alphabetical list of medical terms

Medical terms for conditions and diseases

• Abrasion: A scrape that typically only affects the skin and can usually be treated at home.
• Abscess: A tender, pus-filled pocket usually due to infection.
• Acute: Signifies a condition that begins abruptly and is sometimes severe, but usually short.
• Aneurysm: A bulge in the wall of an artery that weakens the artery and can lead to...

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What are the most common medical terms?

What is mental health?

• Risk factors for mental health conditions. Everyone has some risk of developing a mental health disorder, no matter their age, sex, income, or ethnicity.
• Early signs. There is no physical test or scan that reliably indicates whether a person has developed a mental illness.
• Treatment. There are various methods for managing mental health problems. ...

What are some examples of medical terms?

Some examples are medical terms, such as glossitis, inflammation of the tongue, and glossodynia (Greek odunē, pain), pain in it. The adjective glossopharyngeal refers to a nerve that controls both the tongue and pharynx.

What are three letter medical terms?

Medical Dictionary of Health Terms: A-C

• A. This hormone can cause the prostate gland to grow abnormally. Also known as a tummy tuck. ...
• B. B cell: White blood cells that come from bone marrow, and produce antibodies to fight off disease. Some bacteria cause disease, although most are harmless.
• C. CABG: Abbreviation for coronary artery bypass graft. ...

What are the medical terms meaning top and bottom?

The top number in a blood pressure reading is the amount of pressure your heart produces when pumping blood through your arteries to the rest of your body. Diastolic pressure. The bottom number in a blood pressure reading refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest between beats.

What are the common medical terms?

Top 25 medical terms to knowBenign: Not cancerous.Malignant: Cancerous.Anti-inflammatory: Reduces swelling, pain, and soreness (such as ibuprofen or naproxen)Body Mass Index (BMI): Body fat measurement based on height and weight.Biopsy: A tissue sample for testing purposes.Hypotension: Low blood pressure.More items...

What medical term starts with Z?

Medical terms beginning with ZZ-plasty.ZIFT.Zollinger–Ellison syndrome.Zidovudine.Zinc.Zinc oxide.Zolpidem.Zona pellucida.More items...

What does ABCD stand for in medical terms?

The underlying principles are: Use the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach to assess and treat the patient.

Is there a medical dictionary?

A medical dictionary is a lexicon for words used in medicine. The three major medical dictionaries in the United States are Stedman's, Taber's, and Dorland's. Other significant medical dictionaries are distributed by Elsevier.

What does Crypt o mean in medical terms?

, crypt- Combining forms meaning hidden, obscure; without apparent cause.

What does Allo prefix mean?

otherAllo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “other” or “different.” It is frequently used in a variety of medical and scientific terms. In chemistry, allo- denotes the more stable of two geometric isomers.

What does AD stand for in pharmacy?

Pharmacy Abbreviations and Acronyms!AbbreviationFrom the LatinMeaningadadup toa.c.ante cibumbefore mealsa.d.aurio dextraright earad lib.ad libitumuse as much as one desires; freely131 more rows•14-Sept-2020

What is the abbreviation of AR?

​abbreviation. AR noun at augmented reality.

What is ad in medical prescription?

before meals. a.c.h.s., ac&hs. before meals and at bedtime. a.d.

What are some long medical terms?

10 of the Craziest, Longest Medical Terms to Ever ExistDimethylamidophenyldimethylpyrazolone. ... Esophagogastroduodenoscopy. ... Hepaticocholangiocholecystenterostomies. ... Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. ... Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. ... Arachibutyrophobia. ... Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism. ... Rhinotillexomania.More items...•03-Oct-2018

What is a synonym for medical?

Find another word for medical. In this page you can discover 67 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for medical, like: healing, medication, prophylactic, therapeutic, nursing, narcotic, corroborant, radiology, biomedical, medical checkup and aesculapian.

What is the best medical dictionary?

Best Sellers in Medical Dictionaries#1. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, Jacketed Hardcover, Indexed, 2020 Copyright. ... #2. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, Newest Edition, (Mass-Market Paperback) ... #3. Medical Terminology For Dummies. ... #4. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. ... #5. ... #6. ... #7. ... #8.More items...

What medical suffix means pertaining to?

