Copy of `MediChecks - Medical glossary`

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MediChecks - Medical glossary Category: Health and Medicine Date & country: 06/01/2008, UK Words: 1901

Enzyme
a chemical, originating in a cell, that regulates reactions in the body

Epidemic
a term used to describe a disease that is rare then suddenly affects more people than usually expected

Enterobiasis
infestation by a pinworm

Enuresis
the medical term for wetting the bed

Endotracheal tube
a plastic tube that is fed down into the trachea through the mouth or nose to supply oxygen to a person who is not breathing properly

Enteritis
inflammation of the small intestine, usually causing diarrhoea

Endothelium
the layer of flat cells that lines the blood and lymph vessels, the heart, and other structures in the body

Endoscope
a lighted instrument used to view the inside of a body cavity

Endometrium
the membrane that lines the uterus

Endophthalmitis
inflammation of the inside of the eye

Endometrial polyp
a growth (usually noncancerous) occurring on the lining of the uterus

Endometriosis
a condition in which fragments of the endometrium are found in other pelvic organs

Endogenous
arising from inside of the body

Endocardium
the inner lining of the heart

Endocrine gland
a gland that secretes hormones into the bloodstream

Endocarditis
inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, usually the heart valves; typically caused by an infection

Endemic
describes a disease that is always present in a certain population of people

Endarterectomy
surgery performed to remove the lining of an artery that has been narrowed by fatty tissue build-up

Encephalitis
inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a virus; may be very mild and barely noticeable, but is usually serious and can progress from headache and fever to hallucinations, paralysis, and sometimes coma

Emphysema
a chronic disease in which the small air sacs in the lungs (the alveoli) become damaged; characterised by difficulty breathing

Emetic
a substance that causes vomiting; used to treat some cases of poisoning and drug overdose

Embolism
the blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus

Embryo
a term used to describe a child in the womb from fertilisation to 8 weeks following fertilisation

Electroencephalography
a procedure for recording the electrical impulses of brain activity

EEG
see Electroencephalography

Elective
describes a treatment or procedure that is not urgent and can be arranged at the patient's convenience

Ectopic
occurring at an abnormal position or time

Eczema
inflammation of the skin, usually causing itchiness and sometimes blisters and scaling; may be caused by allergies, but often occurs for no apparent reason

Eclampsia
a serious condition that occurs in late pregnancy, characterised by seizures in the woman

Echocardiogram
an image of the heart that is created by high-frequency (ultrasound) sound waves

ECG (sometimes called an EKG)
an electrocardiogram, which is a record of the electrical impulses that trigger the heartbeat; used to diagnose heart disorders

Dyspnoea
difficulty breathing

Dystrophy
any disorder in which cells become damaged or do not develop properly because they do not receive adequate nutrition

Eardrum
a thin, oval-shaped membrane that separates the inner ear from the outer ear and is responsible for transmitting sound waves

Dysentery
a severe intestinal infection, causing abdominal pain and diarrhoea with blood or mucus

Duodenum
the first part of the small intestine, immediately following the stomach

Duodenal ulcer
an erosion in the inner lining of the wall of the first part of the small intestine (called the duodenum)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy
a genetic condition in boys in which nerves degenerate and muscles get progressively weaker

Dopamine
a chemical that transmits messages in the brain and plays a role in movement

Down syndrome
a genetic disorder in which a person's cells have 1 too many chromosomes, causing moderate to severe mental handicap and a characteristic appearance

DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid; responsible for passing genetic information in nearly all organisms

Dominant gene
a gene that always produces its effect when it is present

Diverticulitis
inflammation of diverticula (small sacs in the intestine's inner lining); can cause fever, pain, and tenderness

Distention
swelling, enlargement, or stretching

Diuretic
a drug that increases the amount of water in the urine, removing excess water from the body; used in treating high blood pressure and fluid retention

Dislocation
displacement of the two bones in a joint

Disk prolapse
a disorder in which one of the disks located between the vertebrae in the spine breaks down and the pulpy interior squeezes out, causing pressure on a nerve; commonly called a 'slipped' or 'ruptured' disk

Diphtheria
a bacterial infection that causes a fever, headache, sore throat, and possibly death; diphtheria is rare in developed countries

Dilatation and Curettage
a procedure in which the vagina and cervix are widened and the lining of the uterus is scraped away to diagnose and treat disorders of the uterus

Diathermy
the use of high-frequency currents, microwaves, or ultrasound to produce heat in the body to increase blood flow, relieve pain, or destroy diseased tissue

Diastolic pressure
the blood pressure measured when the heart is at rest between beats

