Women's Health Terms Beginning with the Letter "C"

Calluses and corns

You ask a lot of your hands and feet. You cram your feet into shoes and walk around all day. And you may apply great force to your hands as you work with tools in your job or at home. These actions subject your skin to friction and pressure. Your skin often protects itself by building up corns and calluses — thick, hardened harmless layers of skin.

Corns and calluses are often confused, but they're not the same thing. Corns are smaller than calluses — less than a quarter-inch in diameter — and have a hard center. Corns usually develop on the tops and sides of your toes and can be painful. Calluses, which may
feel rough, are rarely painful and vary in size and shape. Calluses usually develop on your palms and soles, especially underneath the bottom ends of your foot bones (metatarsals).

Although corns and calluses can be unsightly, you need treatment only if they cause discomfort. For most people, eliminating the source of friction or pressure helps corns and calluses disappear. If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor circulation to your feet, you're at greater risk of complications. Seek a doctor's advice on caring for corns and calluses.

Cancer, bladder

Bladder cancer is cancer of the sac that collects and holds urine until it exits your body. It's the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and the 10th most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. Most people who develop the disease are older adults — less than 1 percent of cases occur in people younger than 40.

Smoking is the greatest single risk factor for bladder cancer. Exposure to certain toxic chemicals and drugs also makes it more likely you'll develop the disease. Although some of these risk factors can be controlled, the incidence of bladder cancer hasn't decreased significantly in recent years. Even so, increased understanding of the disease means the outlook for people with this type of cancer is brighter now than in the past.

If the cancer is detected early — before it has moved beyond the lining of your bladder — you have a better chance of a successful treatment with minimal side effects. Treating bladder cancer that has spread is more difficult and involves more extensive procedures. But several new approaches can offer a better quality of life. In addition, researchers are studying ways to help prevent the disease in the first place.

Cancer, bone

Sarcomas are cancers that originate either in your bones or in the soft tissues of your body. Soft tissues connect, support and surround other body structures. They include muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the lining of your joints (synovial tissues). A large variety of cancers can occur in the bones and in numerous soft tissues.

Sarcoma comes from a Greek word meaning "fleshy growth." Soft tissue sarcomas share similar characteristics, produce similar symptoms and are treated similarly. Bone sarcomas have different characteristics from soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft tissue sarcomas aren't common, accounting for less than 1 percent of new cancer cases in the United States annually, or about 8,300 new cases. This type of cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. About one in 10 soft tissue sarcomas affects children and adolescents. Primary bone cancer is rare, with only about 2,400 new cases a year in the United States, and it affects more children than adults.

Not all sarcomas are cancerous (malignant). Some are noncancerous (benign). For both bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas, treatment depends on the type of sarcoma, what part of your body the cancer affects, and the size and stage of the cancer.

Cancer, brain tumor

A brain tumor is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in the brain. Tumors in the brain typically are categorized as primary or secondary. Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Secondary brain tumors result from cancer that has started elsewhere and spread (metastasized) to the brain. Primary brain tumors are less common than secondary brain tumors are.

Benign brain tumors are usually slower growing, easier to remove (depending on their location), and less likely to recur than are malignant brain tumors. Benign brain tumors usually don't invade the surrounding normal brain or other nearby structures. Malignant brain tumors can grow rapidly, crowding or destroying nearby brain tissue. However, in a small number of cases even benign brain tumors can cause serious problems or can be life-threatening.

Brain tumors are often challenging to treat. They're the second-leading cause of cancer death in children under age 20. But the outlook isn't necessarily bleak. Many types of brain tumors can be successfully treated with one or more treatment methods. In addition, technology is enabling doctors to target tumors more precisely. And innovative treatments under investigation mean more hope for the future.

Cancer, breast

In breast cancer, cells in your breast begin growing abnormally — often for unknown reasons. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells and may spread through your breast or into other parts of your body. The most common type of breast cancer begins in the ducts designed to carry milk after childbirth, but cancer may also occur in the small sacs that produce milk (lobules) or in other breast tissue.

Breast cancer is the disease many women fear most, though they're far more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than they are of all forms of cancer combined. Still, breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths in American women. More than 200,000 American women are diagnosed annually with breast cancer. And nearly 40,000 American women die annually of breast cancer. Although rare, breast cancer can also occur in men.

Yet there's more reason for optimism with regard to breast cancer than ever before. Great strides have been made in diagnosis and treatment in the last 25 years. In 1975 a diagnosis of breast cancer usually meant radical mastectomy — removal of the entire breast along with underarm lymph nodes and skin and muscles underneath the breast. Today, radical mastectomy is rarely performed. Instead, there are more and better treatment options, and many women are candidates for breast-sparing operations, such as lumpectomy.

Emphasis is also being placed on early detection, lifestyle changes and therapies such as tamoxifen that may reduce the risk of breast cancer. In addition, a growing network of agencies and resources exist to help those who have just received a diagnosis, are facing treatment decisions or are living with breast cancer.

Cancer, cervical

Cancer of the cervix is one of the most common cancers that affect a woman's reproductive organs. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases.

When exposed to HPV, the immune system response in most women prevents the virus from doing harm. In a small group of women, however, the virus survives for years before it eventually converts some cells on the surface of the cervix into cancer cells. Older women are most at risk of developing cervical cancer.

