| |
The Glossary is very useful
for the explanation of medical terminology.
Click on a letter
to view the corresponding section of the glossary:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
-
C . . .
- Cachexia
- Malnutrition and wasting
due to illness.
-
- Cafe-au-lait spots
- Light coffee-colored birthmarks
sometimes found on babies' arms, legs and bodies.
-
- Caffeine
- A stimulant found naturally
in coffee, tea, chocolate and cocoa; may be added to soft
drinks or other food products.
-
-
- Calcitonin
- A hormone secreted by the
thyroid that lowers blood calcium. Used in the treatment
of hypercalcemia.
- Calcium
- A mineral found in the teeth,
bones, and other body tissues.
- Calculi
- Are stones or solid masses
such as kidney stones.
-
- Calisthenics
- Systematic, rhythmic bodily
exercises performed usually without equipment.
-
- Callus
- A part of skin that becomes
thick and hard from rubbing or pressure. Tight shoes can
cause calluses.
- Calorie
- Energy comes from food we
eat. Fat products produces higher energy than protein
or carbohydrate.
-
- Cancer
- Abnormal growth of cells,
forming malignant tumors that can develop in various parts
of the body.
-
-
- Candidiasis
- Caused by the fungus
that is normal inhabitant of gastrointestinal tract. Candidisis
occurs with changes in the organ or body.
-
- Capillary
- The smallest blood vessels
of the body connecting the smallest arteries to the smallest
veins.
-
- Caput saccedaneum
- Swelling of the baby's scalp
during labor.
-
- Carbohydrate
- Compounds composed of starches
or sugars found primarily in breads, cereals, fruits and
vegetables.
-
- Carcinogen
- A substance or agent that
causes cancer.
-
- Carcinoid tumor
- A type of tumor arising
in the intestines or bronchi (airways of the lung). The
tumor typically produces serotonin that may cause
flushing, low blood pressure and diarrhea.
-
- Cardiac arrest
- Sudden stopping of blood
circulation by cessation of the heartbeat.
-
- Cardiac catheterization
- A procedure in which a catheter
is inserted into a blood vessel and guided into the heart
to measure the blood flow and evaluate any structural
defects.
-
- Cardiac cycle
- Period from the beginning
of one heartbeat to the beginning of the next.
-
- Cardiomyopathy
- Disease of the heart muscle
that impairs the heart contraction.
-
- Cardiopulmonary
bypass
- A machine functions as the
heart and lungs during heart surgery.
-
- Cardiopulmonary
resuscitaton
- Technique to restore the
function of the heart and lungs of an unconscious person.
-
- Cardiologist
- A doctor who takes care
of patients with heart disease; a heart specialist.
- Cardiovascular
- Pertaining to the heart
and blood vessels.
-
- Cardioversion
- Electrical shock applied
to the chest wall to change an abnormal heartbeat to normal.
-
- Caries
- Decay of tooth or bone.
-
- Carrier
- One who carries an infectious
agent or genetic defect in the absence of symptoms.
-
- Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome
- A nerve disorder affecting
the hand caused by a pinched nerve.
-
- Cartilage
- A tissue that covers the
ends of bones causing low-friction.
-
- Cataract
- Clouding of the lens of
the eye.
- Catheter
- A small flexible tube that
carries fluids into or out of the body.
-
- Cecum
- The beginning of the large
intestine. It is connected the ileum
and called the ascending colon.
- Cerebrovascular
disease
- Pertaining to the blood
vessels of the brain.
-
- Cervical cap
- A rubber cap that
fits tightly over the cervix to prevent sperm from entering
the uterus.
-
- Cervical incompetence
- Cervix begins to dilate
in the middle of pregnancy causing miscarriage or
preterm labor.
-
- Cesarean birth
- Baby is delivered through
an incision in the abdominal wall or uterus.
-
- Chancre
- A painless sore on
the skin or mucous membranes usually caused by syphilis.
-
- Charcot Foot
- A foot complication associated
with diabetic neuropathy that results in destruction of
joints and
- Chemotherapy
- Treatment with anticancer
drugs.
-
- Cheyne-Stokes respiration
- A breathing pattern with
varying depth of respiration and brief periods of apnea
-
- Chloasma
- A mild darkening of the
facial skin often
- on cheek.
-
- Cholecystectomy
- An operation to remove the
gallbladder.
-
- Cholecystitis
- An irritated gallbladder.
- Cholelithiasis
- Gallstones in the gallbladder.
- Cholesterol
- A fat-like substance found
in blood, muscle, liver, brain, and other tissues of body
that results from either dietary intake or synthesis of
body.
- Chronic
- Present over a long period
of time.
-
- Chyme
- A thick liquid of
partially digested food and stomach juices found in the
stomach.
- Circulation
- The flow of blood through
the heart and blood vessels of the body.
-
- Circumcision
- Removal of the foreskin
from the penis.
-
- Cirrhosis
- A chronic liver condition
caused by scar tissue and cell damage.
-
- Claudication
- Pain in the calf muscles
with exercise, caused by poor blood circulation.
-
- Cluster headaches
- Intensely painful headaches-occurring
suddenly and lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. They begin
as minor pain around one eye and eventually spread to
that side of the face.
- Colectomy
- An operation to remove all
or part of the colon.
- Colic
- Attacks of abdominal pain,
caused by muscle spasms in the intestines.
-
- Colitis
- Irritation of the colon.
-
- Colon
- Large intestine
-
- Colonoscopy
- A test to look into the
rectum and colon with a long, flexible, narrow tube with
a light and tiny lens on the end.
- Colon polyps
- Small, fleshy, mushroom-shaped
growths in the colon.
- Colorectal Cancer
- Cancer that occurs in the
colon (large intestine) or the rectum (the end of the
large intestine).
