General medical conditions

Use the search box to learn about general medical conditions that affect children and young people.

Click here for information about specialist medical conditions, which are treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Headache

Headaches affect people of all ages – many adults remember having headaches as children. Headache in children can occur on its own (primary disorder) or as a result of another condition.

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Heart murmurs (innocent)

A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound made by the heart. It is usually the sound of the blood negotiating its way around the tight bends inside a young child’s heart and resembles a “whooshing” or “swishing” noise.

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Lice

Head lice are tiny brown insects that can only live on human hair. They survive by sucking blood from the scalp. Head lice are easily spread by close contact, but do not spread disease.

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Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection that affects the meninges – the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains the causes, symptoms and treatment of meningitis and where to get help.

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MRSA

MRSA is short for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus is a bacterium (bug or germ) that about 30 per cent of us carry on our skin or in our nose without knowing about it. This is called 'colonisation'. This page explains about MRSA, how

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