Health A to Z

Most health pages tell you what a condition is. Very few tell you what it is like to sit beside somebody who has one. This library does both. Search by name, or by the name you know it under.

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health or someone else's, speak to a GP, pharmacist, or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.

500 conditions, showing 111–120 (page 12 of 50).

C

Costochondritis

Also called Chest wall pain, Tietze's syndrome

Inflammation where the ribs meet the breastbone. A very common cause of chest pain, and the reassurance only works after the heart has been excluded.

COVID-19

Also called Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2

Still here, still seasonal, and still much more dangerous for some people than others. Vaccination and early antivirals are the two things that change outcomes.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Also called CJD, Prion disease

A rare, rapidly progressive brain disease. The speed is what distinguishes it: weeks to months, not years.

Croup

A barking cough and noisy breathing in a small child. Frightening to hear, and usually treated with one dose of steroid.

Cushing's syndrome

Also called Hypercortisolism

Too much steroid hormone. Far more often caused by the steroids we prescribe than by anything the body does on its own.

Cyclical vomiting syndrome

Also called CVS, Abdominal migraine

Severe vomiting attacks with complete recovery in between. Closely related to migraine, and in adults, heavy cannabis use is a common cause.

Cystic fibrosis

Also called CF

A genetic condition causing thick mucus in the lungs and digestive system. Treatment has transformed the outlook in a decade.