Thanks largely to Pap test screening, the death rate from cervical cancer has decreased greatly over the last 40 years. Still, every year more than 12,000 women in the United States find out that they have invasive cervical cancer, and approximately 4,000 die of the disease.

Cancer, colorectal

Colorectal cancer includes cancers of both the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system, and the rectum, the last 8 to 10 inches of the colon.

Most colon and rectal cancers begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps become cancerous.

Polyps may be small and produce few, if any, symptoms, so it's important to get regular screening tests to help prevent colorectal cancer. If signs and symptoms of cancer do appear, they may include a change in bowel habits, blood in your stool, persistent cramping, gas or abdominal pain.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Only lung cancer claims more lives. Each year, more than 135,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 56,000 die.

Still, there's good news about colorectal cancer. Screening tests, along with a few simple changes in your diet and lifestyle, can dramatically reduce your overall risk of developing the disease

Cancer, endometrial

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers in American women. In fact, about 40,000 American women receive a diagnosis of endometrial cancer each year, making it the fourth most common cancer found in women — after breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.
Endometrial cancer usually begins in the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ. Endometrial cancer most often occurs after the reproductive years, between the ages of 60 and 70. Endometrial cancer is sometimes
called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous — such as muscle or myometrial cells. These form much less common cancers called sarcomas and account for less than 5 percent of uterine cancers.

Endometrial cancer is often detected at an early stage because it frequently produces vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods or after menopause. If discovered early, this slow-growing cancer is likely to be confined to the uterus. Removing the uterus surgically often eliminates the cancer. In fact, stage I endometrial cancer is successfully treated more than 90 percent of the time. Unfortunately, not everyone can be successfully treated because the cancer may have spread beyond the uterus at the time of diagnosis. About 7,000 American women die each year of endometrial cancer.

Cancer, esophageal

Esophageal cancer starts in the inner layer of the esophagus, the 10-inch long tube that connects your throat and stomach. From there, the cancer spreads outward.

Because esophageal cancer rarely causes symptoms in its early stages, it often has spread to the outer wall of the esophagus or to nearby lymph nodes before it's diagnosed. The most common symptom, which usually occurs late in the disease, is difficulty swallowing and a sensation of food sticking in your throat or chest.

Although doctors don't know all of the causes of esophageal cancer, certain factors greatly increase your risk. Among these are smoking, long-term alcohol abuse, and acid reflux, a condition that occurs when stomach acids back up into the lower part of your esophagus. Even mild chronic heartburn — the kind of acid reflux you relieve with antacids — can make you more prone to esophageal cancer. A diet lacking in fruits, vegetables and certain nutrients also increases your risk.

Esophageal cancer was estimated to develop in about 14,000 Americans — the majority of them men between 55 and 70 — in 2003. In the past, the outlook for most people with esophageal cancer was poor. But survival rates have improved. Even more encouraging is that diet and lifestyle changes may significantly reduce your chances of ever developing this type of cancer.

Cancer, gallbladder

Esophageal cancer starts in the inner layer of the esophagus, the 10-inch long tube that connects your throat and stomach. From there, the cancer spreads outward.

Cancer, gastric

Over the past 50 years, the incidence of stomach (gastric) cancer has declined dramatically in the United States and western Europe. But the disease remains a grave problem in much of the rest of the world — especially in Asia, eastern Europe and parts of Latin America, where it's second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths.

Scientists have identified several factors that play a role in the development of stomach cancer. Among these is infection with a type of bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a leading cause of stomach irritation and ulcers. Countries such as China and Colombia, where at least half the children are infected with H. pylori, have a correspondingly high prevalence of stomach cancer. Heavily salted, smoked and pickled foods also are known to cause stomach cancer, and the disease is more common in countries where these foods form a large part of the diet. When refrigeration replaces salting and pickling as a way of preserving food, the incidence of stomach cancer declines significantly.

Stomach cancer is more readily treated when caught early. Unfortunately, by the time it's diagnosed the disease is often at an advanced stage and may have spread beyond the stomach to nearby lymph nodes or to other organs such as the liver, pancreas and colon.

When possible, the most common treatment for stomach cancer is an operation that removes part or all of your stomach. Chemotherapy or radiation also may be used, especially to help relieve symptoms in the later stages of the disease.

The encouraging news about stomach cancer is that you can greatly reduce your risk by eating a varied and healthy diet, and by receiving prompt treatment for any H. pylori infection.

Cancer, Hodgkin’s disease

Hodgkin's disease — also known as Hodgkin's lymphoma — is an uncommon cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. It's named after the British physician Thomas Hodgkin, who first described the disease in 1832 and noted several characteristics that distinguish it from other lymphomas.

In Hodgkin's disease, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As the disease progresses, it compromises your body's ability to fight infection. Many initial signs and symptoms may be similar to those of influenza, such as fever, fatigue and night sweats. Eventually, tumors develop. Hodgkin's disease most commonly affects people between the ages of 15 and 34 and people older than age 55.

Hodgkin's disease is one of two common types of cancers of the lymphatic system. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the other type, is far more common. In 2003, there were about 7,600 new cases of Hodgkin's disease compared with 53,400 new cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the United States. Each year, about 1,300 Americans die of Hodgkin's disease. However, death rates for this disease have dropped by 60 percent since the 1970s.

