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Arthritis
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Arthritis. Chances are you or someone you
know has a form of arthritis or a related condition. These
conditions cause pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling in or
around joints. This can make it difficult to do the movements
you rely on every day for working or taking care of your family.
There are many things you can do to help maintain your
independence. Please visit our Arthritis page of
links.
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Asthma
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Asthma is a condition where the airways of the
lungs become narrowed or completely blocked, impeding normal
breathing. In asthma, this obstruction of the lungs is
reversible, either spontaneously or with medication. Please
visit our Asthma page of links.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
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Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (C.F.S.) is a condition of prolonged and severe
tiredness or weariness (fatigue) that is not relieved by rest
and is not directly caused by other conditions. The exact cause
of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown. The Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) describes C.F.S. as a distinct disorder with
specific symptoms and physical signs, based on the exclusion of
other possible causes. The number of patients with C.F.S. is
unknown. Please visit our Chronic Fatigue Syndrome page of links.
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Fibromyalgia
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Fibromyalgia is a common form of generalized
muscular pain and fatigue that is believed to affect
approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population, or 5 million
people. Fibromyalgia mainly affects muscles and their
attachments to bones. Although it may feel like a joint disease,
it is not a true form of arthritis. It is, instead, a form of
soft tissue or muscular rheumatism. Please visit our Fibromyalgia page of links.
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Gastroparesis
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Gastroparesis is a term that implies
weakness of the stomach. Following a meal, the stomach starts a
slow process of grinding the food so that only very small pieces
pass into the small intestine, to be absorbed. This process may
take a few hours to complete, depending on the size of the meal
and the type of food. It requires a fine coordination between
the muscle of the stomach, nerves and hormones. When any of
these factors are impaired, the food takes a while to empty,
resulting in nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Please visit our
Gastroparesis page of links.
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Lupus (SLE)
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Systemic lupus erythematosus, also called lupus
(or SLE for short), is a rheumatic disease that affects joints,
muscles and other parts of the body. Lupus is inflammatory and
may be chronic. Nearly all people with lupus have changes in
disease activity known as flares and remissions. Please visit
our Lupus page
of links.
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Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
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Mixed
Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) is a collagen disorder. It
is often used to describe what may be an overlapping group of
connective tissue disorders that cannot be diagnosed in more
specific terms. Please visit our Mixed Connective Tissue Disease page of
links.
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Raynaud's Phenomenon
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Raynauds Phenomenon is a condition in which
poor blood flow results in discomfort and skin color changes in
affected parts of the body. The parts of the body most commonly
affects include the fingers and toes, but the ears, nose,
nipples and knees can also be involved. This condition can begin
at any age, but usually begins between ages 15 and 40. Please
visit our Raynaud's
Phenomenon page of links.
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Scleroderma
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Scleroderma. The word scleroderma means
hard skin. It is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that can
affect your skin, joints, blood vessels and internal organs.
Scleroderma is a rare disease that affects women three to five
times more often than men. It is sometimes seen in children and
the elderly, but usually starts between the ages of 30 and 50.
Please visit our Scleroderma page of links.
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Sjogren's Syndrome
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Sjogren's
Syndrome is a chronic, autoimmune disorder in which the
body's immune system mistakenly attacks it's own
moisture-producting glands. Lymphocytes, a type of white blood
cell, infiltrate and destroy these glands causing decreased
production of saliva and tears. The hallmark of symptoms of
Sjogren's syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth. Please visit
our Sjogren's Syndrome page of
links.
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Thyroid Disease
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Thyroid Disease. The thyroid gland is
critical to normal body function. It affects your heart rate,
cholesterol level, body weight, energy level, muscle strength,
skin condition, vision, menstrual regularity, mental state and
many other conditions. Please visit our Thyroid Disease page of links.
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Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease
(UCTD)
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Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease has
symptoms of several connective tissue disorders but not quite
enough to be called that disorder. The patient may have also
have overlap of some well-established disorders, such as
rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. Please visit our Undifferentiated Connective
Tissue Disease page of links.
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Vitiligo
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Vitiligo is a common skin disorder in which
white spots appear on the skin. It has been around for thousands
of years. Vitiligo occurs in 1-2% of the population. It affects
both men and women, all races and all ages. Please visit our Vitiligo
page of links.
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