Questions on the CRC Exam may present hypothetical situations where the consumer has a specific medical condition or problem, and ask what course of action to take. Counselors need to be familiar with different conditions to communicate effectively. If a referring physician, for example, states that her patient has multiple sclerosis, the counselor needs to know what she means.

Achondroplasia: A genetic disorder impairing bone growth and resulting in short arms and legs. The condition was formerly called "dwarfism."

Adenoiditis: Inflamation of the adnoids. The adenoids are lymphoid tissue located above the tonsils and at the start of the throat. They contain white blood cells that help protect the respiratory system from infection.

Allergy: A hypersensitive body immune system response when exposured to specific substances called antigens (e.g., insect bites, pollen).

Alveoli: Tiny air sacs in the lung bronchioles where gasses are exchanged.

Alzheimer's Disease: A progressive neurological disease that causes dementia in the elderly. Early symptoms are small memory lapses for recent events, and eventually the person progresses to where they forget the names of family and familiar places. The disease finally results in profound confusion, frustration, and often irritability. Beyond the memory losses, the irritability that is fairly typical of the disease often causes additional distress to family members.

Amputations: Upper extremity amputations are usually the result of trauma while lower extremity amputations are frequently the result of vascular insufficiency secondary to arteriosclerosis or diabetes. Successful fitting and adjustment to using a prosthesis are critical to successful rehabilitation outcomes.

Anemia: Results from having insufficient red blood cells or hemaglobin in the blood. There are many causes of animia, and the initial symptoms are easy fatigue and tirdness, paleness, shortness of breath, and palpitations.

Anerurysm: The dialation of a blood vessle. Blood fills the dialated area which may eventually rupture spilling it into surrounding tissues.

Angina: Pain.

Angiogram: An x-ray of the blood vessels made possible by injecting a die.

Angioplasty: A medical procedure where a ballon-tipped catheter is inserted into the coronary artery to enlarge it.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: An inflammatory disease affecting the joints and ligaments of the spine.

Antigen: A substance capable of triggering an immune system response of prducing antibodies to combat it.

Anoxia: A lack of oxygen which can cause damage to the brain and other nerve tissues.

Antibiotics: Drugs, such as penicillin, which are designed to fight bacterial infections.

Aortic Insufficiency or Regurgitation: When the main artery from the heart (aorta) sloshes blood back into the left ventricle chamber of the heart because of poor aortic valve closure.

Aphasia: A term that refers to an impairment in receiving (understanding) and/or expressing language and symbols. It results from neurological damage to areas of the brain dealing with speech and language.

Apnea: Lack or absence of breathing.

Appendicitis: Inflamation of the appendix, a small tissue mass at the end of the large intestine with no known purpose. The major symptom is abdominal pain which increases in severity, and if the appendix ruptures it can present a life-threatening situation. Treatment normally involves surgical removal of the appendix (appendectomy).

Apthous Ulcer: Canker sore (usually small and perhaps multiple) in the mouth.

Arrhythmias: Abnormal rythm to the heart beat.

Arthritis: Inflamtion of a joint resulting in stiffness, loss of motion, redness, swelling and pain. There are over 100 different causes of arthritis. The two major types are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is inflamation of the synovium surrounding the joint. Osteoarthritis results from the loss of cartilage causing bones to grate, and is usually associated with advancing age. The joints most likely to be affected are weight-bearing ones and joints overused.

Arthroscopy: A surgical procedure where a tube-like instrument is inserted into the joint to diagnose the extent of damage or to repair damage.

Asthma: Breathing difficulty due to a temporary narrowing or restriction of the airways so that used air cannot be properly expelled. Attacks may vary greatly in both severity and duration, and are often the result of an autoimmune system response to an antigen. Attacks can also be triggered by infection, cold air, stress and overexertion.

Astigmatism: An irregular curvature of the refractive surface of the eye resulting in loss of image sharpness. The affected eye or eyes must constantly readjust to correct the image, and this causes them to tire quickly.

Ataxia: A lack of muscle coordination leading to balance problems in walking. Movements are irregular and unsteady, and the feet are often wide apart when the individual ambulates.

Atrophy: The wasting away of a developed organ or muscle. If muscles are not used they will gradually atrophy, and this is a complication of many conditions which leads to further disability.

Audiogram: A test of hearing, performed by an audiologist, at different sound frequencies.

Aura: The premonition that often preceeds a seizure or migrane headache.

Autism: A severe and pervasive developmental disorder that results in marked impairment in social interraction, social awareness, communication and behavior.

Avascular Necrosis (osteonecrosis): When inadequate blood supply to an area of bone results in bone death.

Barium Enema: A series of x-rays of the lower intestine after the patient has taken a white chalky solution that contains radioactive barium. Commonly used to look for cancerous growths.

Barett's Esophagus: Damage to the lower part of the esophagus because of stomach acid being refluxing up into it.

Basal Cell Carcinoma: A type of skin cancer.

Bell's Palsy: Paralysis, full or partial, to one side of the face which results in a drooping appearance of the mouth on the affected side. It results from an inflamed facial nerve, the onset is usually quick, and most people substantially or fully recover.

