Big Names/Mild Maladies Trivia Quiz

Answer: alopecia

Alopecia is another way of saying baldness or hair loss. However, the condition known as 'alopecia areata' is an autoimmune disease when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles causing clumps of hair to fall out with smooth patches remaining. Why the immune system attacks the follicles is unknown, but it is not usually permanent.

It is most common in people under twenty, but children or adults of any age can be affected and, unlike alopecia, women and men seem to be affected equally. Examples of people who have or have had this condition include Christopher Reeve and Neve Campbell.

Answer: bedwetting

Nocturnal enuresis is a scientific way of saying bedwetting or involuntary urination while asleep in a person old enough to have achieved bladder control. It is one of the most common pediatric complaints but, for the most part, is just a developmental delay rather than an emotional problem or physical illness. Nocturnal enuresis should not be treated by pressure, shaming or punishment. Michael Landon wrote an autobiographical made-for-TV film called "The Loneliest Runner" (1976) which deals with this issue.

Answer: asthma

A vesicle is a small fluid-filled blister. In many cases, vesicles can break easily and release their fluid onto the skin. They are often tiny and non-life threatening; they can be formed by exposing the skin to too much sun without proper protection (I have personal knowledge of this), or be part of an allergic reaction, skin condition or certain diseases like chicken pox.

They are not, however, usually a function of lung problems. A large blister is called a bulla which is Greek for bubble, and is defined as "a large vesicle described as a rounded or irregularly shaped blister containing serous or seropurulent fluid". You might want to call your doctor for that one!

Answer: tennis elbow

If you know who Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal are, you probably figured out that lateral epicondylitis is a scientific name for 'tennis elbow'. However, that doesn't mean that tennis players alone are subject to this condition - anyone can develop 'tennis elbow'.

It is a type of tendonitis caused by over-use of muscles in the forearm, wrist and/or hand which results in pain in the elbow and is caused by inflammation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Treatment consists of rest, application of ice to the affected area, use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and/or cortisone shots; any of these treatments can provide analgesic relief.

Answer: hiccups

Synchronous diaphragmatic flutter - what a very long way to say hiccups (originally hickops, from the 1570s). It is onomonopoetic in that it imitates the sound made by the involuntary spasm of the diaphragm and respiratory organs, along with a sudden closure of the glottis (the middle part of the larynx).

A different spelling, hiccough, began being used in the 1620s and is still used in many places today, depending upon the region. The Old English word for this was 'aelfsogoda' because, at the time, hiccups were thought to have been caused by elves.

More than you ever wanted to know about this subject?

Answer: head lice

Remember when you were in school and, once a year, the nurse would come around and look through your hair with # 2 pencils (at least that's how they did it in Brooklyn!)? They were looking for head lice. A head louse is a tiny, wingless, parasitic insect that lives in human hair, attaches its eggs to the base of the hair shaft and feeds on blood from the human scalp - GROSS! Head lice can spread easily and are more common where there is overcrowding.

While this condition is treatable, it is best not to use anyone else's comb or brush.

Answer: strabismus

All the choices are related to the eyes: presbyopia is the gradual loss of the ability to focus on nearby objects, hordeolum is a fancy word for a stye, while hyperopia is farsightedness. Strabismus (similar to amblyopia or 'lazy eye') is a disorder in which the eyes don't look in the same direction at the same time. Because of the improper alignment of the eyes, binocular vision is affected.

The good news is that strabismus is treatable with either vision therapy or surgery.

Answer: itching

Pruritis or itching (let's call an 'itch' an 'itch') is the unpleasant sensation which provokes the urge to scratch (and most of the time you feel it on your back just below your reach!). Itching can be the result of many different issues: drug reaction, food allergy, disease, aging, dry skin, cancer, mosquito bite, parasites, poison ivy, a yeast infection or, on occasion, the reason is unknown.

The cure depends entirely on the cause. Everybody tells you "don't scratch", but how can you not?

Answer: hangnail

A hangnail is a piece of skin which separates from the cuticle (eponychium). Treatment involves clipping it off with a clean cuticle scissors, not pulling or biting it. Massaging hand cream or lotion into the cuticle two or three times a day is also recommended. Clearly, this is not a life-threatening issue and, if untreated, will probably heal itself. Additionally, a hangnail seems to be a misnomer since it is the skin adjacent to the nail which is hanging out but, of all the choices listed above, this would be my preference.

Answer: pes planus

Pes planus, called PP in the scientific world is, per WebMD, "a condition in which the longitudinal arch in the foot, which runs lengthwise along the sole of the foot, has not developed normally... One foot or both feet may be affected". It can be caused genetically, through an injury or by disease e.g., arthritis, stroke, diabetes; most children are born flat-footed until the 'longitudinal arch' develops normally, somewhere between the ages of three and five. Changes in living conditions like gaining weight or different job environment may cause pain to those who don't usually have PP, so wear good shoes, take those fallen arches to the 'golden arches' and sit down!