Though every effort has been and will be made to use only easily understable terms but, at times, it is not possible avoid some terms due to obvious reasons. For the benefit of the readers I am making a departure from the usual practice of giving a glossary of technical terms at the end of the book. I have taken the option of giving meanings of technical terms at the beginning, that is before entering into detailed treatment for various diseases. It will help a lot, if these terms are studied before one reads the subsequent articles.
It is not necessary to mug up all the technical terms but it is advised that some of the most common terms, generally referred and used quite often, may be studied more closely so that the tronble of referring the same again and again doesn’t arise every now and then.
If you are fully conversant with the commonly used terms and the explanations, it will induce you to read more and more, to enhance your knowledge which is an unbound ocean.
A common man is expected to keep himself well informed to widen his spectrum and outlook in respect of medicines, brand and generic names, nomelation of most common diseases and also symptoms of various diseases – the last two aspects will be covered by the glossary of technical terms. Due to wide exposure to Audio-video media, some of the terms are a matter of common knowledge for most of the readers.
GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS
Acidosis : a condition in which the acidity of body fluids and tissues is abnormally high.
Addison’s disease: a syndrome due to inadequate secretion of corticosteroid hormones by the adrenal glands.
Adenoma: a benign tumor of epithelial origin that is derived from glandular tissue.
Aerobe : any organism, especially a microbe, that requires the presence of free oxygen for life & growth.
Afebrile: without, or not showing any signs of, a fever.
Agglutination (clumping) : the sticking together.
Alkalemia : abnormally high blood alkalinity.
Alkalosis : condition in which the alkalinity of body fluids and tissues is abnormally high.
Alopecia (baldness): absence of hair.
Alzheimer’s disease: a progressive form of dementia occurring in middle age.
Amenorrhea : the absence or stopping of the menstrual periods. Amnesia : total or partial loss of memory. Anabolism :the synthesis of complex molecules by living cells. Anaerobe: any orgasm that can grow in the absence of free oxygen Analgesia: reduced sensibility to pain.
Anaphylaxis: an abnormal reaction to a particular antigen, in which histamne is released from tissues and causes either local or widespread symptoms.
Ankylosis : fusion of the bones across a joint space either by bony tissue (bony ankylosis) or by shortening of connecting fibrous tissue.
Anorexia : loss of appetite.
(Anorexia nervosa : a psychological illness, most common in female adolescents, in which the patients have no desire to eat.)
Antagonist: a drug or other substance with opposite action to that of another drug.
Antibiotic : a substance, produced by or derived from a microorganism, that destroys or inhibits the growth of other microogranisms.
Antibody : a special kind of blood protein that is synthesized in lymphoid tissue in response to the presence of a particular antigen and circulates in the plasma to attack the antigen and render it harmless
Antiemetic : a drug that prevents vomiting.
Antigen : any substance that the body regards as foreign or potentially dangerous and against which it produces an antibody.
Anthistamine : a drug that inhibits some of the effects of histamine in the body, in particular its role in allergic reactions.
Antipruritic : an agent that relieves intense itching.
Anuria : failure of the kidneys to produce urine.
Anxiety : generalized pervasive “fear. Anxiety state is a form of neurosis in which anxiety dominates the patient’s life. It can be treated with psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and tranquilizing drugs.
Appendicitis: inflammation of the vermiform appendix.
Arrhythmia : any deviation from the nomial rhythm (sinus rhythm) of the heart.
Arthritis : inflammation of one or more joints, characterized by swelling, warmth, redness of the overlying skin, pain, and restriction of motion.
Ascariasis : disease caused by an infestation with the parastitic worm.
Asthma:a condition characterized by paroxysmal attacks of bronchospasm, causing difficulty in breathing.
Atherosclerosis : a disease of the arteries in which fatty plaques develop on their inner walls, with eventul obstruction of blood flow.
Atopic : pertaining to atopy; allergic. Atrophy : a wasting away.
Autoimmune : directed against the body’s own tissue.
