NHS | UK HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been ...

NHS  Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another. People with bipolar disorder have periods or episodes of: depression – feeling very low and lethargic mania – feeling very high and overactive (less severe mania is known as hypomania) Symptoms of bipo...

By Meera Senthilingam, CNN ​ ​ For the first time, an experimental drug has reduced levels of the toxic protein that causes Huntington's disease in humans. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder in which mutant forms of the huntingtin protein damage nerve cells in the brain. The new drug, Ionis-HTTRx, was shown to be safe in humans and lower...

NHS UK  A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential.  The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.  If you suspect that you or someone else is h...

NHS UK   A snake will sometimes bite in self-defence if disturbed or provoked. Most snake bites occur when someone accidentally steps on a snake while walking in the countryside.  Some snakes are venomous and can inject venom containing toxins as they bite. A bite from a venomous snake is a medical emergency because it can be deadly ...

NHS UK   Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. The three main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are: involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor) slow movement stiff and inflexible muscles A person with Parkinson's disease can also experience a wide range...

NHS UK   Pancreatic cancer is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas – a large gland that's part of the digestive system.  Around half of all new cases are diagnosed in people aged 75 or over. It's uncommon in people under 40 years of age. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer In the early stages, a tumour in...

NHS UK   ​ Nasal polyps are painless soft growths inside your nose. They're not usually serious, but they can keep growing and block your nose if not treated. Symptoms of nasal polyps include: blocked nose runny nose constant need to swallow (post-nasal drip) reduced sense of smell or taste nosebleeds snoring Nasal polyps can sometimes fe...

NHS UK   Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition which can affect the brain and/or spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild. In many case...

NHS | UK  Motor neurone disease (MND) is a uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time. It's always fatal and can significantly shorten life expectancy, but some people live with it for many years. There's no cure, but there are treatments to help reduce the impact it has on your daily lif...

Elaine K. Luo, MD   MeningitisMeningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. Meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly. It can cause life-threatening blood poisoning (septi...

Elaine K. Luo, MD    Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It's typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream. Once the parasites are inside your body, they travel to the liver , wher...

wbur.org ​  Homicide is the leading cause of death for African-American men aged 15 to 34 in the United States. It's the third-leading cause for all men in that age group, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, there's been a shift in many communities toward treating violence as a disease, and employing trie...

Katie Forster ​ NHS set to ban homeopathy for patients because it is 'not evidence based and any benefits are down to placebo' Health service currently spends more than £90,000 a year on the natural treatment. Doctors should stop prescribing homeopathic medicine to NHS patients, the health service has said. The change has been proposed because "at ...

Andrew Buncombe New York ​ The Federal Trade Commission has demanded that producers of homeopathic treatments say on the label that they do not work There is a huge market in the US for homeopathic remedies . In 2007 alone, it was estimated Americans spent more than $3bn on a controversial system of alternative medicine created in 1796 by Samuel Ha...

By Zahid Mahmood, CNN ​ A team of scientists from Australia and Japan has developed a blood test to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease. The noninvasive test was developed to detect the presence of the toxic protein amyloid beta, known to be present in people affected by the disease, and did so with 90% accuracy, according to the study, publi...

NHS UK   A heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. A heart attack is a medical emergency. A lack of blood to the heart may seriously damage the heart muscle and can be life-threatening. Symptoms of a heart attack Sympt...