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

Painful bladder syndrome

Wherever you go, you first scope out the location of the nearest toilet. You can't get a good night's sleep because the pressure or pain in your bladder wakes you up. And you may also have pain in your pelvis, which can range from mild burning or discomfort to severe pain.

You may think you have a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI), known as cystitis, but antibiotics haven't helped. Instead you may have interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome. Interstitial cystitis affects between 700,000 and 1 million Americans. While it can affect children and men, most of those affected are women.

The disorder can have a long-lasting adverse impact on your quality of life. Although interstitial cystitis is chronic, for most people it isn't progressive, which means that however mild or severe your symptoms, they won't usually get worse over time. For many, the severity of symptoms fluctuates, and for some, the condition goes into periods of remission. Rarely, some people may experience rapidly worsening symptoms associated with a smaller bladder that's unable to hold a normal amount of urine.

Although there's no treatment that reliably eliminates the signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis, a number of medications and therapies offer relief. Work with your doctor to find what works best for you.

Painful periods

Even if you're not familiar with the term, if you're a woman, chances are you've experienced dysmenorrhea at some time in your life. Dysmenorrhea is simply the medical term for menstrual cramps, that dull or throbbing pain in the lower abdomen many women experience just before and during their menstrual periods. For some women, the discomfort is merely annoying. For others, it can be severe enough to interfere with everyday activities for a few days every month.

Dysmenorrhea can be primary or secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea involves no physical abnormality. These so-called normal cramps affect 50 percent to 90 percent of all menstruating women. Primary dysmenorrhea usually begins within three years after a girl begins menstruating. Secondary dysmenorrhea involves an underlying physical cause, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids.

If you have primary dysmenorrhea, there are some measures you can take to ease the discomfort. You also can take comfort in knowing that cramps tend to decrease in intensity as you get older, and often disappear after a pregnancy. For secondary dysmenorrhea, managing your cramps involves treating the underlying cause.

Palsy, Bell’s

Bell's palsy is a weakness or paralysis of the muscles that control expression on one side of your face. The disorder results from damage to a facial nerve, one of which runs beneath each ear to the muscles on the same side of your face.

The condition may result in a droopy appearance of your face, which can be a blow to your self-esteem. Most often, Bell's palsy isn't serious. The disorder clears up on its own within weeks or months for most people. In some cases, doctors prescribe a corticosteroid medication within the first few days, hoping to increase the likelihood of a good recovery. Bell's palsy, also called facial palsy, is named for Dr. Charles Bell, of Edinburgh, Scotland, who first described the condition in 1882.

About 40,000 people in the United States experience Bell's palsy each year. The problem can occur at any age. Bell's palsy occurs more often in pregnant women, in people with diabetes or upper respiratory ailments, such as the flu or a cold, and in people with conditions that compromise their immune systems, such as AIDS or sarcoidosis.

Palsy, cerebral

Cerebral palsy is a general term that describes a group of disorders that appear in the first few years of life and affect a child's ability to coordinate body movements. These disorders are caused by damage to a child's brain early in the course of development. The damage can occur during fetal development, during the birth process or during the first few months after birth.

This group of disorders ranges from mild to severe. Physical signs of cerebral palsy include weakness and floppiness of muscles or spasticity and rigidity. In some cases, neurological disorders — such as mental retardation or seizures — also occur in children with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy isn't curable. However, getting the right therapy for your child can make a big difference. Today, children with cerebral palsy benefit from a wide range of treatment options and innovations, including physical therapy, speech therapy, medications, educational programs and computerized aids.

Pancreatic cancer

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.

Pancreatitis

The pancreas is a long, flat gland tucked behind your stomach between the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum) and your spleen. It plays important roles in digestion and metabolism. The organ produces enzymes essential for digestion and secretes hormones that help control blood sugar levels. These functions may be affected by pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition that occurs when digestive enzymes, instead of breaking down food in the small intestine, attack the pancreas itself.

Pancreatitis can be acute — appearing suddenly and lasting for a few days — or it can be chronic, developing gradually and persisting over many years. Both acute and chronic forms are marked by mild to severe abdominal pain, often with nausea, vomiting and fever. And both can lead to serious complications.