Diaphragm
the large, dome-shaped muscle separating the abdomen and chest that contracts and relaxes to make breathing possible; also, a thin, rubber dome that is used as a method of female contraception

Diaper rash
a common condition in babies in which the skin in the diaper area becomes irritated and red, usually because of exposure to urine, faeces, or heat

Dialysis
a procedure to treat kidney failure in which artificial means are used to filter waste, maintain acid-base balance, and remove excess fluid from the body

Diabetes insipidus
a rare condition characterised by increased urine production

Diabetes mellitus
a common form of diabetes in which the body cannot properly store or use glucose (sugar), the body's main source of energy

Dextrocardia
a rare genetic condition in which the heart is located on the right side of the body, instead of the left

Dextrose
another name for the sugar glucose

Detoxification
treatment given either to fight a person's dependence on alcohol or other drugs or to rid the body of a poisonous substance and its effects

Dermis
the inner skin layer

Desensitisation
the process of making a person less allergic to a substance by injecting gradually increasing amounts of the substance; sometimes done to prevent anaphylactic shock

Dermatitis
inflammation of the skin

Dermabrasion
removal of the surface layer of skin with a sanding wheel to treat scarring or to remove tattoos

Depression
feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and a general disinterest in life, which for the most part have no cause and may be the result of a psychiatric illness

Depot injection
injection of a drug into a muscle; the drug is designed to absorb slowly into the body

Depilatory
a chemical hair remover

Dementia
a gradual decline in mental ability usually caused by a brain disease, such as Alzheimer disease

Dehydration
excessive, dangerous loss of water from the body

Degenerative arthritis
the breakdown of the cartilage lining the bones in joints, usually weight-bearing joints (such as the knee); causes stiffness and pain (also called osteoarthritis)

Defibrillation
a short electric shock to the chest to normalise an irregular heartbeat

Defecation
the passing of faeces out of the body through the anus; a bowel movement

Deep-vein thrombosis
the formation of a blood clot inside of a deep-lying vein, usually in the legs

Decompression sickness
the formation of gas bubbles in the body's tissues as a result of a scuba diver ascending too quickly from depth; commonly called the bends

Debridement
surgical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue, or some foreign material from a wound or burn

Cystostomy
the surgical placement of a drainage opening in the bladder

Cystoscopy
examination of the urethra and bladder using a long, thin, fibre-optic tube

Cystectomy
surgical removal of the bladder; the bladder is often replaced with a short length of small intestine

Cystic fibrosis
an inherited disorder in which the lungs are prone to infection, and fats and other nutrients cannot be absorbed into the body

Cyanosis
a bluish discoloration of the skin, caused by low levels of oxygen in the blood

Cyst
a lump filled with either fluid or soft material, occurring in any organ or tissue; may occur for a number of reasons but is usually harmless unless its presence disrupts organ or tissue function

CVS
see Chorionic villus sampling

Culture
the artificial growth of cells, tissue, or micro-organisms such as bacteria in a laboratory

Curettage
the use of a sharp, spoon-like instrument (a curet) to scrape away tissue that is abnormal or to obtain a sample that can be analysed

Cruciate ligaments
two ligaments in the knee that cross each other and help stabilise the knee joint

CT scanning
a procedure that uses X-rays and computers to create cross-sectional images of the body to diagnose and monitor disease

Croup
a usually mild and temporary condition common in children under the age of 4 in which the walls of the airways become inflamed and narrow, resulting in wheezing and coughing

Creatinine
a waste product that is filtered from the blood by the kidneys and expelled in urine

CPR
see Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Corticosteroids
synthetic drugs that are used to replace natural hormones or to suppress the immune system and help prevent inflammation

Corpuscle
a tiny, rounded structure in the body, such as a red or white blood cell

Coronary thrombosis
the blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot

Coronary heart disease
disorders that restrict the blood supply to the heart, including atherosclerosis

Coronary artery bypass surgery
an operation in which a piece of vein or artery is used to bypass a blockage in a coronary artery; performed to prevent myocardial infarction and relieve angina pectoris

Coronary arteries
the arteries that branch off from the aorta and supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle

Coronary
describes structures that encircle another structure (such as the coronary arteries, which circle the heart); commonly used to refer to a coronary thrombosis or a heart attack

Cornea
the clear, dome-shaped front portion of the eye's outer covering

Corn
a thickened callus on the foot that is caused by an improperly fitting shoe

Contusion
damage to the skin and underlying tissue as a result of a blunt injury; a bruise

Constipation
difficult or infrequent bowel movements of hard, dry faeces

Contraindication
an aspect of a patient's condition that makes the use of a certain drug or therapy an unwise or dangerous decision