Benign Tumor: An abnormal growth of tissue that does not invade surrounding tissue or spread (metastasize) and cause secondary tumors in other areas of the body.

Biopsy: The removal of a tissue sample to study under the microscope for possible cancerous cells.

Blindness and Low Vision: Blindness is total loss of light perception and low vision loss of sight sufficient to cause severe impairment. "Legal blindness" is generally defined as corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 20/200 or less, or a limited central field of vision no wider than 20 degrees.

Blood Pressure: The pressure of blood within the arteries as the result of heart contration. It is measured with two numbers the first being the systolic pressure when the heart contration is at its highest and the second the diastolic pressure when the contration is at its lowest.

Bradycardia: An abnormally slow heart beating rate.

Bronchi: The large air tudes leading to the lungs. Smaller tubes called bronchioli branch off from them, and the alveoli are attached to these smaller tubes.

Bronchitis: Inflamation of the bronchi.

Burns: Thermal injury to the outer epidermis or inner dermis portions of the skin. Burns are classified by depth and the percentage of the body affected. First degree or superficial burns are to the epidermis only, second degree or partial thickness burns to the epidermis and dermis to varying depths, and third degree or full thickness burns to epidermis, dermis and all appendages.

Cancer: Abnormal and out of control growth cell growth that displace surrounding tissue. Cancerous cells often spread (metastasize) and invade other areas of the body where additional growths begin. There are many different types of cancer depending on the area of the body and type of cell involved, and all areas of the body can be affected.

Carcinogen: A substance of agent proven to cause cancer.

Carcinoma: A cancer that has its origin in tissues covering or lining an organ.

Caries: Areas of tooth decay commonly called "cavities."

Cataract: A clouding of the lens of the eye that is associated with advancing age. Surgery is often needed to correct the condition.

Cephalgia: Headache.

Cerebral Palsy: Movement disorders that are the result of brain damage during the early developmental periods of life. The damage may occur during the prenatal period or in childhood.

Chronic Bronchitis: A disease characterized by a chronic productive cough and shortness of breath as a result of respiratory infection and irritation.

Clonoscopy: A prcedure where a clonoscope is inserted into the colon to visually inspect it. The physician may also obtain a tissue sample for biopsy.

Coronary Heart Disease: Fatty material accumulates in the wall of a coronary artery and the oxygen demands in an area of the heart muscle cannot be met. Angina pectoris occurs and eventually a myocardial infarction.

Cystic Fibrosis: A hereditary disease where mucus-secreting organs of the body produce an excessively thick mucus. In the lungs, this mucus leads to severe breathing difficulties. Severe damage also occurs to the pancreas.

Deafness and Hearing Impairment: Deafness is extreme difficulty discriminating conversational speech through the ear, and a hearing impairment is any degree of auditory difficulty.

Decubitus Ulcer: Prolonged pressure on an area of the skin can result in a breakdown of circulation and resulting tissue death. Decubitus ulcers are complications of conditions that result in a person being restricted to bed or a wheelchair. They can grow to be quite large and may also become infected, and healing may be very slow. Individuals in wheelchairs need to shift their weight frequently and if possible periodically raise themselves up in the chair by using their arms.

Diabetes Mellitus: A metabolic disease characterized by insulin deficiency and abnormally high glucose levels in the blood. It is primarily a disease of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Major complications to the circulatory and nervous system may result. The two main classes of diabetes are adult-onset and juvenile-onset, and the latter is usually more difficult to control.

Dialysis: Cleaning of the blood when kidneys fail by passing the blood through a machine.

Diphtheria: An infectious disease of the upper respiratory system and/or throat.

Diplopia: A single object appearing as two objects. Commonly called "double vision."

Down Syndrome: A disorder due to an extra #21 chromosome. It causes mental retardation and physical malformations.

Encephalitis: An infection resulting in inflammation of the brain itself.

End-Stage Renal Disease: When the kidneys fail a number of symptoms may appear in different systems of the body. Major complications include anemia, peripheral neuropathy, hyperthyroidism and osteoporosis.

Epilepsy: A term for seizure disorders that result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There is great variability in the severity of the seizures and specific symptoms.

Gingivitis: An inflamation of the gums that is usually the result of poor dental hygine and a poor diet. When severe it can lead to the loss of teeth.

Glaucoma: A group of diseases that cause blindness due to an increase in intraocular pressure.

Gout: A type of arthritis that results from uric acid crystal deposits in the joint.

Guillain-Barre' Syndrome: Degeneration of the myelin sheath surrounding peripheral nerves so that paralysis or severe paresis results. Most individuals have a very substantial or full recovery.

Hemophilia: An inherited disease where blood coagulation does not occur normally. The individual does not bleed more, but rather continues to bleed. Bleeding into the joints and resulting complications is a major problem of the disease.

Hiatus Hernia: When a portion of the stomach herniates or protrudes through the diaphragmatic hiatus into the chest.

Hodgkin's Disease: A type of lymphoma (cancer in the lymphatic system) where lymph glands are attacked troughout the body and where there is a strong tendency for the cancer to spread to other tissues.