-
- Colostomy
- An operation that bypasses
stool to the rectum. A temporary colostomy may be done
to let the rectum heal from injury or other surgery.
-
- Common Bile Duct
Obstruction
- A blockage of the common
bile duct, often caused by gallstones.
-
- Computed Tomography
(CT) Scan
- An x-ray that produces three-dimensional
pictures of the body.
- Congenital
defects
- Conditions present at birth.
- Congestive
heart failure
- Heart failure caused by
loss of pumping power by the heart, resulting in fluids
collecting in the body.
- Constipation
- Stool becomes hard and dry.
- Continence
- The ability to hold in a
bowel movement or urine.
- Continuous
Infusion
- The slow introduction of
a fluid into a vein or artery over a period of time.
- Contraindication
- A condition that makes a
treatment not helpful or even harmful.
- Coronary arteries
- Arteries supplying blood
to the heart muscle itself.
-
- Coronary artery
bypass graft (CABG) surgery
- An operation that restores
the blood supply by bypassing blocked or narrowed coronary
arteries.
-
- Coronary artery
disease
- Narrowing or blockage of
one or more of the coronary arteries resulting in decreased
blood supply to the heart .
-
- Corticosteroids
- Hormones produced by the
cortex of the adrenal glands. The synthetic hormones are
used as medications.
-
- Creatinine
- A chemical found in the
blood and passed in the urine. If the creatinine level
increases in the blood, this may indicate decreased kidney
function.
- Crohn's Disease
- A chronic disease that results
in inflammation of the digestive tract, especially the
small intestine. Also called regional enteritis and ileitis.
- Cyclic Vomiting
Syndrome (CVS)
- Sudden, repeated attacks
of severe vomiting (especially in children), nausea, and
physical exhaustion with no apparent cause. Can last from
a few hours to 10 days. The episodes begin and end suddenly.
Synonym: abdominal migraine.
-
- Cytotoxic
- destructive to cells
-
Return to top...
D . . .
- Debility
- Physical weakness
-
- Decubitus ulcer
- An open sore that forms in
the skin with prolonged pressure.
-
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
(DVT)
- the formation of a blood clot
in the deep veins of the leg; associated with a high risk
of pulmonary embolism.
-
- Defibrillation
- Electrical shock applied to
the chest to prevent ventricular fibrillation.
-
- Defibrillator
- Machine used to deliver an
electrical shock to the chest to stop ventricular fibrillation.
-
- Dehydration
- Lack of an adequate amount
of fluid in the body leading to dry mouth thirst, concentrated
urine or dizziness.
-
- Delirium
- A state of mental confusion,
characterized by disordered speech and often accompanied
by hallucinations.
-
- Delusion
- Fixed false belief.
-
- Dementia
- Mental deterioration because
of diseases.
-
- Depression
- A mood disorder with
extreme sadness and discouragement associated with
sleeplessness and and lack of energy.
-
- Dermatitis
- Infection of the skin, associated
itching and redness
-
- Dermis
- The layer of skin beneath
the epidermis.
-
- Detoxification
- A process of clearing the
body of a drug or toxic agent.
-
- Descending Colon
- The part of the colon where
stool is stored. Located on the left side of the abdomen.
-
- Dextrose
- Glucose or simple sugar
-
-
- Diabetes insipidus
- A disease of the pituitary
gland or kidney, often called "water diabetes as symptoms
are similar to diabetes mellitus; but causes and treatment
are different.
- Diabetes mellitus
- Disorder characterized by
high levels of blood glucose and caused by a failure of
the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin or by insulin
resistance of the body.
-
- Diabetic ketoacedosis
- A serious diabetic condition
in which body breaks down fat, producing ketone bodies
because of lack of insulin.
-
-
- Dialysis
- Technique of removing waste
and toxins from the blood, used in kidney failure and drug
overdose.
-
- Diaphragm
- The muscle wall between the
chest and the abdomen.
- Diarrhea
- Frequent, loose, and watery
bowel movements.
- Diastolic Blood
Pressure
- See: Blood pressure.
- Digestion
- Break down of food particles
for absorption.
-
- Dilatation and curettage
(D&C)
- A procedure in which the cervix
dilated and the uterus scraped with an instrument.
-
- Diplopia
- Double vision.
-
- Disc
- A plate-like cartilage found
between vertebrae.
-
- Dislocation
- Displacement of a bone from
its joint.
-
- Distention
- Bloating or swelling of the
abdomen.
- Diuretic
- A drug that increases the
production of urine.
- Diverticula
- Plural form of diverticulum.
- Diverticulitis
- A condition that occurs when
small pouches in the colon (diverticula) become infected
or irritated.
- Diverticulosis
- A condition that occurs when
small pouches (diverticula) push outward through weak spots
in the colon.
-
- Doppler ultrasound
- Technique used to determine
the blood flow in the heart or blood vessels in which ultrasound
waves are reflected off blood cells as they move in the
blood.
-
- Down syndrome
- Caused by an extra chromosome
number 21 resulting in mental retardation and other birth
defects.
-
- DPT vaccination
- An immunization that protects
against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
-
- Dorsal
- pertaining to the back.
- Dubin-Johnson
Syndrome
- An inherited form of chronic
jaundice (yellow discoloation of the skin and eyes).
-
- Duodenal Ulcer
- An ulcer in the lining of
the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).
- Duodenum
- The first part of the small
intestine.
- Dysphagia
- Difficulty in swallowing food
or liquid, usually caused by blockage or injury to the esophagus.
- Dysplasia
- Abnormal changes in the way
tissue cells look under a microscope.
- Dyspnea
- Shortness of breath.
-
- Dystocia
- Difficult labor due to an
abnormal position or size of the fetus.
-
Return to top...
|
 |