Today, 85 percent of people who receive initial treatment experience long-term remission. Advances in diagnosis, staging and treatment of Hodgkin's disease have helped to make this once uniformly fatal disease highly treatable with the potential for full recovery. The overall survival rate after 15 years is almost 70 percent.

Cancer, kidney

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They're located behind your abdomen, one on each side of your spine. Like other major organs in your body, your kidneys can sometimes develop cancer. In adults, the most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma), which begins in the cells that line small tubes (tubules) within your kidneys. Children are more likely to develop a kind of kidney cancer called Wilms' tumor.

Kidney cancer seldom causes problems in its early stages. But as a tumor grows, you may notice blood in your urine or experience unintentional weight loss or back pain that doesn't go away. Cancer cells may also spread (metastasize) outside your kidneys to nearby organs such as your adrenal glands, pancreas and spine, as well as to more distant sites in your body.

An estimated 35,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with kidney cancer and more than 12,000 die of the disease. Yet if kidney cancer is detected and treated early, the chances for a full recovery are good.

Cancer, liver

Primary liver cancer occurs when cancerous (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of your liver. Although many cancers are on the decline, the incidence of primary liver cancer in the United States increased more than 70 percent between 1975 and 1995. The increase is linked to rising rates of hepatitis B and C infection — the leading causes of liver cancer.

Far more common than primary liver cancer, however, is cancer that occurs when tumors from other parts of the body spread (metastasize) to the liver. The liver is especially vulnerable to invasion by tumor cells and with the exception of the lymph nodes, is the most common site of metastasis.

Because liver cancer is rarely discovered early, the prognosis is often poor. Yet even in advanced cases, treatment can help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. In addition to standard treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, new and less invasive therapies may be an option for some people.

But the most encouraging news about liver cancer is that you can greatly reduce your risk by receiving a vaccine that protects you from the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Lifestyle changes can help prevent other major causes of liver cancer, such as hepatitis C and cirrhosis.

Cancer, lung

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, among both men and women. It claims more lives than colon, prostate and breast cancer combined. Since the mid-1990s, more than 150,000 Americans have died of the disease each year.

Yet most of these deaths could have been prevented. That's because smoking accounts for about 85 percent to 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Although your risk of cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes you smoke, quitting smoking, even after many years, can greatly reduce your chances of developing the disease.

Protecting yourself from exposure to other leading causes of lung cancer, such as asbestos, radon and secondhand smoke, also decreases your risk. Prevention is especially important because lung cancer usually isn't discovered until it's at an advanced stage when the outlook for recovery is less positive.

Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of cancer, how advanced it is and your overall health. In some cases, surgical removal of the tumor may be an option. In others, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of the two is likely to provide better results.

Cancer, melanoma

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and is increasing rapidly. Although more benign forms of skin cancer such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are on the rise, the greatest increase has been in melanoma, the most serious and most deadly type of skin cancer. In fact, the percentage of people with melanoma has more than doubled in the last 30 years.

Melanoma develops in the cells that produce melanin (melanocytes) — the pigment that gives your skin its color. It can also form in your eye (intraocular melanoma) and in rare cases in internal organs such as your intestine. But most melanomas develop in your skin.

Although they make up the smallest percentage of all skin cancers, melanomas cause the greatest number of deaths. That's because they're more likely than other skin cancers to spread to different parts of your body (metastasize). The exact cause of all melanomas isn't clear, but exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds greatly increases the risk of developing the disease.
Avoiding excessive sun exposure can prevent many melanomas. And knowing the warning signs of skin cancer can help ensure that malignant changes are detected and treated before they can spread. Melanoma can be successfully treated if it's caught early.

Cancer, mouth

Recently, you've noticed a pale lump inside your mouth that doesn't seem to be healing. It's not like anything you've seen before. What you may have encountered is an early sign of oral or throat cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates more than 28,000 new cases of oral and throat (oropharyngeal) cancer occur annually in the United States. Oral cancer includes cancer of the lips, mouth, tongue, gums and salivary glands. Throat cancer involves cancer of the part of the throat just behind the mouth. An estimated more than 7,000 Americans die of these cancers annually.

Periodic self-examination of your mouth is the best way to detect the early signs of oral cancer. And, when detected early, oral cancer is almost always successfully treated. Unfortunately, many oral and upper throat cancers are far advanced by the time a doctor is made aware of the situation. This is because oral and throat cancers are usually painless in their early stages.

Cancer, multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of your plasma cells, a type of white blood cell present in your bone marrow — the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones. The cause of this disease isn't known.

Plasma cells usually make up less than 5 percent of the cells in your bone marrow. But if you have multiple myeloma, a group of abnormal plasma cells (myeloma cells) multiplies to make up more than 10 percent of the cells in your bone marrow. The result can be erosion of your bones. The disease also interferes with the function of your bone marrow and immune system, which can lead to anemia and infection. More infections tend to occur later in the disease. Multiple myeloma may also cause problems with your kidneys.

The disease is called multiple myeloma because abnormal myeloma cells can occur in multiple bone marrow sites in your body.

About 47,000 Americans have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and nearly 15,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. Multiple myeloma is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths in the United States annually.

If you have the disease but you're not experiencing symptoms, you may just need your doctor to monitor your condition. A variety of treatments are available if you're experiencing symptoms.

Cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of your lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tumors develop from white blood cells (lymphocytes). These tumors can occur at different locations in your body. There are more than 30 types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

More than 54,000 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are diagnosed annually in the United States. Each year the disease accounts for nearly 25,000 deaths in the United States. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the fifth most common cause of cancer in the United States. It is more than seven times as common as the other general type of lymphoma — Hodgkin's disease.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been one of the most rapidly increasing types of cancer in the United States. Since the 1970s rates of this disease have almost doubled. The good news is that although the incidence has increased, so has the survival rate. Today, the overall five-year survival rate is above 50 percent. The earlier you receive a diagnosis, the greater your chance for a successful treatment.

Cancer, oral and throat

Cancer, ovarian

Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries — each about the size of an almond — produce eggs (ova) as well as the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Ovarian cancer occurs when cells grow in an uncontrolled, abnormal manner and produce tumors in one or both ovaries.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women. It's diagnosed in more than 25,000 women in the United States each year, and about 16,000 women die of the disease annually.

Your chances of surviving ovarian cancer are better if the cancer is found early. But because the disease is difficult to detect in its early stage, only about 29 percent of ovarian cancers are found before tumor growth has spread into tissues and organs beyond the ovaries. Most of the time, the disease has already advanced before it's diagnosed.

Until recently, doctors thought that early-stage ovarian cancer rarely produced any symptoms. But new evidence has shown that many women do have signs and symptoms before the disease has spread. Being aware of them may lead to earlier detection.

Cancer, pancreatic

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious of all cancers. It develops when malignant cells form in the tissues of your pancreas — a large organ that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Although pancreatic cancer accounts for just 2 percent of new cancer cases in the United States, it's the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths. That's because pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages. Symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss may not appear until the disease is quite advanced. By that time, the cancer is likely to have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body and surgical removal is no longer possible.
For years, little was known about pancreatic cancer. But researchers are beginning to understand the genetic basis of the disease — knowledge that may lead to new and better treatments. Just as important, you may be able to reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer with a few simple lifestyle changes.

Cancer, sarcoma

Cancer, skin

Skin cancer — the abnormal growth of skin cells — is the most common form of cancer diagnosed. Doctors diagnose skin cancer in approximately 1 million Americans each year, and about 9,800 Americans die annually of skin cancer.

The three major types of skin cancer are basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. Basal (BA-sul) cell and squamous (SKWA-mus) cell are the two most common and comprise the large majority of cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Both are superficial, slow growing and highly treatable, especially if found early. Melanoma is a more serious form of skin cancer. It affects deeper layers of the skin and has the greatest potential to spread to other tissues in your body.

All three types of skin cancer are on the rise. Fair-skinned people who live in areas that get a lot of sunshine are at greatest risk. But anyone can develop skin cancer, which is most commonly caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

The good news is that most skin cancers are preventable by limiting or avoiding exposure to UV radiation and by detecting changes in your skin at an early stage. If caught early, most skin cancers are highly treatable. For these reasons, it's important to protect your skin from the sun and to check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer.

Cancer, soft tissue

Soft tissue sarcomas aren't common, accounting for less than 1 percent of new cancer cases in the United States annually, or about 8,300 new cases. This type of cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. About one in 10 soft tissue sarcomas affects
children and adolescents. Primary bone cancer is rare, with only about 2,400 new cases a year in the United States, and it affects more children than adults.

Cancer, throat

Cancer, thyroid

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. Although the thyroid gland is small, it produces hormones that regulate every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories.

Sometimes you may develop one or more solid or fluid-filled lumps in your thyroid, called nodules. The great majority of these nodules are noncancerous (benign) and cause no symptoms. Approximately 5 percent of nodules are malignant. Although nearly half of all Americans are likely to have a thyroid nodule sometime in their life, only about 20,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with thyroid cancer each year.

For most of these people, the prognosis is excellent. The most common types of thyroid cancer can often be completely removed with surgery. What's more, five-year survival rates are among the highest of any type of cancer — more than 90 percent.

Cancer, uterine

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers in American women. In fact, about 40,000 American women receive a diagnosis of endometrial cancer each year, making it the fourth most common cancer found in women — after breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.
Endometrial cancer usually begins in the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ. Endometrial cancer most often occurs after the reproductive years, between the ages of 60 and 70. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous — such as muscle or myometrial cells. These form much less common cancers called sarcomas and account for less than 5 percent of uterine cancers.

Candidiasis, oral

Like most healthy people, you probably have small amounts of the fungus Candida albicans in your mouth and digestive tract and on your skin. You can't see the fungus and normally won't know it's there — Candida usually doesn't cause problems because normal bacteria (flora) in your body keep its growth in check. But when this balance is disturbed — by medications, stress or illness — Candida can grow out of control, leading to problems such as diaper rash, vaginal yeast infections and a mouth infection called oral thrush.
Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks. The lesions can be painful and may bleed slightly when you scrape them or brush your teeth. Sometimes the infection may spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums, tonsils or the back of your throat.

Although oral thrush can affect anyone, it occurs most often in babies and toddlers, older adults, and people whose immune systems have been compromised by illness or medications. It's usually a minor problem for healthy children and adults and can be effectively treated with natural remedies or antifungal medications. But for people with weakened immune systems, symptoms may be more severe, widespread and difficult to control.

