Medical Terminology Archives - Healthhype

Eosinophil Blood Cell Count – Eosinphilia

Dr. Chris — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:30:58 +0000

Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell known as granulocytes. An eosinophil plays an important part in immune response within the body and changes in eosinophil blood cell count may be noted with certain allergic conditions and infections. Peripheral Blood Eosinophil Count Values or Readings Any abnormality in eosinophil count is usually detected on a complete blood count (CBC) or full blood count (FBC) test. In most blood work, eosinophil count is expressed as the number of cells per cubic microliter. (µL) Alternatively, the eosinophil count may be recorded as a percentage of total white blood cell (leukocyte) count, along with other white blood cells like monocytes, basophils, neturophils or lymphocytes. Eosinphils are present in bone marrow and other tissues in the body but the measurement in a blood test is only of those eosinophils circulating in the blood, also known as the peripheral blood eosinophil. This blood eosinophil count does not indicate the eosinphils in the bone marrow or blood tissue. Normal values for peripheral blood eosinophil count is usually less than 350/µL. Any value above 350/µL is known as eosinophilia. In extreme cases, a blood eosinophil count greater than 1,500/µL may be recorded and this is known [...]

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What Is Health?

Jan Modric — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:56:25 +0000

Health could be defined as an optimal state of the body and mind. This is the ideal definition but the word ‘health’ can also be relative at times. As a diseased state improves but has not as yet resolved, a person may consider themselves to be healthier or feel healthy compared to when the disease was at its worst. A person with a minor ailment may consider that they are healthier than a person with a serious or life-threatening disease. Health and Homeostasis Health should be evaluated according to the state of equilibrium in the body known as homeostasis. With homeostasis, the body’s systems are functioning optimally. This does not refer to just one organ or system but all as this contributes to the body’s functioning as a whole. Therefore health can be equated to homeostasis. In this sense, it can be assessed and monitored independently. For example urine tests will verify that the kidney and urinary tract is functioning. Blood tests can verify that other parts of the body are working independently and so on. Health is a State of Mind It is often argued that the state of health is a state of mind. After all, people who are [...]

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Drug (Medication), Supplement and Home Remedy

Jan Modric — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:34:54 +0000

What Is a Drug? Broadly speaking, a drug is any substance other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the body (1). Drug As a Medication According to the United States Federal Drug Agency (FDA), a drug is an article (substance) intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation (lessening), treatment or prevention of disease, recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) (2), Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary (1). In United States, every product has to get FDA approval before it is allowed to be marketed as a drug. Terms medication or medicine are commonly used for drugs used in medicine to prevent confusion with illegal drugs. NOTE: A term drug is also used for personal hygienic items, like toothpaste or shampoo, available in drug stores, which, obviously, are not the same as pharmacies – shops that sell medications. 1. Prescription Drugs Prescription drugs can be obtained in a doctor’s office, hospital or pharmacy, only when prescribed by a doctor (physician). Example: tetracycline, an antibiotic, available as capsules. 2. Non-Prescription, Over The Counter (OCT) Drugs Non-prescription, over the counter (OCT) drugs are available in pharmacies and food stores without prescription. [...]

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Symptoms, Signs and Diagnosis of Disease

Jan Modric — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:18:17 +0000

What is a symptom? In medicine, a symptom (Greek symptoma = a happening, befall) refers to a change in body function or sensation, like weakness or pain, as experienced by a patient (1). It is subjective meaning that it cannot be verified or measured independently and has to be reported by the patient. A patient’s description of the symptoms, its intensity and duration is recorded in the medical history, but the signs of the disease has to be monitored and assessed for accurate diagnosis and monitoring the progression of a disease. To establish a diagnosis a physician will, apart from subjective symptoms, often need to check for objective signs of disease with physical examination of the patient and medical investigations. Symptoms may be acute (sudden, newly appearing), chronic (long lasting), remittent (temporary decreasing in severity), intermittent (ceasing completely and beginning again; from Latin inter- + mittere = to let go), or relapsing (recurring after a period of improvement; from Latin re- = back + labi = to slip). Symptoms may also be imagined (psychogenic) and to the patient can be as real as symptoms associated with actual disease. This should be differentiated from signs of disease that are due to [...]

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Disease Definition

Jan Modric — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:45:35 +0000

Definition of Disease Disease (Latin dis- = lack of, opposite of + ease = convenience, comfort) literally means lack of strength or satisfaction. It also means a person is no longer at ease. In medicine, disease means an impairment in structure or function of a certain body part or mind with identifiable symptoms or signs. Morbus is a Latin word for disease. This is ideal definition but disease should be seen as any temporary or permanent disturbance in the body that disrupts the state of balance in the body (homeostasis). This balance necessary for a person to be in good health and function optimally. Illness, Sickness, Malady, Malaise When referring to patient’s personal experience of a disease, synonyms illness and sickness are usually used. Ailment refers to minor or chronic illness. Malady (French malady = disease) refers to chronic or deep-seated disease. Malaise (French mal- = bad; aise= ease) is a vague feeling of general weakness and discomfort, commonly appearing at the onset of an illness. Anomaly Anomaly (Gk. an-= not, homalos = even) is a deviation from normal, ‘not the same’, usually used in abnormal organ development. For example, congenital anomaly means an abnormality present from birth. Disorder In medicine, disorder means abnormal function of the body, either an organ, system or [...]

