Anaemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anaemia)
Anaemia is a deficiency of red blood cells that can lead to a mild lack of oxygen-carrying ability causing unusual tiredness. Red blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow and have a life expectancy of approximately four months. Anaemia ... [... more]
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Viruses and bacteria
Viruses are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They can't multiply on their own, so they have to invade a 'host' cell and take over its machinery in order to be able to make more virus particles. Viruses consist of genetic materials (DNA or ... [... more]
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Vascular disease
Vascular disease is mainly caused by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) due to a thickening of the lining of the arteries (the intima). The arteries are blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and nutrients, to the body from the heart. ... [... more]
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Chickenpox (varicella)
Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness that is common in children. It causes an itching skin rash with blisters. The disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and usually runs its course without problems. Chickenpox is a very contagious ... [... more]
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Children and vomiting
Almost all infants vomit once in a while. This applies to both breastfed and bottlefed children. When children become ill their stomach stops working properly. It does not empty as fast as usual and this causes the food to come up again. Unwell ... [... more]
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Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is the result of secretions produced from small glands in the lining of the vagina and the cervix. All women have a little discharge starting a year or two before puberty and ending after the menopause. How much discharge a ... [... more]
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Hydrocele and varicocele
A hydrocele is a build-up of liquid in a fold of mucous membrane situated in the scrotum (testicle sac). A number of boys develop minor cases of hydrocele during the first few months of their lives. Most of these disappear by themselves, but the ... [... more]
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Vaginitis
The commonest causes of vaginitis are infections, but sometimes allergies to products such as soap or perfume, or to the rubber in some condoms, can be responsible. Vaginitis can be caused by many different types of organism, although the ... [... more]
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Camouflage
This condition is an important cause of depigmentation (loss of colour) of the skin. It affects all races but is most obvious in people with darker skins. It affects approximately 1 person in every 200 of the population. Around 40 per cent of ... [... more]
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Varicose veins
The heart pumps blood through the arteries to all parts of the body - the vital organs, the head, arms and legs. The blood is then spread through tiny vessels called capillaries which form a network . Later it is returned in increasingly large ... [... more]
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Vitamins
The term 'vitamin' is derived from 'vital amine'. They are a group of substances required in small amounts for growth and development but which cannot be manufactured by the body. Without vitamins the human body would not survive. We all need ... [... more]
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Vitamins - what do they do?
Throughout this factsheet, recommended daily amount refers to the European Union recommended daily amounts (EU/RDA) for nutritional labelling of food products. Nutritional requirements are often slightly different for young children and ... [... more]
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