Heavy alcohol use and gallstones are the primary causes of pancreatitis, but other factors, including certain medical conditions, some drugs, and genetic mutations also can lead to the disorder. Sometimes the cause is never found, although it's likely that a combination of environmental and hereditary factors contribute to most cases of the disease.

Mild attacks of acute pancreatitis often improve on their own or with simple dietary changes, but more severe cases may require immediate medical care to avoid fatal complications. Chronic disease is usually treated with lifestyle changes, with enzyme supplements to improve digestion and sometimes with surgery.

Panic attacks

It can happen anytime, anywhere. When you're alone. With others. At home. In public. Wakening you from a sound sleep. Suddenly, your heart begins to race, your face flushes and you experience shortness of breath. You feel dizzy, nauseated, out of control. Some people even feel like they're dying.

You may have experienced a panic attack — a sudden episode of intense fear that prompts physical reactions in your body. Many people, thinking they're having a heart attack, go to the emergency room. Others try to ignore the signs and symptoms, not realizing that they're experiencing a panic attack.

Although panic attacks were once dismissed as nerves or stress, they're now recognized as a potentially disabling but treatable condition. Approximately 2.4 million American adults experience a panic attack each year. Women are twice as likely as men to have panic attacks. A variety of approaches, including medications, therapy and relaxation techniques, can help you control or prevent panic attacks.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells (neurons) in the part of the brain controlling muscle movement. People with Parkinson's often experience trembling, muscle rigidity, difficulty walking, and problems with balance and coordination. These symptoms generally develop after age 50, although the disease affects a small percentage of younger people as well.

Parkinson's disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. But although Parkinson's may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually, and most people have many years of productive living after a diagnosis.

Furthermore, unlike other serious neurologic diseases, Parkinson's disease is treatable. For decades, the drug levodopa, commonly known as L-dopa, has been the mainstay of Parkinson's disease treatment. But L-dopa can cause side effects, and it may become less effective as the disease worsens, especially as new symptoms develop. In addition, responses to the drug may become more erratic over time. For that reason newer drugs are now also used, either alone or in combination with levodopa.

Another treatment that has had encouraging results is deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS involves implanting a brain stimulator, similar to a heart pacemaker, in certain areas of the brain. For some people, DBS may control symptoms so well that medications can be greatly reduced. Meanwhile, research into other treatments continues.

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs — uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix and ovaries. PID usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to your uterus and upper genital tract. PID may also develop when bacteria travel up a contraceptive device or when they're introduced during gynecologic procedures, such as insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) or an abortion.

Many women who develop PID either experience no signs or symptoms or don't seek treatment. PID may be detected only later when a woman has trouble becoming pregnant and learns that her reproductive organs have been damaged. PID may also be detected when a woman develops chronic pelvic pain.

Each year more than 1 million women in the United States are diagnosed with PID, with the rate highest among teenagers. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 100,000 women become infertile as a result of PID, while others experience complications during pregnancy.

Peptic ulcer

Too much stress, too much spicy food, and you may be headed for an ulcer — or so the thinking used to go. Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach, upper small intestine or esophagus. The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer is pain.

Not long ago, the common belief was that peptic ulcers were a result of lifestyle. Doctors now know that a bacterial infection or medications — not stress or diet — cause most ulcers of the stomach and upper part of the small intestine (duodenum). Esophageal ulcers may also occur and are typically associated with the reflux of stomach acid.

Depending on their location, ulcers have different names:

Gastric ulcer. This is a peptic ulcer that occurs in your stomach.
Duodenal ulcer. This type of peptic ulcer develops in the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).
Esophageal ulcer. An esophageal ulcer is usually located in the lower section of your esophagus. It's often associated with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Peptic ulcers are common. The good news is that oftentimes, successful treatment of ulcers takes just a few weeks.Pericarditis

Pericarditis is a swelling and irritation of the pericardium, the thin, two-layered, membranous sac that surrounds your heart. This condition causes chest pain and other signs and symptoms, which may develop suddenly.

