Diseases & Condition Guides & Dietary Considerations
Detailed guides to common diseases: what each condition is, its symptoms, dietary considerations, and the vitamins and minerals that help manage it.
75 entries
- Iron-Deficiency Anemia — A condition in which the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues, most often caused by depleted iron stores.
- Osteoporosis — A skeletal disease in which bones become porous and fragile, dramatically raising the risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist.
- Hypertension — Chronically elevated blood pressure that strains the heart and arteries, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
- Type 2 Diabetes — A metabolic disorder in which cells resist insulin and blood glucose stays chronically elevated, damaging vessels, nerves, kidneys, and eyes over time.
- Hypothyroidism — An underactive thyroid gland that produces too little thyroid hormone, slowing metabolism, energy, mood, and many body systems.
- Osteoarthritis — A degenerative joint disease in which protective cartilage wears down, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility — most often in knees, hips, and hands.
- Migraine — A neurological condition causing recurrent attacks of throbbing head pain, often with nausea, light sensitivity, and sometimes visual aura.
- Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) — A chronic inflammatory skin condition causing dry, itchy, inflamed patches, driven by a disrupted skin barrier and immune over-reactivity.
- Gout — A form of inflammatory arthritis caused by uric acid crystals in joints, triggering sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, and swelling — classically in the big toe.
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease — A condition in which excess fat accumulates in liver cells of people who drink little or no alcohol, linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.
- GERD (Acid Reflux) — A chronic condition in which stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation, and potential damage to the esophageal lining.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome — A common disorder of brain–gut interaction causing abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits — without visible damage to the intestine.
- Asthma — A chronic inflammatory airway disease in which triggers cause wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing by narrowing the airways.
- Depression — A mood disorder marked by persistent low mood, loss of interest, and cognitive and physical changes that impair daily functioning.
- Alzheimer's Disease — A progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys memory, thinking, and eventually the ability to carry out daily tasks — the leading cause of dementia.
- Kidney Stones — Hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys, causing severe pain when they pass through the urinary tract.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis — A chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joint lining, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and progressive joint damage.
- Psoriasis — A chronic autoimmune skin disease causing rapid skin-cell turnover and thick, scaly, inflamed plaques, often with systemic inflammation.
- Chronic Kidney Disease — A progressive loss of kidney function over time, impairing the kidneys' ability to filter waste, balance fluids, and regulate minerals and hormones.
- Coronary Heart Disease — A condition in which the coronary arteries narrow from plaque buildup, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle and raising the risk of angina and heart attack.
- Celiac Disease — An autoimmune disorder in which eating gluten damages the small intestine, impairing nutrient absorption and producing a wide range of symptoms.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — A common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age, marked by irregular periods, excess androgens, and polycystic ovaries, often with insulin resistance.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration — A progressive eye disease that damages the macula — the central retina — blurring central vision and making reading and faces hard to recognize.
- Insomnia — A sleep disorder in which falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restorative sleep is persistently difficult, impairing daytime function.
- Parkinson's Disease — A progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys the nerve cells producing dopamine, causing tremor, stiffness, slowed movement, and balance problems.
- Multiple Sclerosis — An autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers, disrupting signals between brain and body.
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus — A chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks many organs — skin, joints, kidneys, heart, and nervous system — causing widespread inflammation.
- Fibromyalgia — A chronic pain condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and tender points throughout the body.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome — A complex, long-term disorder of extreme fatigue that worsens with activity or exertion and is not relieved by rest, often with sleep and cognitive problems.
- Epilepsy — A neurological disorder in which abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
- Stroke — A life-threatening event in which blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a brain vessel bursts, damaging brain tissue within minutes.
- Peripheral Artery Disease — A narrowing of the arteries that supply the legs and arms, causing pain with walking and raising the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Heart Failure — A chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, causing fatigue, breathlessness, and fluid buildup.
- Atrial Fibrillation — An irregular and often rapid heart rhythm arising from the upper chambers, raising the risk of stroke, heart failure, and palpitations.
- High Cholesterol — Elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood, especially LDL, contributing to plaque buildup in arteries and raising heart attack and stroke risk.
- Gallstones — Hard deposits that form inside the gallbladder from cholesterol or bilirubin, causing pain and sometimes blocking bile flow.
- Pancreatitis — Inflammation of the pancreas that may be sudden (acute) or long-standing (chronic), impairing digestion and blood sugar control.
- Cirrhosis — Advanced scarring of the liver from long-term damage, impairing the liver's ability to filter blood, make proteins, and process nutrients.