Example: The term is cardiac. The word root cardi means heart; the suffix -ac means pertaining to.

Is emesis a suffix?

Suffix denoting vomiting, vomitus.

What does Genesis mean in medical terms?

genesis: A suffix referring to the beginning, development, or production of something. For example, gametogenesis is the development and production of the male and female germ cells (the gametes) required to form a new individual. Osteogenesis is the production of bone.29-Mar-2021

What does low hematocrit mean?

A low hematocrit level may signal anemia, or other conditions such as loss of blood, nutritional deficiency, bone marrow problems, and abnormal hematocrit.

What is diverticulitis in medicine?

Diverticulitis (diverticulosis) is a condition in which the diverticulum or diverticula rupture in the colon, causing infection. Medical treatments such as antibiotics and surgery can treat diverticulitis (diverticulosis).

What does BMP stand for in a pulmonary amputation?

For example, someone with a pneumonia in both lungs might have abnormal bibasilar breath sounds. BKA: Below the knee amputation. BMP: Basic metabolic panel. Electrolytes (potassium, sodium, carbon dioxide, and chloride) and creatinine and glucose. BP: Blood pressure.

What does SIDS mean in medical terms?

SIDS: Sudden infant death syndrome. TSH: Thyroid stimulating hormone. A blood test for TSH is used to diagnose thyroid disease. Use this list as a resource for common abbreviations and acronyms used in the health care community, to quickly search and answer your questions about those letters and numbers of a drug your doctor has prescribed to you, ...

What causes high hemoglobin levels?

High hemoglobin count may be caused by dehydration, smoking, emphysema, tumors, or abuse of Epogen . Low levels of hemoglobin may be caused by anemia, blood loss, nutritional deficiency, bone marrow problems, chemotherapy, kidney failure, or sickle cell disease.

What is the procedure that removes waste from the body?

There are two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis uses a filter to remove waste products and water from the body; and peritoneal dialysis removes excess waste and fluid with a fluid that is placed into the patient's stomach cavity through a special plastic tube.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue.

What is the most advanced stage of immunodeficiency?

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: Usually abbreviated as AIDS. This is the most advanced stage of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can severely weaken the immune system. People with AIDS get many infections, often from diseases that don’t affect people with healthy immune systems.

What is the difference between acne and achlorhydria?

achlorhydria: A condition in which the stomach produces little or no acid. This can affect digestion, cause stomach pain, and keep the body from absorbing vitamins and nutrients. acne: An inflammatory disease resulting from excess sebum production, follicle plugging, and increased bacterial production.

What is the acetabulum?

acetabulum: A curved, bowl-shaped depression in the outer part of the hipbone. The ball-shaped portion at the top of the thighbone fits into this space to form the hip joint.

What is the term for a swollen area of skin that is swollen and red?

abrasion: A scraping or rubbing away of the skin or other surface. abscess: Pus that collects in a pocket of swollen, red tissue. Often occurs on the surface of the skin.

What is the procedure to remove excess abdominal skin and tighten the underlying stomach muscles?

abdominoplasty: A procedure to remove excess abdominal skin and tighten the underlying stomach muscles. Also known as a tummy tuck. abduction: Movement of a body part, such as an arm or leg, away from the center of the body.

How to calculate BMI?

BMI = weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. Using English units, multiply weight in pounds by 703, then divide the result by height in inches, and divide that result by height in inches. body mass index: A measure of body fat estimated from a person’s height and weight.

What hormones cause prostate glands to grow abnormally?

5-alpha reductase: A chemical that changes the sex hormone testosterone into a substance called dihydrotestosterone. This hormone can cause the prostate gland to grow abnormally. abdominal muscles: A flat sheet of muscles on the front of the abdomen, between the ribcage and the pelvis.

Working or applying to work in the medical field

You might not be a practicing doctor or nurse but, instead, might be working or looking to work in a medical environment, perhaps in a hospital's technology department, as an assistant in a clinic or as a medical transcriber.

Studying for some form of medical certification or degree

You may be planning to take certification exams to advance your career or engaging in a course of study to enter the medical profession. If so, you more than likely need to learn medical terminology in order to succeed.

Understanding your medical benefits

If your workplace offers medical benefits, you might receive documentation with those benefits detailing the various medical services and conditions that your provider covers. Knowing medical terminology can be helpful to you as you read the documentation and interact with your provider about your healthcare.