Canker sore

Small and out-of-sight, but painful, persistent and annoying. That's what canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers (aphthae), are like for people who experience them. These shallow ulcers in your mouth can make eating and talking uncomfortable. They may occur on your tongue, on your soft palate, inside your cheeks or lips, and at the base of your gums.

Canker sores differ from cold sores in that they occur in the soft tissues of your mouth and aren't contagious. Conversely, cold sores rarely develop in the soft tissues of your mouth and are extremely contagious because they're caused by the herpes virus.

Canker sores are common, but the cause in many cases is unknown. Canker sores can occur at any age, but often first appear when you are between 10 and 40 years of age.

Often, treatment isn't necessary. Pain often decreases after several days, and canker sores usually heal within one to three weeks. Occasionally, severe canker sores can develop that are larger than 1 centimeter in diameter or last longer than two weeks or both.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Some people might think that carpal tunnel syndrome is a new condition of the information technology age, born from long hours of computer keyboarding. But carpal tunnel syndrome is nothing new. Evidence of people experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome occurs in medical records dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.

Bounded by bones and ligaments, the carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway — about as big around as your thumb — located on the palm side of your wrist. This tunnel protects a main nerve to your hand and nine tendons that bend your fingers. Pressure placed on the nerve produces the numbness, pain and, eventually, hand weakness that characterize carpal tunnel syndrome.

Fortunately, for most people who develop carpal tunnel syndrome, proper treatment usually can relieve the pain and numbness and restore normal use of the wrists and hands.

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. It's like trying to see through a frosty or fogged-up window. Clouded vision can make it more difficult to read, drive a car or see the expression on a friend's face. Cataracts commonly affect distance vision and cause problems with glare. They generally don't cause pain, double vision with both eyes open or abnormal tearing.

Clouding of the lens is a normal part of getting older. About half of Americans older than 65 have some degree of clouding of the lens. After age 75, as many as 70 percent of Americans have cataracts that are significant enough to impair their vision.

Most cataracts develop slowly and don't disturb your eyesight early on. But as the clouding progresses, the cataract eventually interferes with your vision.

In the early stages, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help you deal with the vision problems. But at some point, if impaired vision jeopardizes your normal lifestyle, you might need surgery. Fortunately, cataract removal is one of the safest, most effective and most common surgical procedures.

Cellulitis

Cellulitis (sel-u-LI-tis) is a potentially serious bacterial infection of your skin. It appears as a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot and tender, and it may spread rapidly.

Skin on the lower legs or face is most commonly affected by this infection, though cellulitis can occur on any part of your skin. The infection may only be superficial, but it may also affect the tissues underlying your skin and can spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream.

Left untreated, the spreading bacterial infection may rapidly turn into a life-threatening condition. That's why it's important to recognize the signs and symptoms of cellulitis and to seek immediate medical attention if they occur.

Cervical Dysplasia

A condition in which cells in the cervix have undergone precancerous changes. It is detected by a Pap smear; treatment can prevent it from progressing to cervical cancer.

Cervicitis

Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix, the lower narrow end of your uterus that opens into your vagina. Most often, it's a condition that requires no treatment. However, in some cases, cervicitis can be caused by infection, including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Successful treatment of cervicitis involves addressing the cause of the inflammation. You can take steps to reduce your risk of cervicitis from STDs.

Cervix

The lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) located between the bladder and the rectum. It forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body.

Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN)

The term used to classify the degree of precancerous change in cells of the cervix in a condition called cervical dysplasia.

Chemical dependency

You may be hooked emotionally and psychologically. You may have a physical dependence, too. If you're addicted to a drug — whether it's legal or illegal — you have intense cravings for it. You want to use it again and again. When you stop taking the drug, you may have unpleasant physical reactions.

An estimated 19.5 million Americans over the age of 12 use illicit drugs. Many other people abuse or are addicted to legal substances. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. While not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted, many people do. As many as 19,000 people die of drug-related causes every year.

Drug addiction involves compulsively seeking to use a substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences. Certain drugs, such as narcotics and cocaine, are more physically addicting than are other drugs.

Breaking a drug addiction may involve support from your doctor, family, friends and others who have an addiction, as well as inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Chest pain

It's the middle of the night or maybe the beginning of a busy workday when you suddenly feel pain in your chest. You may try to ignore it at first, but the pain has you scared and worried. Could you be having a heart attack? Should you go to the emergency room?

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons people call for emergency medical help. Every year emergency room doctors see nearly four million Americans for this symptom.

Fortunately, chest pain doesn't always signal a heart attack. Often it's unrelated to any heart problem. But even if the chest pain you experience has nothing to do with your cardiovascular system, the problem may still be important — and worth the time spent in an emergency room to have it evaluated.

Chickenpox

Chickenpox was once considered a rite of passage for most children. Before 1995 — when a vaccine for chickenpox became available in the United States — about 4 million Americans, mostly children, contracted chickenpox each year. Thanks to the vaccine, that number is down about 80 percent.

However, when chickenpox does occur, it's highly contagious among people who aren't immune. This red, itchy rash is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses. It spreads easily from person to person through the air and physical contact.

