Localized skin conditions 197
Skin infections and infestations 204
Minor skin injuries 207
Hair and nail disorders 208
Musculoskeletal system 211
Bone disorders 217
Joint and ligament disorders 220
Muscle and tendon disorders 229
Musculoskeletal injuries 231
Cardiovascular system 235
Major cardiovascular disorders 241
Heart rate and rhythm disorders 249
Heart valve and muscle disorders 253
Peripheral vascular disorders 258
Blood and the lymphatic and immune systems 265
Blood disorders 271
Disorders of the lymphatic system 278
Immune disorders 280
Allergies 283
Respiratory system 286
Nose and throat disorders 290
Lung disorders 294
Nervous system and mental function 311
General nervous system disorders 319
Disorders of the brain and spinal cord 322
Peripheral nervous system disorders 336
Mental health disorders 341
Eyes and vision 351
Eye disorders 355
Eyelid and tear system disorders 363
Vision disorders 365
Ears, hearing, and balance 370
Outer- and middle-ear disorders 374
Hearing and inner-ear disorders 376
Teeth and gums 381
Disorders of the teeth 383
Gum disorders 389
Digestive system 391
General digestive and nutritional problems 397
Disorders of the mouth, tongue, and oesophagus 400
Disorders of the stomach and duodenum 405
Disorders of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas 407
Disorders of the intestines, rectum, and anus 415
Hormones and metabolism 424
Pituitary gland disorders 430
Thyroid and parathyroid gland disorders 432
Adrenal gland disorders 435
Metabolic disorders 437
Urinary system 442
Kidney disorders 446
Disorders of the bladder and urethra 452
Male reproductive system 457
Disorders of the testes, scrotum, and penis 459
Prostate disorders 462
Male hormonal disorders 465
Female reproductive system 467
Menstrual, menopausal, and hormonal problems 471
Disorders of the female reproductive organs 475
Breast disorders 483
Sex and reproduction 489
Sexually transmitted infections 491
Sexual problems 494
Infertility 497
Pregnancy and childbirth 500
Problems in pregnancy 506
Problems in labour 517
Problems after childbirth 521
Infancy and childhood 524
Problems in babies 530
Chromosome and gene disorders 533
Skin and hair disorders 537
Musculoskeletal disorders 539
Disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems 542
Disorders of the nervous system 547
Developmental and psychological disorders 551
Eye and ear disorders 554
Disorders of the digestive system 558
Endocrine and metabolic disorders 561
Disorders of the reproductive and urinary systems 563
Treating disease 566 – 624
Introduction 566
Drug treatment 568
Understanding drugs 570
Drugs for infections and infestations 571
Drugs acting on the skin 575
Drugs for musculoskeletal disorders 578
Drugs for cardiovascular disorders 580
Drugs for blood and immune system disorders and cancer 583
Drugs for respiratory disorders 587
Drugs acting on the brain and nervous system 589
Drugs for eye and ear disorders 593
Drugs for digestive disorders 595
Vitamin and mineral supplements 598
Drugs acting on the endocrine system and metabolism 600
Drugs acting on the reproductive and urinary systems 604
Surgery 607
Having an operation 608
Types of surgery 611
Care and therapies 616
Care of the sick 617
Rehabilitation therapies 620
Psychological therapies 622
Index 625
Acknowledgments 648