The maternal instincts of a woman arise almost entirely from the female hormones within her body. These hormones are produced in a pair of almond-shaped organs, known as the ovaries. They are situated deep within the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus or womb.

Varicose veins are a condition in which the veins become enlarged, dilated or thickened. They have diminished elasticity and there are variations in the thickness of the vein wall. A varicose portion of a vein may affect the whole length or be localised to portions only.

Tuberculosis is one of the most dreaded diseases. It is a major health problem in India and often rated the number one killer. It affects eight to nine million people at any one time and over five lakh people die of this disease every year in this country. This disease is also called consumption as it consumes the body and reduces the patient to a skeleton.

Underweight, like overweight, is a relative term, being based on the ideal weight for a given height, build and sex. A person can be regarded as moderately underweight if he or she weighs 10 per cent below the ideal body weight and markedly so if 20 per cent below the ideal.

Sinusitis refers to an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the paranasal sinuses. It often follows the common cold, influenza and other general infections. Germs which are usually eliminated from the body sometimes find their way into these sinuses or chambers on either side of the nasal passage, leading to sinus trouble.

The word rheumatism is derived from the Greek word "rheuma", which means a swelling. It refers to an acute or chronic illness which is characterised by pain and swelling of the muscles, ligaments and tendons or of the joints. It is a crippling disease which causes widespread invalidism, but seldom kills.

Psoriasis is one of the most stubborn skin diseases. It is an inflammatory disease characterised by thick, red, silvery, scaled patches of skin. This disease affects both sexes equally. It may appear at any age but most often at the age ranging from 15 to 30 years. It is, however, rare in infancy and old age. Psoriasis is not contagious.

Nearly one-third of all men over 50 years suffer from prostate troubles of one form or another. The percentage rises with age and reaches 75 after the age of 80 years. Prostate and bladder disorders can lead to numerous other ailments such as arthritis, kidney disorders and uremia. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to detect the disease in its early stages and commence treatment.

Piles or Haemorrhoids are among the most common ailments today, especially in the western world. They are a varicose and often inflamed condition of the veins inside or just outside the rectum. IN external piles, there is a lot of pain but not much bleeding. In the case of internal piles, there is discharge of dark blood.

Neuritis is one of the most serious nervous disorders. It refers to an inflammation of the nerves, involving a single nerve or a series of nerves. At times, several different groups of nerves in various parts of the body may be involved. This condition is known as polyneuritis. It is also known as polyneuropathy, for strictly speaking, the condition is not an inflammation, but a change in the...

Nepthritis refers to an inflammation of the kidneys. It is a serious condition and may be either acute or chronic. A synonym for nepthritis is Bright’s disease, for Bright (1789 -1858) described examples of many different disease which can be included under the term.

Migraine is an ancient and formidable malady. It bothered such distinguished persons as Ceasar, Darwin and Freud. It has assumed alarming proportions under modern conditions of living and is now believed to afflict about 10 per cent of the world’s population.

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, to give it a proper medical term, is a disorder of blood sugar metabolism. It is a condition in which the penance produce excessive insulin, causing the blood sugar to drop. This may result in diabetes in later life.

Jaundice is the most common of all liver disorders. It is a condition in which yellow discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes occurs due to an increase in the bile pigment, bilirubin, in the blood.The bile, produced by the liver, is a vital digestive fluid which is essential for proper nutrition. It exercises a most favourable influence on the general processes of digestion. It also...

Influenza, also known as flu, is the clinical condition that results from infection with influenza virus. The main effects of the influenza virus are on the upper respiratory tract, the nose and throat, with possible spread and involvement of the lungs and bronchi. It is highly contagious and it has a potential to cause widespread epidemics affecting a sizeable portion of a population at any time.