Most people think of chickenpox as a mild disease — and, for most, it is. Chickenpox usually lasts two weeks or less and rarely causes complications. But the disease can be serious, even in healthy children. Before the chickenpox vaccine became part of the regular childhood immunization schedule, the virus caused about 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths in the United States each year.
There's no way to know which child or adult will develop a severe case. However, the chickenpox vaccine is the safest, most effective way to prevent chickenpox and its possible complications. In the small number of cases when the vaccine doesn't stop chickenpox completely, the resulting infection is much milder than the infections that put most U.S. children into bed for a week years ago.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of your genital tract that spreads easily through sexual contact. You may not know you have chlamydia at first because the signs and symptoms of pain and fluid discharge don't show up right away, if they show up at all. Many people experience no signs and symptoms. The disease isn't difficult to treat once you know you have it. If it's left untreated, however, chlamydia can lead to more serious health problems.

The condition is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. The cause is the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.

Each year, as many as 3 million people in the United States are infected with chlamydia. An estimated one in two sexually active women will have had chlamydia by the time they're 30 years old.

The disease affects both men and women and occurs in all age groups, though it's most prevalent among U.S. teenagers. Seventy-five percent of chlamydia infections occur in people under 25.

Chronic adrenal insufficiency

Addison's disease is a disorder that results in your body producing insufficient amounts of certain important hormones.

This disorder affects your adrenal glands, which are located just above each of your two kidneys. The adrenal glands are part of your endocrine system, and they produce hormones that give instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in your body.

In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol, which is one of the hormones in a group called the glucocorticoids. Sometimes, Addison's disease also involves insufficient production of aldosterone, one of the hormones called the mineralocorticoids. Addison's disease can be life-threatening.

The disorder, also called adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism, can occur at any age, including infancy, and is equally likely among males and females. It's rare, affecting only about one in 100,000 people. Treatment involves taking hormones to replace the insufficient amount being made by the adrenal glands.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder characterized by profound fatigue that doesn't improve with bed rest and may worsen with physical or mental activity. Of all chronic illnesses, CFS is one of the most mysterious. Unlike infections, it has no clear cause. Unlike conditions such as diabetes or anemia, there's essentially nothing to measure. And unlike conditions such as heart disease, there are relatively few treatment options.

CFS may occur after an infection such as a cold, bronchitis, mononucleosis, hepatitis or intestinal illness. It can start during or shortly after a period of high stress or come on gradually without any clear starting point and any obvious cause. CFS is a flu-like condition that can drain your energy and sometimes last for years. People previously healthy and full of energy may experience extreme fatigue, weakness and headaches as well as painful joints, muscles and lymph nodes.

Women are diagnosed with CFS two to four times as often as men are. However, it's unclear whether CFS affects women more frequently or if women report it to their doctors more often than men do. An estimated 500,000 people in the United States have a CFS-like condition. CFS can affect a person of any age or race.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a general term for a group of diseases that cause progressive damage to your lungs. These diseases include chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. Of the more than 16 million Americans with COPD, about 2 million have emphysema.

Emphysema develops gradually, and you may not experience symptoms until long-term damage to the tiny air sacs in your lungs causes you to feel short of breath. In fact, shortness of breath is usually the first symptom of the disease.

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema. In addition to affecting your breathing, emphysema increases your risk of pneumonia, asthma, acute and chronic bronchitis, and other serious respiratory diseases.

Emphysema is a serious disease, and the lung damage it causes can't be reversed. But the encouraging news is that in most cases you can halt, or at least greatly slow, the progression of emphysema if you quit smoking. What's more, not smoking at all is the best way to prevent the disease.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)

A diagnostic test usually performed between the 10th and 12th weeks of pregnancy in which a small sample of tissue is taken from the placenta and examined to detect genetic abnormalities in a fetus.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a condition that causes irreversible scarring of the liver. As scar tissue replaces normal tissue, blood flow through your liver is affected, making it increasingly difficult for your liver to carry out functions that are essential for life and health. Among other major tasks, the liver detoxifies harmful substances, purifies your blood and manufactures vital nutrients.

Cirrhosis rarely causes signs and symptoms in its early stages. But as liver function deteriorates, you may experience fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, unintended weight loss and swelling in your legs and abdomen. In time, jaundice — a yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes — and intense itching can develop.

In the United States, alcoholism and chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus are the leading causes of cirrhosis. But other factors, including damaged bile ducts, immune system problems and prolonged exposure to certain environmental toxins can cause liver scarring.
Although liver damage from cirrhosis is irreversible, the disease usually progresses slowly and symptoms are often controllable. Specific treatment for cirrhosis depends on the underlying cause, but anyone with cirrhosis must avoid alcohol and other substances that harm the liver. When damage is so severe that liver function is seriously impaired, a liver transplant may be the only option.

Climacteric (Also called perimenopause)

Tthe transition period of time before menopause, marked by a decreased production of estrogen and progesterone, irregular menstrual periods, and transitory psychological changes.

Cluster headache

In most cases headache pain, even severe headache pain, isn't the result of any underlying disease. In fact, the vast majority of headaches are primary headaches — headaches that aren't caused by a specific medical condition. These include migraines, tension-type headaches and cluster headaches.

Cluster headache is distinctive in ways other than the severity of the pain. A striking feature of cluster headache is that the attacks occur in cyclical patterns, or clusters — which gives the condition its name. Bouts of frequent attacks, in what's known as cluster periods, may last from weeks to months, followed by remission periods when the headache attacks stop completely. Although the pattern varies from one person to another, most people have one or two cluster periods a year. During remission, no headaches occur for months, and sometimes even years.