Under normal circumstances, the pericardial sac contains a small amount of lubricating fluid. But when the pericardium becomes inflamed, the amount of fluid in the sac may increase. Doctors use the term pericardial effusion to describe this fluid collection. The collection of excess fluid in the pericardium can place pressure on your heart. This can squeeze your heart and interfere with its ability to fill adequately and pump blood efficiently, a disorder known as cardiac tamponade.

Pericarditis may be acute or chronic. The sharp chest pain associated with it occurs when the pericardium rubs against the heart's outer layer. Mild cases may improve on their own. Treatment for more severe cases may include medications and surgery.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause marks the time when your body begins its transition into menopause. Perimenopause encompasses the years leading up to menopause — anywhere from two to eight years — plus the first year after your final period. It's a natural part of aging that signals the ending of your reproductive years.

The levels of your reproductive hormones — estrogen and progesterone — rise and fall unevenly during perimenopause. Your menstrual cycles gradually lengthen, and you begin having menstrual cycles in which you don't ovulate. It's only during cycles when you do ovulate that you can become pregnant.

When perimenopause starts and how long it lasts varies. You'll probably notice signs of impending menopause, such as menstrual irregularities, sometime in your 40s. But some women notice changes as early as their mid-30s.

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common circulatory problem in which the arteries supplying blood to your limbs become clogged or partially blocked. When this happens, your extremities are left with less blood than they need to keep up with demand.

Strictly speaking, PAD refers to a problem with any of the arteries outside your heart, but the term is commonly used to describe problems in your limbs, usually your legs. However, circulatory problems in your legs can also be a clue to the presence of arterial disease to your heart, brain and elsewhere.

PAD affects 10 million people in the United States, including 5 percent of adults older than 50. If diagnosed early, PAD can often be treated with exercise, diet and techniques to reduce cholesterol. When started early, treatment can stop progression of the disease and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a term used to describe disorders of your peripheral nervous system. Your peripheral nervous system includes nerves in your face, arms, legs, torso, and some cranial nerves. In fact, all of your nerves not located in your central nervous system — which includes the brain and the spinal cord — are peripheral nerves.

Neuropathies may affect just one nerve (mononeuropathy) or several nerves (polyneuropathy). Your nerves provide communication between your brain and your muscles, skin, internal organs and blood vessels. When damaged, your nerves can't communicate properly, and that miscommunication causes symptoms such as pain or numbness.

Peripheral neuropathy often affects people with diabetes and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Certain vitamin deficiencies, some medications and alcoholism can also damage peripheral nerves.

Treating the underlying condition may relieve some cases of peripheral neuropathy. In other cases, treatment may focus on managing pain. Peripheral nerves have a remarkable ability to regenerate themselves, and new treatments using nerve growth factors or gene therapy may offer even better chances for recovery in the future.

Personality disorder

Whether you're sociable, reserved, funny or forthright, everyone who knows you would likely list the same traits when describing your personality. These characteristics are the combined product of your heredity and early life experience, and they are fixed by the time you reach adulthood. People with personality disorders have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially distressing ways, which often limit their ability to function in relationships and at work. Those who know them would describe their personalities in more-negative terms: dramatic, clingy, antisocial or obsessive, depending on the disorder. You probably know someone with a personality disorder — 15 percent of U.S. adults are affected.

Among the 10 total conditions that are considered personality disorders, some have very little in common. Doctors typically group the personality disorders that have shared characteristics into one of three clusters:

Cluster A includes personality disorders marked by odd, eccentric behavior, including paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders.
Cluster B personality disorders are those defined by dramatic, emotional behavior, including histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial (previously known as sociopathic) and borderline personality disorders.
Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful behavior and include obsessive-compulsive, avoidant and dependent personality disorders.

There's no cure for these conditions, but therapy and medication can help. The symptoms of some personality disorders also may improve with age.Phobias

Giving a public presentation makes many people nervous. But it makes you worry for weeks ahead of the event, and you may even start to feel sick if you just think about it. Or, perhaps you're so anxious about driving through a tunnel you go miles out of your way to avoid it.

If so, you may have a phobia. A phobia is a persistent irrational fear of an object or a situation that's generally considered harmless. Accompanying the fear is a strong desire to avoid what you fear and, in some cases, an inability to function at normal tasks in your job and in social settings.

