|
abduct |
motion of a
body part away from the midline of the body |
|
abscess |
localized
pocket or collection of pus in a cavity |
|
absorbent products |
pads and
garments, disposable or reusable, worn in cases of incontinence to
absorb leaked urine |
|
accommodation |
adjustment of
the eye's lens to focus on objects at various distances |
|
Achilles tendon |
tendon formed
by the union of two muscles,the gastrocnemius and the soleus, which join
in the mid-calf area and are known as the gastroc-soleal complex;
prominent at the back of the ankle |
|
Achilles tendonitis |
painful and
often debilitating inflammation of the Achilles tendon |
|
actinic keratosis |
common
precancerous skin growth |
|
adduct |
motion of a
body part toward the midline of the body |
|
adjuvant |
assisting the
primary means of therapy, e.g., coupling radiation treatment with
surgical excision of tumors |
|
AIDS |
acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome |
|
allergen |
substance
inducing an allergic state or reaction |
|
allergic contact
dermatitis |
dermatitis
caused by sensitivity to an allergen |
|
allergy |
inappropriate
or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances that cause no
symptoms in most people, e.g., reactions to chemical exposure,
respiratory reactions to dust, pollen or other substances, reactions to
food |
|
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|
alopecia |
hair loss;
disease in which the hair falls out |
|
alternative therapy |
therapy that
is not standard, including herbal medicines, accupuncture, and
accupressure, as well as medicinal therapies, such as shark cartilage,
maitake mushroom, etc. |
|
Alzheimer's disease |
most common
form of dementia in older persons that affects many areas of cognitive
function, including memory |
|
amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS) |
degenerative
disorder affecting the motor neuron cells and the motor tracts in the
brain and spinal cord; Lou Gehrig's disease |
|
anaphylaxis |
severe,
life-threatening allergic reaction, such as that caused by an insect
sting or exposure to a drug, like penicillin or antitetanus (horse)
serum, or that caused by certain foods, like peanuts or shellfish;
anaphylactic shock |
|
anemia |
deficiency in
red blood cell count, in hemoglobin, or in total blood volume
|
|
angina |
discomfort
and pain felt when a blockage in a coronary artery prevents oxygen-rich
blood from reaching part of the heart |
|
angiogram |
invasive
diagnostic test whereby a dye is injected into the arteries through a
catheter in order to observe the blood vessels |
|
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|
angioplasty |
procedure for
treating blockages and blood clots in which a small balloon is inflated
to open clogged arteries |
|
ankle joint |
joint made by
the two leg bones (the tibia and the fibula) and the most superior bone
in the foot (the talus) |
|
annular |
ringlike |
|
anterior chamber |
space between
the iris and the cornea that contains aqueous humor |
|
antiarrhythmic
agents |
drugs that
slow or eliminate rapid contraction of the ventricle |
|
antibody |
protein
produced in a controlled manner by certain white blood cells
(lymphocytes) to neutralize an antigen or foreign protein and fight
disease, but whose uncontrolled production can cause illness;
immunoglobulin |
|
anticholinergics |
quick-relief
asthma medications that work by inhibiting nerve receptors in the
airways and by blocking reflex bronchoconstriction of the nervous system |
|
antigen |
substance
that can trigger an immune response, resulting in production of an
antibody as part of the body's defense against infection and disease;
allergen |
|
antihistamines |
drugs that
block the effects of histamine, a chemical released in body fluids
during an allergic reaction, and which reduce itching, sneezing, and
runny nose |
|
anti-inflammatory
agents |
drugs that
reduce inflammation and its effects |
|
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|
anus |
external
orifice where feces is expelled; opening to anal canal |
|
anxiety |
generalized
feeling of apprehension, fear, or worry that interferes with normal life
functions |
|
aortic valve |
one-way valve
that allows blood to flow only out of the left ventricle and into the
aorta |
|
aphasia |
acquired
abnormality in the production or comprehension of language |
|
apnea |
condition of
sleep in which the upper airway tends to collapse repeatedly |
|
appendicolith |
small hard
stone often seen in the appendix that is generally composed of enough
calcium to be seen on x-rays and particularly on CT scans |
|
applecore (lesion) |
appearance of
the typical annular-shaped cancer of the colon whose concentric growth
around the tubular large bowel resembles an eaten apple |
|
aqueous humor |
watery fluid
that fills the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye |
|
arrhythmia |
irregular
heartbeat that features either very rapid ventricular contractions
(tachycardia), an excessively slow heartbeat (bradychardia) or, most
commonly, extra or "premature" beats |
|
arteries |
blood vessels
that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the organs |
|
articulate |
process by
which two adjacent bones form a joint and slide upon each other |
|
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|
artifact |
various types
of image distortion and interference found in x-ray film |
|
artificial urinary
sphincter (AUS) |
surgically
implanted device (consisting of three parts: pump, balloon reservoir,
and cuff) that is used to control the involuntary release of urine
associated with prostate and urinary tract surgery |
|
assisted reproductive
technologies (ART) |
fertility
treatments that incorporate methods of sperm retrieval and preparation:
artificial insemination (AI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and sperm
microinjection techniques |
|
asthma |
chronic,
inflammatory lung disease triggered by allergens, infection, exercise,
cold air, and other factors that cause narrowing of the airways,
breathing difficulty, coughing, and wheezing |
|
ataxia telangiectasia
(AT) |
progressive,
degenerative genetic disease, which causes degeneration of the nervous
system, cancer, and immunodeficiency |
|
atherosclerosis |
condition in
which lipids (fats) collect under the inner lining of damaged artery
walls, eventually narrowing or blocking the artery and obstructing blood
flow |
|
athlete's foot |
common,
irritating, often persistent infection of the foot caused by a
dermatophyte (microscopic moldlike fungus) that lives on dead tissues of
hair, toenails, and outer skin layers |
|
atony |
lack of
muscle tone, usually leading to temporary weakness |
|
atopy |
hereditary
presence of antibodies associated with allergic reactions |
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|
atria (sing., atrium) |
right and
left upper chambers of the heart |
|
atrial fibrillation |
abnormal
rhythm of the heart that can result in an increased risk of stroke due
to the formation of emboli (blood clots) in the heart |
|
atrophy |
wasting of
tissue, cell, or organ |
|
aura |
warning
symptoms like disturbances in vision, strange smells, or hallucinations
that occur prior to a particular neurological event, such as seizure or
migraine |
|
autism |
lifelong
developmental disability that occurs by itself or in association with
other disorders that affect the function of the brain, such as viral
infections, metabolic disturbances, mental retardation, epilepsy, and
fragile X syndrome; characterized by severely impaired social
interaction and communication skills and restrictive or repetitive
movements, interests, and behaviors |
|
autoimmune |
abnormal
response of the immune system that causes antibodies and immune-mediated
cells to attack one's own tissues |
|
autologous |
derived from
or originating in an individual |
|
AV node
(atrioventricular node) |
patch of
electrical-wire-like specialized heart tissue located between the atria
and the ventricles that conducts contractile impulses from the atria to
the ventricles |
|
axon |
inner core of
peripheral nerves |
|
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