Cluster headache is one of the most painful types of headache. Fortunately, cluster headache is rare, affecting less than 1 percent of the U.S. population. The condition is more common in men. Cluster headache can affect people at any age but is most common between adolescence and middle age.

Although cluster headache attacks are extremely painful, they're not life-threatening. Several treatments are available to help make the attacks shorter and less severe. In addition, preventive medications can help reduce the number of headaches.

Cold

A cold is an infection of your upper respiratory tract. It's common and relatively harmless — but it sure doesn't feel that way when you have one. If it's not a runny nose, sore throat and a cough, it's watery eyes, sneezing and miserable congestion. Or maybe all of the above. In fact, because any one of more than 200 viruses can cause colds, symptoms tend to vary greatly.

Unfortunately, if you're like most adults, you're likely to have two to four colds a year. Children, especially preschoolers, may have as many as eight to ten colds annually.

The good news is that you or your child should be feeling better in about a week. If symptoms aren't improving in that time, see your doctor to make sure you don't have a bacterial infection in your lungs, larynx, trachea, sinuses or ears.

Cold sore

The scenario is all too familiar: You feel a tingling on your lip and a small, hard spot that you can't yet see. Sure enough, in a day or two, red blisters appear on your lip. It's another cold sore, probably happening at a bad time, and there's no way to hide it or make it go away quickly.

Cold sores — also called fever blisters — are quite different from canker sores, a condition people sometimes associate them with. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, and they're contagious. Canker sores, which aren't contagious, are ulcers that occur in the soft tissues inside your mouth, places where cold sores don't occur.

Cold sores are common. But though you can't cure or prevent cold sores, you can take steps to reduce their frequency and to limit the duration of an occurrence.

Colic

All babies cry — it's one of the main ways they communicate. But some babies cry more than others do. And some, although they're healthy, well-fed and well cared for, seem to cry inconsolably. If your baby cries about the same time each day and nothing you do seems to comfort him or her, your baby may have colic.

Colic is not a disease, but a pattern of excessive crying with no apparent cause. This frustrating and largely unexplained condition affects about 10 percent of infants. Colic usually starts a few weeks after birth, peaks at about 6 weeks of age and usually improves markedly by your baby's third to fifth month.

Although colic can be extremely distressing for both you and your child, you can take comfort in the fact that it's not permanent. In fact, in a matter of weeks, when your baby is happier and sleeping better, you'll have weathered one of the first major challenges of parenthood.

Colitis, ulcerative

An estimated more than 1 million Americans have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These conditions, which can be painful and debilitating, cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are very similar — so similar, in fact, that they're often mistaken for one another. Both inflame the lining of your digestive tract, and both can cause severe bouts of watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. But Crohn's disease can occur anywhere in your digestive tract, often spreading deep into the layers of affected tissues. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, usually affects only the innermost lining (mucosa) of your large intestine (colon) and rectum.

Ten to 15 people out of every 100,000 in the United States develop ulcerative colitis, while about seven in 100,000 get Crohn's disease. No one knows exactly what causes these diseases, although your immune response and certain genetic and environmental factors may play a role.

There's no known medical cure for either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. However, therapies are available that may dramatically reduce your signs and symptoms and even bring about a long-term remission.

Colon ischemia

Like your heart, your digestive system needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to function properly. If the blood flow to your small intestine or colon is reduced, intestinal ischemia (is-KE-me-uh) can result.

The cause of intestinal ischemia is often an accumulation of fatty deposits in some of your arteries (atherosclerosis), which narrows those arteries and restricts the amount of blood moving through them. When atherosclerosis affects the arteries supplying blood to your intestinal tract, it can cause pain and makes it more difficult for your intestines to do their job. Other causes of intestinal ischemia include blood clots, low blood pressure, congestive heart failure, hernias, surgical scar tissue and some medications.

Undetected and untreated, intestinal ischemia may be fatal. This condition is extremely serious and often requires immediate medical care. Depending on the cause of your intestinal ischemia, treatment options may include medications, surgery or angioplasty.

Colon polyps

In the United States, more than 50,000 people die of colorectal cancer every year. Yet advanced cancers of the colon and rectum are highly preventable. That's because most colon cancer begins as an adenomatous polyp — a small clump of cells that forms on your colon lining. Although the great majority of colon polyps are harmless (benign), some may turn cancerous (malignant) over time.

As many as 20 percent of middle-age and older adults may have one or more colon polyps. Although anyone can develop polyps, you're at higher risk if you are 50 or older, overweight, or a smoker, eat a high-fat, low-fiber diet, or have a personal or family history of colon polyps or colon cancer.

Sometimes polyps can cause signs and symptoms such as rectal bleeding, a change in bowel habits that lasts longer than a week and abdominal pain. But most small polyps don't cause problems, which is why regular screening is so important.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly stool tests to check for microscopic bleeding starting at age 40 and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every three to five years for people 50 and older. Some doctors also recommend a test that checks the entire colon and rectum (colonoscopy) every five years starting at age 50. If you're at high risk of colon polyps or colorectal cancer, your doctor may recommend starting screening sooner. Polyps that are found in the early stages usually can be removed safely and completely.

Colorblindness

Poor color vision is an inability to distinguish between certain shades of color. Although most people call it colorblindness, true colorblindness describes a total lack of color vision. The ability to see only shades of gray is rare.