Autoimmunity : a condition characterized by a specific humoral or cell-mediated immune response against the constituents of the body’s own tissues (auto antigens): it may result in hypersensitivity reactions or, if severe, in autoimmune disease.
Bacillary : pertaining to bacilli or to rod-like structures
Bactericidal: destructive to bacteria.
Bacteriostatic: inhibiting growth or multiplication of bacteria Benign : not malignant; not recurrent; favorable for recovery B.i.d. : bis in die (twice a day).
Bioavailability : the degree to which a drug or other substance becomes available to the target tissue after administration.
Bioequivalence : the relationship between two preparation of the same drug in the same dosage form that have a similar bioavailabililty.
Biogenesis : origin of life, or of living organisms.
Biosynthesis : creation of a compound by physiologic processes in a living organism.
Blepharitis : Inflammation of the eyelids
B.M.R.: basal metabolic rate.
Bradycardia : Slowness of the heart beat, as evidenced by slowing of the pulse rate to less than 60.
Bursa: a fluid-filied sac or saclike cavity situated in places in tissues where friction would otherwise occur.
Bursitis . inflammation of a bursa.
Cancer : any malignant, cellular tumor-cancers are divided into two broad categories of carcinoma and sarcoma.
Candida : a genus of yeast like fungi that are commonly part of the normal flora of the mouth, skin intestinal tract, and vagina, but can cause a variety of infections.
Carbuncle : a necrotising infection of skin and subcutaneous tissues composed of a cluster of furuncles.
Carcinogen : any substance which causes cancer.
Carcinoma : a malignant new growth made up of epithelial cells tending to infiltrate surrounding tissues and to give rise to metastases.
Cardiac : pertaining to the heart
Carbuncle : a small fleshy eminence often abnormal.
Catabolism : any destructive process by which complex substances are converted by living cells into more simple compounds, with release of energy.
Chancroid : a nonsymphilitic venereal disease transmittey direct contact, and caused by Hemophilus ducreyi.
Chemotherapy : treatment of disease by chemical agents.
Cholesterol: a fat material (Sterol) present in the blood and most tissues, rspecially nervous.
Colic : acute paroxysmal abdominal pain.
Colitis : inflammation of the colon.
Coma : a state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be aroused even by powerful stimuli.
Conception : The onset of pregnancy.
Convulsion : an involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the voluntary muscles.
Coryza : Profuse discharge from the mucous membrane of the nose.
Cretinism : arrested physical and mental development with dystrophy of bones and soft tissues, due to congenital lack of thyroid secretion.
Culture : the propagation of microogranisms or of living tissue cells in media conducive to their growth.
Cyst : any closed epithelium-lined cavity or sac, normal or abnormal, usually containing liquid or semisolid material.
Delirium : a mental disturbance of relatively short duration usually reflecting a toxic state, marked by illusions, hallucinations, delusions, excitement, restlessness, and incoherence.
Delusion : a false personal belief based on incorrect inference about external reality and firmly maintained in spite of incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary.
Dementia : ()rganic loss of intellectual function.
Depolarization : the process or act of neutralizing polarity.
Depot: a body area in which a substance e.g. a drug, can be accumulated.
Dermatitis : Inflammation of the skin.
Dialysis : the process of separating crystalloids and colloids in solution by the difference in their rates of diffusion through a semipermeable membrane : crystalloids pass through readily, colloids very slowly or not at all.
Diastase : a combination of enzymes produced during generation of seeds, and contained in malt.
Diastole : the dilatation, or the period of dilation (e.g. of the heart)
Diplopia : the perception of two images of a single object.
Diuretic : increasing urine excretion or the amount of urine.
Dizziness : a sensation of unsteadiness and a feeling of movement wihin the head.
Dyspepsia : impairment of the power or function of digestion.
Dystonia : impairment of muscular tonus.
Dysuria : painful or difficult urination.
Eczema : a superficial inflammation of the skin, mainly affecting the epidermis.
Edema : excessive accumulation of fluid in the body tissues.
Elephantiasis : gross enlargement of the skin and underlying connective tissues caused by obstruction of the lymph vessels.
