The third leading cause of end stage kidney disease in the U.S. is glomerulonephritis, a disease that damages the kidneys' filtering units, called the glomeruli. In many cases, the cause of this disease is not known, but some cases may be inherited and others may be triggered by an infection. Some of the other diseases that may affect the kidneys include infections, kidney stones and inherited diseases such as polycystic kidney disease. The kidneys can also be damaged by overuse of some over-the-counter pain killers and by taking illegal drugs such as heroin. Some of these diseases can be cured.
Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale a hundred-point scale used as axis V of DSM-IV to assess a client's recent and current levels of social, psychological, and occupational functioning. gray scale a representation of intensities in shades of gray, as in gray-scale ultrasonography.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by feelings of persistent worry. The worries are excessive, uncontrollable, and last for an extended period of time. People with GAD often realize that their worries are out of proportion to the situation but are unable to contain their anxiety.