- Peptic Ulcer Disease — Painful sores in the lining of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine, most often caused by H. pylori infection or NSAID use.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease — Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract — mainly Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis — causing diarrhea, pain, and nutrient malabsorption.
- Diverticulitis — Inflammation or infection of small pouches (diverticula) that form in the colon wall, causing abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.
- Hemorrhoids — Swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus that can bleed, itch, and hurt, most often caused by straining and constipation.
- Scurvy — A disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency, marked by bleeding gums, bruising, joint pain, and poor wound healing.
- Rickets — A childhood bone disorder caused by vitamin D deficiency, leading to soft, weak bones that bend and deform as the child grows.
- Osteomalacia — Softening of adult bones from vitamin D deficiency, causing diffuse bone pain, muscle weakness, and increased fracture risk.
- Paget's Disease of Bone — A chronic bone disorder in which the normal bone-remodeling process goes awry, producing enlarged, weak, and deformed bones.
- Ankylosing Spondylitis — A chronic inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine, causing back pain and stiffness and, in advanced cases, a fused, rigid spine.
- Sjögren's Syndrome — An autoimmune disease that attacks the moisture-producing glands, causing dry eyes and dry mouth and sometimes affecting joints and organs.
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis — An autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid, gradually destroying it and causing an underactive thyroid.
- Graves' Disease — An autoimmune disease in which the immune system overstimulates the thyroid, causing it to produce excess thyroid hormone and speed up metabolism.
- Hyperthyroidism — A condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, speeding up metabolism and affecting the heart, weight, and mood.
- Hypoparathyroidism — A rare condition of low parathyroid hormone, causing abnormally low blood calcium with tingling, cramps, and muscle spasms.
- Cushing's Syndrome — A disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels, leading to weight gain, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and bone loss.
- Addison's Disease — A rare adrenal gland disorder in which the body cannot make enough cortisol and aldosterone, causing fatigue, weight loss, and salt craving.
- Type 1 Diabetes — An autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, requiring lifelong insulin therapy.
- Metabolic Syndrome — A cluster of risk factors — high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol — that together sharply raise heart-disease and diabetes risk.
- Obesity — A chronic condition of excess body fat that raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and joint problems.
- Urinary Tract Infection — A bacterial infection of the bladder, urethra, or kidneys, causing burning with urination, frequent urges, and sometimes fever.
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia — A non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland common in older men, causing urinary frequency, urgency, and a weak stream.
- Prostate Cancer — A cancer of the prostate gland, one of the most common cancers in men, often slow-growing and frequently curable when found early.
- Breast Cancer — A cancer that forms in the cells of the breast, most often in the milk ducts or lobules, and is the most common cancer in women worldwide.
- Colorectal Cancer — A cancer of the colon or rectum, often beginning as a benign polyp that slowly turns cancerous over many years.
- Lung Cancer — A cancer that begins in the lungs, most often linked to smoking, and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.
- Skin Cancer — A cancer of the skin cells, including the serious form melanoma and the more common, less dangerous basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
- Cervical Cancer — A cancer of the cervix, almost always caused by persistent infection with certain high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Stomach Cancer — A cancer of the stomach lining, often linked to H. pylori infection and diets high in salted and smoked foods and low in fresh produce.
- Liver Cancer — A cancer that begins in the liver, most often following chronic liver damage from hepatitis or long-term alcohol use.
- Pancreatic Cancer — A cancer of the pancreas that is often found late because symptoms appear only in advanced disease, making it one of the most serious cancers.
- Ovarian Cancer — A cancer of the ovaries that often causes vague symptoms and is frequently found at a later stage, making awareness of subtle signs important.
- Leukemia — A cancer of the blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow, that produces abnormal white blood cells and impairs immunity and blood function.
- Lymphoma — A cancer of the lymphatic system, including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, that impairs immunity and causes swollen lymph nodes.
- Endometriosis — A painful condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing pain, irregular bleeding, and sometimes infertility.
- Menopause — The natural end of menstrual periods, marked by a drop in estrogen that causes hot flashes, sleep changes, and accelerated bone loss.
- Premenstrual Syndrome — A group of physical and mood symptoms that occur in the days before a period, including bloating, breast tenderness, irritability, and fatigue.
- Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) — Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an extremely rare genetic disorder in which bone gradually forms within muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft connective tissues where bone normally should not develop. This abnormal bone formation can progressively restrict movement and cause permanent joint stiffness.
OreganoMEDs is an educational encyclopedia and does not provide medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.