ELlSA : Enzyme-Linked [mmuno-Sorbent Assay;
Embolus : a clot or other plug brought by the blood from another vessel and forced into a smaller one, thus obstructing the circulation.
Emetic : an agent that causes vomiting, Strong emetics, such as apomorphine, are used to induce vomiting following drug overdose.
Emollien : Lan agent that soothes and softens the skin
Endemic : occurring frequently in a particular region or popultion: applied to diseases that are generally or constantly found among people in a particular area.
Enteritis : inflammation of the small intestine. Usually causing diarrhea.
Enterocolitis: Inflammation of the small intestine & colon
Eosinophilia : an increase in the number of eosinophilis in the blood.
Epillepsy : any one of a group of disorders of brain function characterized by recurrent attacks that have a sudden onset.
Epistaxis: hemorrhage from the nose.
Erythema : abnormal flushing of the skin caused by dilatation of the blood capillaries.
Expectorant: a drug that enhances the secretion of sputum by the air passages so that it is easier to cough up.
Exudation : the slow escape of liquid (called the exudate) containing proteins and white cells through the walls of intact blood vessels, usually as a result of inflammation.
Fainting : temorary loss of consciousness due to generalized cerebral ischemia
Febrifuge : a treatment or drug that reduces or prevents fever. Filaria : any of the long thread like nematode worms that as adults, arc parasites of the connective and lymphatic tissue of man capable of causing disease
Fissure : a groove or cleft.
Flaccid : flabby and lacking in firmness.
Flare : reddening of the skin that spreads outward from a focus of infection of irritation in the skin.
Flatulence : Excessive formation of gases in stomach or intestine.
Fluorosis : a state of chronic poisoning through longterm exposure to excessive quantities of the inorganic compounds of fluorine.
Furuncle: boil.
Galactorrhea : abnormally copious milk secretion.
Gardiner’s Syndrome : Variant of familial adenomatous polyposis.
Gastritis : inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
Gastroenteritis : inflammation of the stomach and intestine.
Geriatrics : the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that occur in old age.
Giardiasis : a disease caused by the parasitic protozoan Giardia lambia in the small intestine.
Gingivitis : inflammation of the gums, which become swollen and bleed easily.
Glaucoma : condition in which loss of vision occurs because of an abnormally high pressure (Tension) in the eye.
Glossitis : inflammation of the tongue.
Gonorrhea :a veneral disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, that affects the genital mucous membranes of either sex.
Gout: a disease in which a defect in uric acid metabolism causes an excess of the acid and its salts to accumulate in the bloodstream and the joints.
Hallucination : a false perception of something that is not really there.
Heartburn : discomfort or pain, usually burning in character, that is felt behind the breastbone and often appears to rise from the upper mid abdomen toward or into the throat.
Himatinic : a drug that increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood
Hematuria :- the presence of blood in urine.
Hepatitis : inflammation of the liver due to a virus infection or such diseases as amebic dysentary and lupus.
Hepatoma : a malignant tumor of the liver, originating in mature liver cells.
Hernia : protrusion of a portion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening.
Herpes : inflammation of the skin caused by viruses and characterized by collections of small blisters.
Hirutism ; Abnormal hardness, especially in women.
Hyperparathyroidism : excessive activity of the parathyroid glands.
Hypersensitivity : a state of altered reactivity in which the body reacts with an exaggerated immune response to a foreign agent.
Hypoglycemia: deficiency of glucose concentration in the blood.
Hyponatraemia : deficiency of sodium in blood.
Hypoplasia : incomplete development or underdevelopment of an organ or tissue.
Hypotension : abnormally low blood pressure.
Hypouricemia : deficiency of uric acid in the blood
Hysteria : a neurosis with symptoms based on conversion, characterized by lack of control over acts and emotions.
Idiosyncrasy : a habit peculiar to an individual.
Immune: resistant to a disease because of the formation of humorial antibodies.
Immuno-deficiency : a efficiency of the immune response due to hypoactivity or decrease in numbers of lymphoid cells.
