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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
-
H . . .
- H2-Blockers
- Medicines that block histamine2
reducing the amount of acid the stomach produces. Histamine
causes the stomach to make acid.
- Heartburn
- A painful, burning feeling
in the chest. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid flowing
back into the esophagus.
- Helicobacter pylori
(H. pylori)
- damages stomach and duodenal
tissue, causing ulcers.
- Hemoglobin
A1C (HbA1C)
- Increased levels are
seen in poorly controlled diabetics. As glucose
attached to red cells for 120 days, a test to measure
hemoglobin A1C shows what the person's average blood glucose
level was for that period of time.
- Hemochromatosis
- Body absorbs too much iron.
- Hemorrhoidectomy
- An operation to remove hemorrhoids.
- Hemorrhoids
- Engorged blood vessels in
and around the anus and lower rectum occurs usually with
constipation.
- Hemorrhagic
- relating to bleeding
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- A condition that may cause
loss of consciousness and coma. It is usually the result
of advanced liver disease. Also called hepatic coma.
- Hepatitis
- Irritation of the liver
that sometimes causes permanent damage. Hepatitis may
be caused by viruses , medicines or alcohol.
-
- Hepatotoxicity
- Damage to liver
- Hernia
- The part of an internal
organ that pushes through an opening in the organ's wall.
- Herniorrhaphy
- An operation to repair a
hernia.
- Hiatal Hernia
(Hiatus Hernia)
- A small opening in the diaphragm
that allows the upper part of the stomach to move up into
the chest.
- High Blood
Pressure
- When the blood flows through
the vessels at a greater than normal force. Also
called hypertension.
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- A birth defect in which
some nerve cells are lacking in the large intestine. The
intestine cannot move stool through, so the intestine
gets blocked. Causes the abdomen to swell.
- Homeostatis
- When the body is working
as it should because all of its systems are in balance.
- Host
- a plant or animal harboring
another organism.
-
-
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Excess bilirubin in the
blood resulting in jaundice.
- Hyperglycemia
- Too high a level of glucose
(sugar) in the blood.
- Hyperkeratosis
- a disease resulting in the
abnormal growth of the corneous layer of the skin
- Hyperlipidemia
- Incrased level of fats (lipids)
in the blood. .
- Hyperpigmentation
- abnormally increased pigmentation
- Hyperplasia
- an abnormal increase in
the number of normal cells in a tissue
- Hypertension
- Blood pressure that is above
the normal range. See also: High blood pressure.
- Hypoglycemia
- Decreased level of glucose
(sugar) in the blood.
- Hypogonadism
- Decreased gonad (sex gland)
function .
- Hypotension
- Low blood pressure or a
sudden drop in blood pressure.
- Hypothalamus
- an area of the forebrain
which regulates pituitary gland and other functions.
- Hypoxemia
-
- Decreased oxygen content
in arterial blood
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I . . .
- IBD
- See: Inflammatory
Bowel Diseae (IBD).
- IDDM
- See: Insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus
- Idiopathic
- describing a disease of
unknown cause
-
- lleocolitis
- Irritation of the lower
part of the small intestine (ileum) and colon.
- Immunity
- natural or acquired resistance
provided by the immune system to a specific disease.
- Immunization
- the process of inducing
immunity by administering an antigen (vaccine) to allow
the immune system to prevent infection or illness when
it subsequently encounters the infectious agent.
- Immunodeficiency
- a condition resulting from
a defective immune system.
- Immunogen
- a agent capable of provoking
an immune response. Also called an antigen.
- Immunocopetent
- capable of developing an
immune response.
- Immunosuppressive
Drugs
- Drugs that supresses the
body's ability to fight infection or foreign substances.
-
- Impaction
- The trapping of an object
in body's passage.
- Impaired Glucose
Tolerance (IGT)
- Blood glucose (sugar) levels
higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes.
- Imperforate Anus
- A birth defect in which
the anal canal fails to develop.
- Impotence
- Unable to have an erect
penis and to emit semen.
-
- Infarct
- An area of dead tissue due
to local ischemia resulting from obstruction of circulation
to the area.
- Infarction
- The formation of an infarct.
- Infectious Diarrhea
- Diarrhea caused by infection
from bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
-
- Infiltate
- material deposited as a
result of filtration
- Inflammtion
- Reaction of tissues to injury
or disease. It is associated with swelling, redness, heat,
and pain.
- Inflammatory Bowel
Disease (IBD)
- Irritation and ulcers in
the GI tract. The most common disorders are ulcerative
colitis and Crohn's disease.
- Inguinal Hernia
- A small part of the large
or small intestine or bladder that protrudes into the
groin.
- Insulin
- A hormone that helps the
body use glucose (sugar) for energy. The beta cells of
the pancreas produce the insulin.
- Insulin Allergy
- An allergic or bad reaction
to taking insulin made from pork or beef or from bacteria.
- Insulin Antagonist
- Something that opposes or
fights the action of insulin.
- Insulin-Dependent
Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)
- A chronic condition in which
the pancreas makes little or no insulin because the beta
cells have been destroyed. To treat the disease, the person
must inject insulin, follow a diet plan, exercise daily,
and test blood glucose several times a day.
- Insulin Pump
- A device that delivers a
continuous supply of insulin into the body.
- Insulin Resistance
- Many people with noninsulin-dependent
diabetes produce enough insulin, but their bodies do not
respond to the action of insulin. Because the person is
overweight with too many fat cells, which do not respond
well to insulin. As people age, their body cells
lose some of the ability to respond to insulin. Insulin
resistance is also linked to high blood pressure and high
levels of fat in the blood. Another kind of insulin resistance
may happen in some people who take insulin injections.
They may have to take very high doses of insulin every
day (200 units or more) to bring their blood glucose (sugar)
down to the normal range. This is also called "insulin
insensitivity.
- Insulin Shock
- A severe condition that
occurs when the level of blood glucose (sugar) drops quickly.
-
- Intestinal
Pseudo-Obstruction
- A disorder that causes symptoms
of blockage, but no actual blockage. Causes constipation,
vomiting, and pain.
- Intolerance
- Allergy to a food, drug,
or other substance.
- Intramuscular
Injection
- Giving liquid medicine into
a muscle with a needle and syringe.
- Intravenous
Injection
- Giving fluid into a vein
with a needle and syringe.
- Intussusception
- A part of the intestines
folds into another part of the intestines, causing blockage.
- Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS)
- Nerves that control
the muscles in the GI tract are too active. The GI tract
becomes sensitive to food, stool, gas, and stress. Causes
abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea.
Synonyms: spastic colon or mucous colitis.
- Ischemic Colitis
- Decreased blood flow to
the colon. Causes fever, pain, and bloody diarrhea.
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J . . .
- Jaundice
- Jaundice causes yellowish
discoloration of the skin and eyes from too much bilirubin
in the blood.
- Joint
- Most joints consists
of cartilage, joint space, fibrous capsule, synovium,
and ligaments.
- Juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis
- A chronic arthritis of childhood
that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of function
in the joints and may also affect other parts of the body.
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K . . .
- Ketone Bodies
- Chemicals formed from
breakdown of fat for energy, as there is not enough insulin
in the blood.Too much build up leads to Diabetic ketoacidosis
or strvation ketoacidosis
-
- Kidneys
- The kidneys are shaped like
two large beans, and they act as the body's filter.
- Kupffer's Cells
- Cells that line the liver.
These cells remove waste such as bacteria from the blood.
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