Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in your nerve tissue. It usually begins in the adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys. It may also begin in your neck, chest or spinal cord. The cancer often begins in early childhood. Sometimes it begins before a child is born. By the time doctors find the cancer, it has usually spread to other parts of the body. The most common symptoms are

* A lump in the abdomen, neck or chest
* Bulging eyes
* Dark circles around the eyes
* Bone pain
* Swollen stomach and trouble breathing in babies
* Painless, bluish lumps under the skin in babies
* Inability to move a body part

Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination. Sometimes before giving treatment, doctors wait to see whether symptoms get worse. This is called watchful waiting.

Neural Tube Defects

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In anencephaly, much of the brain does not develop. Babies with anencephaly are either stillborn or die shortly after birth.

Getting enough folic acid, a type of B vitamin, before and during pregnancy prevents most neural tube defects. Treatments for neural tube defects vary depending on the type of defect.

Neurological Diseases

Neurological diseases are disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves throughout your body. Together they control all the workings of the body. When something goes wrong with a part of your nervous system, you can have trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing or learning. You can also have problems with your memory, senses or mood.

There are more than 600 neurological diseases. Major types include

* Diseases caused by faulty genes, such as Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy
* Problems with the way the nervous system develops, such as spina bifida
* Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease
* Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke
* Injuries to the spinal cord and brain
* Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy
* Cancer, such as brain tumors
* Infections, such as meningitis

Nose Disorders

Whether it's large or small, button-like or beak-like, your nose is important to your health. It filters the air you breathe, removing dust, germs and irritants. It warms and moistens the air to keep your lungs and tubes that lead to them from drying out. Your nose also contains the nerve cells that help your sense of smell. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. For example, the stuffy nose of the common cold can make it hard for you to breathe, sleep or get comfortable.

Many problems besides the common cold can affect the nose. They include

* Deviated septum - a shifting of the wall that divides the nasal cavity into halves.
* Nasal polyps - soft growths that develop on the lining of your nose or sinuses.
* Nosebleeds.
* Rhinitis - inflammation of the nose and sinuses sometimes caused by allergies. The main symptom is a runny nose.