Inflammation : a protective tissue response to injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissues.
Inoculation : Introduction of microorganisms, infective material, serum, or other substances into tissue of living organisms, or culture media.
Insomnia : Inability to sleep.
Irritable bowel Syndrome : a chronic noninflammatory disease with a psychophysiologic basis, characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation or both, and no detectable pathologic change; a variant form is marked by painless diarrhea.
Ischemia : deficiency of blood in a part due to functional constriction or actual obstruction of blood vessel.
Iching: pruritus
Jaundice : yellowness of the skin, scieras. mucous membranes, and exeretions due to hyperbilirubinemia and deposition of bile pigments.
Juvenline : partaining to youth or childhood. Keratitis : inflammation of the cornea. Ketonuria : an excess of ketone bodies in the urine.
Ketosis : accumulation of excessive amounts of ketone bodies on body tissues and fluids.
Lacrimation : secretion and discharge of tears. Laryngitis : inflammation of the larynx.
Leprosy : a chronic communicable disease caused by Myobacterium leprae and characterized by the production of granulomatous lesions of the skin, mucous membranes, and peripheral nervous system.
Lesion : any pathological or traumatic discontinuity of tissue or loss of function of a part.
Lathargy : a condition of drowsiness.
Leukemia : a progressive malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, marked by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow.
Lumbago : pain in the lumbar region.
Manic-depressive : alternating between attacks of mania and depression.
Malasia : Vague feeling of discomfort
Manipulation : skillfull or dextrous treatment by hands.
Mastitis : inflammation of the breast.
Malencholia : a depressed and unhappy emotional state with abnormal inhibition of mental and bodily activity.
Meningitis : inflammation of the meninges.
Menopause : cessation of menstruation.
Menorrhagia: Dysmenorhhea.
Metrorrhagia : Uterine bleeding, usually of normal amount occuring at completely irregular intervals, the period of flow some times being prolonged. Micturate: urinate.
Myocarditis : inflammation of the myocardium.
Myopia: nearsightedness.
Myxedema : a dry, waxy type of swelling with abnormal deposits of mucin in the skin and other tissues, associated with hypothyroidism.
Nausea : tendency to vomit.
Neonate : a newborn infant.
Nephritis : inflammation of the kidney.
Neuralgia : paroxysmal pain, extending along the course of one or more nerve(s)
Neuroleptic: antipsychotic agent.
Obesity : an increase in body weight beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical requirements..
Obsessive-compulsive : marked by compulsion to repetitively perform certain acts or carry out certain rituals.
Olfactory : pertaining to the sense of smell.
Oligospermia : deficiency of spermatozoa in semen.
Oliguria : dimnished urine secretion in relation to fluid intake.
Osteoarthritis : non inflammatory degenerative joint disease.
Osteophlebitis : inflammaton of the veins of a bone.
Otitis : Inflammation of the ear.
Palpitation : an awareness of the heart beat.
Palsy : paralysis
Pancreatitis : inflammation of the pancreas.
Paranoia : a mental disorder characterized by delusions organized into a system.
Parenteral: administered by any way other than the mouth.
Pakinsonism : a disorder of middle-aged and elderly people characterized by tremor, rigidity, and a poverty of spontaneous movements.
Peptic ulcer : a breach in the lining of the digestive tract produced by digestion of the mucosa by pepsin and acid.
Periarthritis : inflammation of tissues around ajoint capsule, including tendons and bursae.
Peristalsis : a wavelike movement that progresses along some of the hollow tubes of the body
Pernicious anemia : resulting from deficiency of vitamin B12.
Petit mail: brief spells of unconsciousness, lasting 5-15 seconds, in which posture are maintained, the eyes stare, the mouth twitches, and the head nods slightly.
Phlebitis : inflammation of the wall of a vein, which is most commonly seen in the legs as a complication of varicose veins.
Phlegm : a nonmedical term for sputum.
Phobia : a pathologically strong fear of a particular event or thing.
Pleurisy : inflammation of the pleura.
