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Abatement
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A decrease in the severity of a pain or a symptom
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Abdomen
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The body cavity below the diaphragm which contains the stomach, intestines, liver, and other organs; the belly
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Abdominal
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Pertaining to the body cavity below the diaphragm which contains the stomach, intestines, liver, and other organs; having to do with the belly
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Abdominoplasty
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Surgery to fix the belly
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Abduction
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Movement away from the middle of the body
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Ablation
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Separation or detachment; Removal of a part, especially by cutting
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Abortion
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Premature stoppage of a pregnancy
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Abrasion
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Area where the skin or other tissue is scraped away
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Abscess
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A swelling filled with pus
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Absorb
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Take up fluids, take in
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Absorption
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The way a drug or other substance enters the body
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Accumulation
|
Build-up
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Acetabulum
|
Pocket in the hip bone that holds the top of the upper leg bone
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Acidosis
|
Condition when blood contains more acid than normal
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Acne
|
Pimples
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Acoustic neuroma
|
Growth in the ear canal
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
|
Contagious illness that results in decreased ability of the body to protect itself from other illnesses
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Acuity
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Clearness, keenness, especially of vision - airways
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Acute
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New, recent, sudden; Lasting a short time, but often causing a serious problem
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Adduction
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Movement towards the middle of the body
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Adenoids
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Infection-fighting glands in the back of the throat
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Adenoma
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Non-cancerous tumor
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Adenomyosis
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A growth of muscle in the uterus
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Adenopathy
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Swollen lymph nodes (glands)
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Adhesion
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Tissue stuck together
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Adipose
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Having to do with fat
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Adjunct
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Additional substance, treatment or procedure used for increasing the effectiveness of the primary substance, treatment, or procedure
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Adjuvant
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Helpful, assisting, aiding
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Adjuvant treatment
|
Added treatment
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Adrenal gland
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A gland found over each kidney that helps regulate blood pressure and stress
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Adrenaline
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Hormone made by the adrenal glands that speeds up body organs and helps the body deal with stress
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Adverse
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Harmful, bad, negative, unfavorable
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Aerosol
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A drug or substance made as a mist to be breathed in
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Agent
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Substance
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Aggravation
|
Worsening
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Airway
|
Tube through which air passes to enter and leave the lungs
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Akinesia
|
Lack of movement
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Albumin
|
Water-soluble blood protein
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Albuminuria
|
Protein in the urine
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Alimentary
|
Related to digestion
|
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Allergen
|
A substance that gets into the body and activates the immune system, which produces an allergic reaction
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Allergic reaction
|
Rash, swelling, and/or trouble breathing, which may range from mild and annoying to severe and life-threatening. A severe allergic reaction may cause shock and even death.
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Allergy
|
Sensitivity to a substance
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Alopecia
|
Baldness
|