Medical slang

This is a list of some informal terms often used by medical professionals:

Prefixes and suffixes

You can often determine what a medical term means if you understand some basic prefixes and suffixes, such as:

Root words

Many medical terms come from Greek or Latin root words. Knowing some of these may help you determine the meaning of a term:

What does ALS stand for in medical terms?

But unless you’re planning to become a doctor or another type of provider, this condensed lineup should get you up to speed. 55. ALS: Advanced life support.

What does "a" mean in medical terminology?

You likely know some of these from words outside the realm of medicine. 25. A-, an-: Lack of or without. 26. -ation: Indicates a process.

What are the medical terms used in medical charts?

You might even know some of them by a different name. 1. Abrasion: A cut or scrape that typically isn’t serious. 2. Abscess: A tender, fluid-filled pocket that forms in tissue, usually due to infection. 3.

What is the procedure for removing unwanted substances from the blood in which blood is drawn?

Plasmapheresis- a procedure for removing unwanted substances from the blood in which blood is drawn, its plasma is separated and replaced, and the cleansed blood is returned to the body

What is a heart block?

Heart block- a disorder of the heart caused by a blockage of the nerve impulses to the heart that regulate heartbeat; may lead to dizziness, fainting, or stroke

What is a placebo?

Placebo- a chemically inactive substance given in place of a drug to test how much of a drug's effectiveness can be attributed to a patient's expectations that the drug will have a positive effect

What is considered an excess of body fat?

Obesity- a condition in which there is an excess of body fat; used to describe those who weigh at least 20 percent more than the maximum amount considered normal for their age, sex, and height

What is the name of the type of lipoprotein that is the major carrier of cholesterol in the blood?

Low-density lipoprotein- a type of lipoprotein that is the major carrier of cholesterol in the blood, with high levels associated with narrowing of the arteries and heart disease

What is the tension in the main arteries that is created by the beating of the heart and the resistance to flow and

Blood pressure- the tension in the main arteries that is created by the beating of the heart and the resistance to flow and elasticity of the blood vessels

What does TDS mean in Latin?

TDS: Latin, “ter die sumendum” meaning take three times per day. QDS: Latin, “quarter die sumendum” meaning take 4 times per day. PRN: Latin, “pro re nata” or take as needed. PR: Latin, “per rectum” to be taken rectally. PO: Latin, “per orem” to be taken by mouth or orally.

What does "bis die sumendum" mean?

OD: When referring to medication instructions, “once daily.”. BDS : Latin, “bis die sumendum” meaning take two times per day.

What is the instrument used to listen to a patient's breathing?

Fluoroscope: An X-ray machine—can be used for still images or in motion, like an animation created by x-ray images. Stethoscope: A small instrument used for listening to a patient’s breathing and heartbeat.

What is the term for a condition where the body is deprived of blood and oxygen?

Occurs when the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen by either a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel. Sepsis: A serious condition caused the body’s response to severe infection. Occurs when the body’s infection-fighting response gets out of balance and can lead to severe issues like organ failure.

What is the term for a disease in which narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart results in reduced blood

Angina: A disease in which narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart results in reduced blood flow and chest pain. Usually a symptom of coronary artery disease. Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA): Commonly called a stroke.

What is the term for a mass that is a swelling or mass that is often used in relation to cancer?

Tumor: A swelling or mass, often used in relation to cancer. Tension pneumothorax: A collapsed lung that occurs when air leaks into the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Pericardial effusion: Blood or fluid leaking into the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart.

What is the normal heartbeat pattern?

Normal sinus rhythm: A normal heartbeat pattern, usually is between 60 and 80 beats per minute in an adult .

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Diseases and Conditions

Medical Slang

Prefixes and Suffixes

• You can often determine what a medical term means if you understand some basic prefixes and suffixes, such as: 1. A- or an-:Lacking or without 2. Ab-:Away from 3. -algia:Indicates pain or a painful condition 4. Cardio-:Related to the heart 5. Ecto- or exo-:Outside of 6. -ectomy:Removal by means of surgery 7. Hyper-:Above, beyond or in excess 8. -it...

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Procedures and Tests

Root Words

Tools and Equipment