Polyp: benign growth.
Pott’s Disease : Spinal tuberculosis.
Proctitis : inflammation of the rectum.
Prostatitis : inflammation of the prostate Gland.
Prosthesis : any artificial device that is attached to the body as an aid.
Proliferation : the reproduction or multiplication of similar forms, especialy of cells.
Pruritus : itching, caused by local irritation of the skin or sometimes nervous disorders.
Psoriasis : a chronic skin disease in which itchy scaly red patches form on the elbows, forearms, knees, legs, scalp, and other parts of the body.
Psychosis : a severe mental illness in which he sufferer loses contact with reality.
Pyrexia : fever
Q.I.D :” quarter in di’e. (4 Times a day)
Rabies : an acute virus disease, transmitted to man by a bite from an infected dog.
REM : rapid eye movement.
Rheumatoid arthritis : typically involves the joints of the fingers, writs, feet, and ankles often, and also the hips and shoulders.
Rhinitis : inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose
Rhinorrhea : a persistent watery mucus discharge from the nose
Sarcoma : any cancer of connective tissue.
Scabies : Contagious skin diseases due to the itch mite.
Schizophrenia : a mental disorder.
Sciatica : neuralgia along the course of the sciatic nerve, most often with pain radiating into buttock & lower limb
Scurvy : a disease that is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C.
Septicemia : Blood poisoning
Somnambulism: sleep walking.
Somnolence : sleepiness: also unnatural drowsiness.
Spasm : a sustained involuntary muscular contraction.
Spondylitis : inflammation of the synovial joint of the backbone. Ackylosing spondylitis is a rheumatic disease involving the backbone and sometimes also causing arthritis in the shoulder and hip
Stenosis : narrowing or contraction of a body passage or opening.
Stomatitis : inflammation of the mucus lining of the mouth
Streptococcus : a genus of Gram-positive non motile spherical bacteria occurring in chains.
Stroke : a sudden attack of weakness of paralysis usually affecting one side of the body.
Stye : acute inflammation of a gland at the base of an eyelash, caused by bacteria infection.
Sycosis : papulopustular inflammation of hair follicles, especially of the beard.
Syncope : loss of consciousness induced by a temporarily insufficient flow of blood to the brain.
Synovitis : inflammation of the membrane that lines a joint capsule, resulting in pain and swelling.
Syphilis : a chronic veneral disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Systole : the period of the cardiac cycle during which the heart contracts.
Tachycardia : an increase in the heart rate above normal. Tendinitis : inflammation of a tendon.
Tennis elbow : a painful inflammation of the tendon at the outer border to the elbow.
Tetanus : an acute infectious disease, affecting the nervous system, caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani.
Thalascmia : a hereditary blood disease with abnormality in the protein part of the hemoglobin.
Thromboembolism : the condition in which a blood clot, formed at one point in the circulation, becomes detached and lodges at another point.
Thrombosis : condition in which the blood changes from a liquid to a solid state and produces a blood clot.
Tranquilizer : a drug that produces a calming effect, relieving anxiety and tension.
Trauma : a wound or injury, whether physical or psychic.
Tremor : a rhythmical alternating movement that may affect any part of the body.
Ulcer : a break in the skin or in the mucous membrane, often accompanied by inflammation.
Ulcerative colitis : inflammation and ulceration of the colon and rectum.
Urethritis : inflammation of the urethra.
Uricosuric drug : a drug that increases the amount of uric acid excreted in the urine.
Urticaria : an acute or chronic allergic reaction in which red round wheals develop on the skin.
Vaginitis : inflammation of the vagina.
Ventricle : either of the two lower chambers of the heart, which have thick muscular walls.
Vermicide : a chemical agent used to destroy parasitic worms living in the intestine.
Vertigo : a disabling sensation in which the affected individual feels that either he himself or his surroundings are in a state of constant movement.
Vitiligo : a condition in which areas of skin lose their pigment and become white.
Vulvovaginitis : inflammation of the vulva and vagina. Wheezing : whistling respiratory sound.