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Alzheimer's Disease
|
A disorder that causes mental confusion
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Ambulant
|
Walking
|
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Ambulatory
|
Able to walk
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Ameliorate
|
Improve
|
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Amenorrhea
|
When a women has no menstrual period
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|
Amino acid
|
Substance used by the body to make protein
|
|
Amniocentesis
|
Removal of some of the waters from around an unborn baby for laboratory testing
|
|
Amniotic fluid
|
Waters around an unborn baby
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Amniotic sac
|
Bag of tissue that surrounds an unborn baby
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Amphetamines
|
Drugs that speed up metabolism and decrease appetite ("speed")
|
|
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
|
A disease of the nerves that causes weakness
|
|
Analgesic
|
Drug used to control pain
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|
Analyze
|
To study thoroughly
|
|
Anaphylactic shock
|
Serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to a substance (eg, food, drug)
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|
Anastamosis
|
Connection between two vessels or tubes
|
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Androgen
|
Male sex hormone
|
|
Anemia
|
Decreased red blood cells; Low red blood cell count
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|
Anergia
|
Inactivity
|
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Anesthesia
|
Loss of sensation or feeling
|
|
Anesthetic, general
|
A drug or agent used to decrease the feeling of pain or eliminate the feeling of pain by putting one to sleep
|
|
Anesthetic, local
|
A drug or agent used to decrease the feeling of pain or by numbing an area of the body, without putting one to sleep
|
|
Aneurysm
|
Area where an artery is swollen like a sac because the wall of the artery is weak
|
|
Angina pectoris
|
Chest pain due to decreased oxygen being supplied to the heart
|
|
Angioedema
|
Skin blistering
|
|
Angioma
|
Growth made up of blood vessels or lymph vessels
|
|
Angioplasty
|
Surgery to open up a narrow blood vessel
|
|
Ankylosis
|
Joint stiffness
|
|
Anorexia
|
No appetite for food
|
|
Anoxia
|
No oxygen
|
|
Antacid
|
Drug used to decrease acid in the stomach
|
|
Antecubital
|
Area inside the elbow
|
|
Antepartum
|
Before childbirth
|
|
Anterior
|
Having to do with the front of the body
|
|
Anterior lobe
|
Front part of an organ
|
|
Anti-inflammatory
|
Substance to reduce swelling
|
|
Antiarrhythmic
|
Drug used to restore the natural rhythm of the heart
|
|
Antibiotic
|
Drug that kills bacteria and other germs
|
|
Antibody
|
Type of protein that helps protect the body against foreign matter, such as bacteria and viruses; Substance that helps fight infection
|
|
Anticoagulant
|
Drug used to stop blood from clotting
|
|
Anticonvulsant
|
Drug used to stop seizures
|
|
Antidepressant
|
Tranquilizer
|
|
Antidote
|
Substance used to treat allergic reactions
|
|
Antiemetic
|
Drug used to stop vomiting
|
|
Antifungal
|
Fungus killer
|
|
Antigen
|
Foreign Substance
|
|
Antihistamine
|
Drug used to treat allergic reactions
|
|
Antihypertensive
|
High blood pressure drug
|
|
Antilipemic
|
Drug that counteracts fat in the blood
|
|
Antimicrobial
|
Drug that kills bacteria and other germs
|
|
Antioxidant
|
Substance to stop decay
|
|
Antipsychotic
|
Tranquilizer
|
|
Antipyretic
|
Treatment for fever
|
|
Antiretroviral
|
Drug that inhibits certain viruses
|
|
Antiseptic
|
Substance used to stop or slow down the growth of germs
|
|
Antitussive
|
Drug used to relieve coughing
|
|
Antiviral
|
Treatment for a virus
|
|
Anus
|
Ring of muscle that keeps the opening at the end of the digestive tract closed
|
|
Anxiety
|
Agitation
|
|
Aorta
|
Biggest artery in the body
|
|
Aortic stenosis
|
Narrowing of the aorta where it comes out of the heart
|
|
Aphagia
|
Not able to swallow
|
|
Aphasia
|
Not able to speak or write and not able to understand spoken or written words; a stroke
|
|
Apnea
|
Stopping of breathing
|
|
Appendectomy
|
Surgery to remove the appendix
|
|
Arrhythmia
|
Any change from the normal heart beat
|
|
Arteriogram
|
X-ray using a dye to outline an artery
|
|
Arterioles
|
Small branches of arteries
|
|
Arteriosclerosis
|
Hardening of the artery
|
|
Artery
|
The type of blood vessel that carries blood and oxygen from the heart to the rest of the body
|
|
Arthralgia
|
Pain in a joint
|
|
Arthritis
|
Inflammation of one or more joints
|
|
Arthrocentesis
|
Use of a needle to remove fluid from a joint
|
|
Arthroplasty
|
Surgery to fix a joint
|
|
Arthroscopy
|
A surgical procedure in which the internal structure of the joints is examined for diagnosis and/or treatment
|
|
Articular cartilage
|
Smooth tissue that covers the bones inside a joint
|
|
Ascites
|
Fluid in the belly
|
|
Asphyxia
|
Suffocation
|
|
Aspirate
|
Removing a substance using suction
|
|
Aspiration
|
Removal of (usually excessive accumulation of) gas or fluid from the body cavity or organs by suction; Breathing in
|
|
Assay
|
Lab test
|
|
Assent
|
Agreement (usually used for children's and youth's approval, followed by parent/guardian's consent in the form of a signature on the consent form)
|
|
Assess
|
Evaluate, determine, learn about
|
|
Asthenia
|
Weakness
|
|
Asthma
|
Breathing disorder in which there is wheezing and difficulty breathing; A lung disease associated with tightening of the air passages
|
|
Asymptomatic
|
Without symptoms
|
|
Ataxia
|
Uncontrolled muscle movement; incoordination
|
|
Atelectasis
|
Collapse of a lung
|
|
Atrioventricular block
|
A disorder that blocks certain signals in the heart and causes problems in heart rhythm
|
|
Atrophy
|
Wasting away, or decrease in size, of a body organ
|
|
Atypical
|
Unusual
|
|
Audiology
|
The study of hearing
|
|
Audiometry
|
Measurement of hearing
|
|
Aura
|
Warning sensation
|
|
Auricular
|
Hearing related
|
|
Auscultation
|
Use of a stethoscope to listen to sounds inside the body
|
|
Autoimmune disease
|
Disorder in which a person's immune system attacks parts of his or her own body
|
|
Autonomic
|
Unconscious, unaware
|
|
Axilla
|
Armpit
|
|
Azotemia
|
Kidney failure
|
