Health A to Z

Smith-Magenis syndrome

A rare genetic condition with an inverted body clock. The sleep pattern is the defining daily challenge.

Smoking

Also called Nicotine dependence, Tobacco dependence, Stopping smoking, Vaping

The largest single preventable cause of illness and death in the UK. Stopping helps at any age, and the NHS support triples the odds.

Social anxiety disorder

Also called Social phobia

Intense fear of being judged. Not shyness, and it shapes education, work and relationships for decades.

Soft tissue sarcoma

Also called Sarcoma, Bone sarcoma

A rare cancer of connective tissue. A painless lump bigger than a golf ball and growing is the rule that gets people referred in time.

Sore throat and tonsillitis

Also called Tonsillitis, Pharyngitis, Quinsy

Almost always viral and self-limiting. The complication to know is the one that closes the airway.

Speech and language therapy

Also called SLT, Speech therapy, Speech and language therapist

Two jobs in one profession: helping people communicate, and keeping people safe when they swallow. Most people only know about the first.

Spina bifida

The spine not forming completely before birth. The bladder and bowel matter more than the walking.

Spinal muscular atrophy

Also called SMA

A genetic condition destroying the nerves that drive muscles. New treatments have changed it from fatal to manageable for many.

Squint and lazy eye

Also called Strabismus, Amblyopia, Turn in the eye

Treatable in early childhood and largely not afterwards. The window closes around seven, which is why the checks matter.

Stammering

Also called Stuttering, Dysfluency

A neurological difference in speech production. Around 1.5% of adults, and finishing their sentences does not help.