Phobias are among several anxiety disorders, which also include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Treatment may help you reduce your fears and help you better manage the object or situation that makes you anxious.

Pimples

Acne is a common skin disorder characterized by clogged pores and pimples.

More than four out of five people between the ages of 12 and 24 have acne at least once. But while the disorder is often associated with teenagers, it can affect people of all ages. It's not uncommon for acne to occur in people in their 20s and 30s. And, some people continue to have acne in their 40s and 50s. Many adult women experience mild to moderate acne due to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, their menstrual cycles, or starting or stopping birth control pills.

Acne is rarely a serious medical condition, but it often causes emotional distress and can lead to scarring of the skin. With the right treatment, you can often keep acne under control. Measures also can be taken to reduce scars left by acne.

Pinkeye

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines your eyelids and part of your eyeballs. The cause of conjunctivitis is usually a bacterial or viral infection, an allergic reaction or — in newborns — an incompletely opened tear duct.

Conjunctivitis may make you feel as if you've got something in one or both of your eyes that you just can't get out. When you wake up in the morning, your eyes may seem to be pasted shut from the discharge coming from your eyes. The whites of your eyes also may begin to look pinkish, and you may not see as clearly as you did before.

In conjunctivitis, inflammation causes small blood vessels in the conjunctiva to become more prominent, resulting in a pinkish or reddish cast to the whites of your eyes. In fact, pinkeye and red eye are terms commonly used to refer to all types of conjunctivitis.

Though the inflammation of conjunctivitis makes it an irritating condition, it rarely affects your sight. If you suspect conjunctivitis, you can take steps to ease your discomfort. But because it can be contagious, conjunctivitis should be diagnosed and treated early. This is especially important for preschool-age children, who commonly develop both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy occurs when the double membrane (pleura) that lines the chest cavity and surrounds each of your lungs becomes inflamed. The condition, also called pleuritis, typically causes sharp pain, almost always during the act of breathing.

One layer of the pleura overlies each lung. The other layer lines the inner chest wall. The two layers of pleura are like two pieces of smooth satin rubbing against each other with almost no friction, allowing your lungs to expand and contract when you breathe without any resistance from the lining of the chest wall.

When inflamed, the two layers of the pleural membrane in the affected side of your chest rub against each other, producing pain when you inhale and exhale. Between breaths, you feel almost no pain.

Pleurisy occurs as a complication of a wide variety of underlying conditions. Relieving pleurisy involves treating the underlying condition, if it's known, and taking pain relievers.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

A much more severe form of the collective symptoms known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is considered a severe and chronic medical condition that requires attention and treatment.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Mood swings, tender breasts, a swollen abdomen, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and depression. If you experience some or all of these problems in the days before your monthly period, you may have premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

An estimated 70 percent to 90 percent of menstruating women experience some form of PMS. These problems are more likely to trouble women in their 20s and 30s, and they tend to recur in a predictable pattern. Yet the physical and emotional changes you experience may be more or less intense with each menstrual cycle.

Still, you don't have to let these problems control your life. In recent years, much has been learned about PMS. Treatments and lifestyle adjustments can help you reduce or manage your signs and symptoms.

Polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease is a disorder in which many clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys. Cysts are noncancerous (benign), round sacs that contain water-like fluid. They vary in size from tiny sacs to sacs large enough to hold several quarts of fluid. Having a benign kidney cyst is common. At least half the Americans older than age 50 have one or more kidney cysts. A benign, simple kidney cyst doesn't require treatment. And having one or more kidney cysts doesn't mean you have polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney disease isn't limited to your kidneys, although the kidneys usually are the most severely affected organs. The disease can cause cysts to develop in your liver, pancreas, membranes that surround your brain and central nervous system, and seminal vesicles. Other complications may occur as well.

The greatest risk for people with polycystic kidney disease is high blood pressure (hypertension) that develops as a result of their kidney disease. Complications from hypertension are the leading cause of death in people with this disease. Kidney failure also is common with polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney disease affects between one in 400 and one in 1,000 people born in the United States. About 600,000 people in the United States have polycystic kidney disease. Abnormal genes are the cause, and there's no way of preventing or reversing the development of kidney cysts in affected people. But the disease varies greatly in its severity, and some complications are preventable. Regular checkups can lead to treatments to reduce damage to your kidneys from complications such as high blood pressure.