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Infection and Incubation Period Meaning

Jan Modric — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:55:27 +0000

What Is Infection? An infection is an invasion and multiplying of pathogenic microbes in the body tissues in which they are not usually present (1). Pathogenic means capable of causing disease. Infection does not always cause a disease. Definitions of Infection-Related Terms A colonization is the usual presence of non-pathogenic and even potentially pathogenic microbes on the skin, in the nose, mouth, bowel, penile or vaginal mucosa, as a part of normal human flora, in the amount not harmful for the body – this is not an infection. An example is the presence of Lactobacilus acidophilus bacteria in the colon. A contamination is the presence of germs which do not multiply, for example, in a contaminated (not infected)wound. Infected or septic wound contains multiplying microbes. Contamination also refers to presence of pathogenic microbes on medical equipment, in the water, food etc. A carrier state is the non-usual presence of pathogenic microbes in the body, in the way not harmful for the carrier, but potentially dangerous for others, since the carrier is usually contagious. For example, if you have Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (a common cause of skin infections) in your nose, you may infect others, even if you alone never develop an [...]

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Blood Infection or Sepsis – Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Treatment

Jan Modric — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:04:52 +0000

What Is Sepsis? Sepsis (Greek sepsis= putrefaction, decay) is an exaggerated response of body’s immune system to an infection, like severe pneumonia or cellulitis, which has spread to the blood; it is also called blood infection. If treatment does not start promptly, sepsis may be deadly. NOTE: Bacteremia, viremia, fungemia or parasitemia refer only to a presence of microbes in the blood, which by themselves rarely causes any symptoms, while sepsis is always a serious condition with detectable inflammation in the blood and obvious symptoms. Check what septic means. Usually, the body’s response to an infection is limited to the affected organ, while in sepsis it spreads through the whole body and is called Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). In SIRS, toxins released by microbes, and cytokines released by immune cells, cause widening (dilation) of arteries, resulting in marked drop in blood pressure, leading to insufficient blood supply to vital organs, like the brain and kidneys (1). Sepsis has three stages: 1. sepsis, 2. severe sepsis and 3. septic shock (2). 1. Sepsis To be diagnosed with sepsis, you have to have at least two of the following: Body temperature above 101.3 °F (38.5 °C) or below 95 °F (35 °C), with or [...]

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Ischemia, Infarct and Necrosis Definitions and Meaning

Dr. Chris — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:12:54 +0000

What is Ischemia? Ischemia is the medical term for an inadequate blood supply to a specific area of the body. This results in a reduced oxygen supply as blood has difficulty in reaching the target tissues or organs. Ischemia can be partial or complete. Partial ischemia may cause hypoxia, which is too little oxygen reaching the area. Complete ischemia results in anoxia, where no oxygen reaches the target area, and if this is not corrected quickly, it will eventually lead to an infarct. Example : Coronary artery disease results in narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Less oxygen is able to reach the heart muscle resulting in ischemia which is sometimes experienced as chest pain, known as angina. What is Infarct? Infarct is the when there is death of tissue with surrounding inflammation due to a sudden and complete loss of arterial blood supply. It is often preceded by ischemic injury but if it is gradual and there is only partial ischemia, the body can quickly develop collateral blood supply to the target area. This means that new vessels will branch of from neighboring arteries to carry oxygenated blood to the area. [...]

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Peritoneal Cavity, Diseases of Parietal and Visceral Peritoneum, Video

Jan Modric — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:28:08 +0000

What Is Peritoneum? The peritoneum (Greek peritonaion = stretched across) is an abdominal membrane consisting of two sheets: the parietal peritoneum (Latin parietalis = belonging to walls) that covers the inner side of the abdominal wall and the visceral peritoneum (Latin viscera = internal organs) that covers certain abdominal organs. Picture of peritoneal cavity, parietal and visceral peritoneum Peritoneal Cavity, Intraperitoneal and Retroperitoneal Organs Abdominal organs that are totally surrounded by visceral peritoneum are called intraperitoneal organs and include: the liver, spleen, stomach, gallbladder, a part of the duodenum, small intestine, transverse and sigmoid colon, uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. Abdominal and pelvic organs lying behind or below the parietal peritoneum, and only partly covered by it, are called retroperitoneal organs and include: both kidneys, adrenal glands and ureters, the pancreas, aorta, inferior vena cava, a part of the duodenum, ascending and descending colon, rectum, urinary bladder, prostate and vagina. The thin space between the parietal and visceral peritoneum is called peritoneal cavity; it contains a small amount of fluid. Video 1. Peritoneum and its parts Structure and Function of the Peritoneum Peritoneal Lining The peritoneum is a sheet of connective tissue, covered by a layer of mesothelial cells, called [...]

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Supraspinatus Tendinopathy

Dr Gauresh — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:39:21 +0000

Supraspinatus tendinopathy is a collective name for various disorders of supraspinatus tendon Supraspinatus tendinitis, an acute inflammation of the tendon due to friction of the tendon against the shoulder bones during repetitive shoulder use, especially in overhead work (swimming, painting, tennis). Supraspinatus tendinosis refers to chronic degeneration and destruction of the tendon making it prone to rupture. Supraspinatus tear is the end-result of repeated tendon injury from shoulder overuse resulting in shoulder weakness and pain during lifting the arm. Calcific supraspinatus tendinopathy occurs in the part of the tendon that is constantly exposed to friction; it is a part of the normal body reaction to frictional irritation. Supraspinatus tendinopathy is recognized by pain that begins midway during lifting of the arm upwards, and disappears when the arm is fully up. Related Articles: Supraspinatus Tendon – Tendinitis, Tendinosis and Tear Torn Rotator Cuff Muscles – Injury Symptoms and Repair Torn Muscle – Symptoms and Treatment Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome Sore Elbow – Tendonitis and Arthritis Sore Elbow due to Injuries like Fracture and Dislocation

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