Most people with poor color vision can't distinguish between certain shades of red and green. Less commonly, people can't distinguish between shades of blue and yellow.

Poor color vision is an inherited condition in most cases. However, eye diseases and the effects of some medications also can cause color deficiency. Men are more likely than women are to be born with a deficiency of color vision.

Congestive heart failure

A diagnosis of heart failure sounds scary, as if your heart could stop at any moment. But the underlying heart conditions that commonly cause heart failure, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, typically develop slowly over many years. The development of heart failure usually means that your heart's ability to pump blood has weakened, so it can't circulate enough blood to meet your body's needs. Shortness of breath, fatigue and leg swelling may result. When fluid builds up, heart failure is called congestive. Sometimes the heart becomes too stiff to fill properly, and that also can lead to heart failure.

About five million Americans are living with heart failure, and between 400,000 and 700,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Heart failure is serious and can be life-threatening. About 250,000 people die annually of heart failure.

Although sometimes there's no way to reverse damage to your heart, treatments can significantly improve signs and symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, such as exercising, reducing salt intake, and losing weight, to help your weakened heart work as efficiently as possible.

Your best defense against heart failure is to prevent or control risk factors that lead to coronary artery disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse, inactivity and obesity.

Conjuctivitis

Constipation

Do you need to have a bowel movement every day in order to be considered regular? Not necessarily. The normal frequency of bowel movements varies widely — from three a day to three a week. What's normal for you may not be normal for someone else. In general, though, you're probably constipated if you pass hard and dry stools less than three times a week. In some cases you may also feel bloated or sluggish or experience discomfort or pain.

Fortunately, a few common-sense lifestyle changes, including getting more exercise, eating high-fiber foods and drinking plenty of water, can go a long way toward preventing or alleviating many cases of constipation.

Crohn’s disease

Croup

It's the middle of the night, and a loud barking cough from your child's room suddenly awakens you. Although the loudness and harshness of your child's cough may frighten both of you, stay calm. This peculiar cough, often described as sounding like the barking of a seal, usually isn't serious and often can be treated at home. The cause is a condition called croup.

Croup is an inflammation of the voice box (larynx) and the airway just beneath it. Your child may have a common cold for several days and then one night unexpectedly develop a loud, barking cough. The swelling and narrowing of the airway may make breathing difficult. One of the cold viruses is typically the cause. These viruses can spread through coughing and sneezing.

Croup primarily affects children younger than 5 years old because their small airways are more susceptible to narrowing when swollen. Adults may simply have a cold with laryngitis, but children may develop croup.

Croup comes on strongest during the nighttime and may last from three to seven days. Croup usually occurs in the fall, winter or early spring.

Cushing’s syndrome

Cushing's syndrome is a condition that occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol for a prolonged period of time. Sometimes called hypercortisolism, Cushing's syndrome can occur when your adrenal glands, located above your kidneys, make too much cortisol. It may also develop if you're taking high doses of cortisol-like medications (corticosteroids) for a prolonged period. These corticosteroids are commonly used to treat a variety of acute and chronic illnesses.

Too much cortisol can produce some of the hallmark signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome — a fatty hump between your shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks (striations) on your skin. It can also result in high blood pressure, bone loss and, on occasion, diabetes.

Treatments for Cushing's syndrome are designed to return your body's cortisol production to normal. By normalizing, or even markedly lowering cortisol levels, you'll experience noticeable improvements in your signs and symptoms. Left untreated, however, Cushing's syndrome can eventually lead to death.

Cushing's syndrome associated with the use of corticosteroid medication is fairly common. By contrast, it's rare for the cause to be excess cortisol production by the body. The syndrome is named after Harvey Cushing, an American surgeon who first identified the condition in a woman in 1912.

Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) — a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies — used to be a genetic mystery, and most people with the disease didn't live beyond their teens. But researchers have made progress in unraveling the genetic basis of CF, which has led to earlier detection. In addition, improved and more consistent treatments now allow people with CF to live into their 30s and 40s and even beyond, and to have fuller, more comfortable lives.

CF is an inherited condition affecting the cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva and digestive juices. Normally, these secretions are thin and slippery, but in CF, a defective gene causes the secretions to become thick and sticky. Respiratory failure is the most dangerous consequence of CF.

Each year approximately 3,200 white babies are born in the United States with CF. The disease is much less common among black and Asian-American children. Most babies born with CF are diagnosed by age 3, although mild forms of the disease may not be detected until the third, fourth or fifth decade of life. In all, about 30,000 American adults and children are living with the disorder. Although there's still no cure, the emerging field of gene therapy may someday help correct lung problems in people with CF.

Cystitis

Cystitis is an inflammation or infection of the urinary bladder. When caused by germs, it's called a urinary tract infection (UTI). UTIs can be painful and annoying. They can also become a serious health problem if they spread to infect your kidneys.

Your urinary system is composed of your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. All play a role in removing waste from your body. Your kidneys, a pair of bean-shaped organs in your upper-posterior abdomen, filter waste from your blood. Tubes called ureters carry urine from your kidneys to the bladder, where it is stored until it exits your body through the urethra. A urinary tract infection can begin when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and then begin to multiply.

The usual treatment is with antibiotics. You can take a number of steps to help prevent a bladder infection.

Medical Glossary.

Women's Health Terms Beginning with the Letter "C"