Polycistic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition most often characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth (hirsutism) and obesity, but it can affect women in different ways. Irregular or heavy periods may signal the condition in adolescence, or PCOS may become apparent later when a woman has difficulty becoming pregnant.

The signs and symptoms of PCOS stem from a disruption in the reproductive cycle, which normally culminates each month with the release of an egg from an ovary (ovulation). The name of the condition comes from the appearance of the ovaries in some women with the disorder — large and studded with numerous cysts (polycystic) . These cysts are follicles, fluid-filled sacs that contain immature eggs.

Although the condition has been noted since antiquity, it was first described in medical literature in the 1930s when Irving Stein and Michael Leventhal wrote about a group of women without menstrual periods (amenorrhea) who had large ovaries with multiple cysts. Doctors sometimes call the condition Stein-Leventhal syndrome, polycystic ovaries or polycystic ovary disease.

PCOS is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age in the United States, affecting an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent. Early diagnosis and treatment of PCOS can help reduce the risk of long-term complications, which include diabetes and heart disease.

Polyps, colon

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.

Post partum depression

The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions — excitement, joy, even fear. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression.

Depression after childbirth can vary in duration and severity — ranging from mild to severe forms. Many new moms experience a mild, short-lived depression, sometimes called the baby blues. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that 70 percent to 85 percent of women experience the baby blues after childbirth. This condition includes symptoms such as sadness and anxiety, which usually begin in the initial days after childbirth and last for about seven to 10 days.

About 10 percent of new mothers experience a more severe form of depression called postpartum depression. The associated feelings, such as sadness, anxiety and restlessness, can be so strong that they interfere with daily tasks. Postpartum depression can occur at any time within about the first six months after giving birth. If left untreated, it can last up to a year or longer.

In rare cases, an even more severe form of depression, postpartum psychosis, can develop. Some of the symptoms of this mental illness are similar to those of postpartum depression, but they're more extreme.

Experiencing depression after childbirth isn't a character flaw or a weakness. For many, it's a normal part of giving birth. The good news is that for most, a combination of self-care measures and medical treatment can improve symptoms.

Post traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that's triggered by your memories of a traumatic event — an event that directly affected you or an event that you witnessed.

The disorder commonly affects survivors of traumatic events, such as sexual assault, physical assault, war, torture, a natural disaster, an automobile accident, an airplane crash, a hostage situation or a death camp. In addition, the affliction can affect rescue workers at the site of an airplane crash or a mass shooting or can affect someone who witnessed a tragic accident.

Not everyone involved in a traumatic event experiences post-traumatic stress disorder. But post-traumatic stress disorder may affect 3 percent to 6 percent of adults in the United States. The disorder is twice as common in women as it is in men.

Treatment may involve a combined approach including medications and behavior therapies designed to help you gain control of your anxiety.

Premature birth

Most babies are born about 40 weeks after the first day of their mother's last menstrual period. But about 10 percent of babies arrive sooner. A baby born more than three weeks before his or her due date is considered premature.

Premature babies have less time to fully develop and mature in the womb. As a result, they're often at increased risk of medical and developmental problems. One of the biggest problems facing premature infants is underdeveloped lungs.

Your doctor may try to delay your baby's birth if you go into labor earlier than around 34 weeks into your pregnancy (preterm labor). Even a few extra days in the womb can give your baby's lungs a chance to become more mature. But sometimes, in spite of every effort, your baby may be born early.

Fortunately, the outlook for premature infants has improved dramatically in recent years. Great advances have been made in the care of premature infants, and even babies born as early as 23 weeks now have a good chance of survival.

Premenstrual syndrome

Prolapse, mitral valve

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common conditions affecting the valves of the heart. It occurs when the twin flaps (leaflets) of tissue that make up your heart's mitral valve billow up and don't close correctly.

The mitral valve separates the two chambers on the left side of your heart: the left atrium and the left ventricle. When the mitral valve malfunctions and doesn't close properly, blood may leak from the ventricle back into the atrium.