Huntington's Disease: A hereditary brain disease characterized by jerky involuntary movements and mental deterioration. Also known as Huntington's Chorea.

Hypertension: High blood pressure. This condition can lead to coronary and other health problems.

Inflamations: Tissues being damaged by infection due to a virus, bacteria, or similar agent.
*Adenoiditis: Inflamation of the adnoids.
*Dermatitis: Inflamation of the skin.
*Gingivitis: Inflamation of the gums.
*Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges which covers the brain and spinal cord.
*Neuritis: Inflamation of a nerve.
*Myelitis: Inflammation of the spinal cord.

Kidney Stone: When excess minerals, such as calcium, form into a hard lump in the urinary tract. The tract is fully or partially blocked, may become infected, and severe pain, nausea, and frequent and painful urination are typical symptoms.

Legionnaire's Disease: A bacterial infection of the respiratory tract that is very severe and potentially deadly. The earliest symptoms of the infection may be similar to those of the flu, but they quickly progress to severe coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms of severe respiratory infection.

Meniere's Disease: A disease where excess fluids in the inner ear cause problems with balance and equillibrium. Other symptoms may include dizziness and nausea, and during severe attacks the person is in considerable distress and unable to ambulate.

Multiple Sclerosis: A neurological disease centering around demyelination of the myelin sheath which is the protective covering insulating the nerves. There are numerous and varied neurological symptoms such as poor coordination, spastic paraplegia, and slurred speech. The disease is progressive and characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation, and a remission may last for years. The disease strikes young adults and its repeated attacks lead to increasing disability.

Muscular Dystrophy: A hereditary disease characterized by degenerative changes in the muscles, weakness and disability.

Myasthenia Gravis: A disease where the muscles do not receive messages transmitted by the nerves, and there is a resulting paralysis. Symptoms of the disease often appear first in facial muscles and then spread to the arms and legs where the ability to do everyday tasks and to ambulate are impaired or lost. Breathing may also be affected. The disease leads to weakness and rapid fatigue, and is generall progressive. The severity of symptoms may vary throughout the day, and there may be periods of remission and exacerbation.

Myocardial Infarction: When the blood supply to an area of the heart is cut off or restricted due to the full or partial blockage of a coronary artery. If the oxygen suppy is not restored the affected area of the heart muscle will die. The lay term for this is "heart attack."

Neoplasm: A cancerous growth. Implications vary greatly depending on the type of tumor, stage of detection, and area(s) of the body affected.

Neuralgia: Pain along the course of a nerve. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Herpes Zoster (Shingles) are examples of neuralgia.

Osteoarthritis: Degenerative joint disease usually occurring later in life. Weight bearing joints and joints in the hand are most frequently involved. See Arthritis.

Osteoporosis: A condition characterized by calcium loss in the bones resulting in the bones becoming thinner and more vulnerable to fracture. The condition is associated with aging and is the reason for the stooped posture see in some older adults and their vulnerability to fractures, such as hip fractures when they fall.

Paraplegia: Impairment of function of the lower extremities usually produced by a lesion to the spinal cord below the T1 level.

Parkinson's Disease: This is a progressive neurological disease with major symptoms being muscle rigidity, motor slowness, and a characteristic tremor. Muscle rigidity and slowness are the major disabling features. There may be uncontrollable jerking, a flat and relatively expressionless face, and marked problems with upper extremity use and ambulation. Onset of the disease is usually after 50 years of age, and it may exist in a mild form for many years or progress rapidly causing severe disability.

Peptic Ulcer: When a portion of the lining of the stomach or upper small intestine is eaten away by digestive acids. The early symptoms may be similar to indigestion, but as the ulcer grows there is increasing pain and the symptoms occur after every meal and at times of stress.

Poliomyelitis: Muscle paralysis as the aftermath of an acute viral infection of the spinal cord. The common name is "polio."

Prosthesis: An artificial device, such as an artificial limb, that "replaces" part of the body. Other examples include false teeth, heart valves, and artificial joints.

Quadriplegia: Impairment of function of all four extremities usually produced by a spinal cord lesion in the C3 - T1 levels.

Rheumatic Heart Disease (Chronic): Scarring of the heart valves resulting in incomplete closure and reduced cardiac efficiency. It is a complication of Rheumatic Fever.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: An autoimmune and systemic disease where the synovial joints become inflamed. Motion restrictions and pain are major symptoms. Inflamation can spread to other areas of the body such as the heart, lungs and eyes.

Sickle Cell Disease: A genetically linked blood disease with resulting anemia and highly varied complications.

Spina Bifida: A defect in vertebral development of varying severity.

Stoke (Cerebral Vascular Accident): The blood supply to an area of the brain is cutoff and dependent tissues are injured or destroyed due to a lack of oxygen. Left or right side hemiplegia (paralysis) or hemiparesis (weakness) are the major symptoms, but cognitive and perceptual deficits, impulsivity, and aphasia may also result. The main causes of stroke are thrombosis (occlusion of a blood vessel), hemorrhage (rupture of a blood vessel), and embolism (when a blood clot thrown off from elsewhere in the body occludes a small artery).