Another name for mitral valve prolapse is click-murmur syndrome. When a doctor listens to your heart using a stethoscope, he or she may hear a clicking sound as the valve's leaflets billow out, as well as a murmur resulting from blood flowing back into the atrium. Doctors also use other names to describe MVP, such as:

Barlow's or Reid-Barlow's syndrome
Floppy valve syndrome
Ballooning mitral valve syndrome
Prolapsing mitral leaflet syndrome
Myoxmatous mitral valve syndrome
Midsystolic-click-late systolic murmur syndrome

Mitral valve prolapse affects about 2 percent of the adult population in the United States. In the past, doctors overdiagnosed MVP before they began using sophisticated tools to help in the diagnosis. Men and women appear to develop MVP in similar numbers.

In most people, MVP is harmless, and doesn't require any changes in lifestyle. It also doesn't shorten your life expectancy.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common skin condition characterized by a rapid buildup of rough, dry, dead skin cells forming thick scales. The inflammation can be frustrating if you have it, causing unsightly patches of skin, discomfort and even pain.

Normally, it takes about a month for new skin cells to move from the lowest layer of your skin, where they first form, to the outermost layer, where they die and scale off in flakes. In psoriasis, the life cycle of skin cells speeds up, resulting in a multitude of dead cells on the outermost layer of your skin.

Psoriasis is a persistent, chronic disease that tends to flare periodically and may go into remission, but usually remains active for years. It affects an estimated 5.5 million Americans. Psoriasis can occur at any age, but the onset is usually gradual and the diagnosis is commonly made between the ages of 15 and 35.

Pulmonary edema

Your lungs contain millions of small, elastic air sacs called alveoli. With each breath, these air sacs take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism. Normally, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place without problems. But sometimes increased pressure in the blood vessels in your lungs forces fluid into the air sacs, filling your lungs with fluid and preventing them from absorbing oxygen — a condition called pulmonary edema.

In most cases, heart problems are the cause of pulmonary edema. But fluid can accumulate in your lungs for other reasons, including lung problems such as pneumonia, exposure to certain toxins and medications, and climbing or living at high altitudes.

Pulmonary edema is a medical emergency and requires immediate care. Although it can sometimes prove fatal, the outlook is often good when you receive prompt treatment along with therapy for the underlying problem.

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a condition that occurs when an artery in your lung becomes blocked. In most cases, the blockage is caused by one or more blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body.

Most blood clots originate in your legs, but they can also form in the veins of your arms, the right side of your heart or even at the tip of a catheter placed in a vein. In rare cases, other types of clots — such as globules of fat, air bubbles, tissue from a tumor or a clump of bacteria — also can lodge in your lungs' arteries.

Smaller clots prevent adequate blood flow to the lungs, sometimes causing damage to lung tissue (infarction). Large clots that completely block blood flow can be fatal. Each year, at least 30,000 people in the United States die from pulmonary embolism.

You're especially at risk of pulmonary embolism if you must rest in bed or remain inactive for long periods of time. You're also at risk if you've had surgery, a stroke or heart attack, have chronic congestive heart failure or if you've fractured your hip or femur. In addition, people with cancer or chronic lung disease and women who use birth control pills are at increased risk.

The encouraging news is that a few simple measures, such as moving around during a long airplane flight, can go a long way toward preventing pulmonary embolism. In addition, treatment with medications that break up clots or prevent new clots from forming can greatly reduce the number of deaths from this serious condition.

Pulmonary hypertension

About 50 million Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition in which blood travels through the body's arteries at a pressure too high for good health. A far less common type of high blood pressure affects only the arteries in the lungs. Known as pulmonary hypertension, it's a serious illness that becomes progressively worse and may eventually prove fatal.

Pulmonary hypertension begins when tiny arteries in your lungs become narrow or blocked. This causes increased resistance to blood flow in your lungs, which in turn raises pressure within the pulmonary arteries. As the pressure builds, your heart's right ventricle must work harder to pump blood through your lungs, eventually causing the heart muscle to weaken and sometimes to fail completely.

No cure for primary pulmonary hypertension currently exists, but drug treatments can help lessen symptoms and improve quality of life for many people with the condition.

Medical Glossary.

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