A Glossary Of Medical Words

A - Asthma

Someone with asthma can have trouble breathing because of problems with the airways, the tubes that carry air into the lungs. The airways can get irritated, swollen (puffed up), and narrow (like a pinched straw), which makes it difficult to breathe. Many things can trigger an asthma attack, like viruses, allergies, smoke, and even exercise. Of course, breathing is really important, so someone who has asthma may need to see a doctor regularly and carry special medicine to make it easier to breathe.

B- Blood Glucose Meter

A blood glucose meter is a small, portable machine that's used to check how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood (also known as the blood glucose level). People who have diabetes often use a blood glucose meter to find out how they are doing.

C - Caries

Better brush to keep those caries away! That's another word for cavities, or tooth decay. Caries can happen when you don't brush and floss your teeth regularly. Be sure to visit your dentist at least twice a year.

D - Depression

It's normal to feel sad sometimes, but if you feel that way for a long time, and you never feel happy, it's called depression. Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what's causing a person's depression. One thing's for sure, though: if you feel depressed or if you think someone else is depressed, talk to a trusted grown-up about it.

E - Eardrum

Your eardrum is a really important part of your ear. Sound waves travel through the ear canal to reach the eardrum. The eardrum is a thin flap of skin that is stretched tight like a drum and vibrates when sound hits it. These vibrations move the tiny bones of the middle ear, which send vibrations to the inner ear. From the inner ear, the message is sent to the brain, which says, "Hey! I hear something!" So feel those good vibrations!

F - Frostbite

Brrrrr... pass the hat and mittens, please! Frostbite is what happens when skin is exposed to cold temperatures and freezes. This can damage your skin and parts of your body, such as fingers and toes, so bundle up!

G - Gingivitis

Got gums? Then you have to protect them against gingivitis, the word for gum disease. So brush and floss to keep those gums feeling fine!

H - Hemangioma

This is a big word for a type of birthmark. Birthmarks get their name because they develop on the skin of babies before or just after they are born. Hemangiomas are a bunch of tiny blood vessels – that's why they usually look red or purple. These birthmarks can be very small or quite large and tend to get bigger before they get better. Hemangiomas don't hurt and usually go away on their own in a couple of years.

I - Influenza

Feeling suddenly feverish, achy, and crummy all over? Sounds like influenza is in your body – the full name for the flu! Influenza is a type of germ called a virus that can make you sick. You'll feel better if you rest, drink plenty of liquids, and ask your parent to give you acetaminophen or ibuprofen to make you feel more comfortable.

J - Junk Food

Junk food isn't actually made of garbage. People use the term junk food to describe a food that has few of the nutrients your body needs, and a lot of fat, sugar and salt, which your body can easily get too much of. Potato chips, candy, and soft drinks are often considered junk food. If you like these snack foods, the trick is to eat them in small portions so that you still get the nutrients you need each day.

K - Ketones

Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. But when the body can't use glucose for energy, it uses fat instead. When fat is broken down, chemicals called ketones are produced. They get into a person's blood and urine (pee). High levels of ketones cause the blood to become more acidic. This can occur when not enough food has been eaten to provide glucose for energy, or it can occur in diabetes, when the body can't use glucose normally.

L - Lens

The lens is the part of the eye that focuses on what you see. Even though you can't feel it, the lens moves and changes, depending on what you're looking at. When you look at a boat way out in the ocean, the lens gets thinner, and when you look at a page in a book, the lens gets thicker.

M - Myopia

Myopia is also known as nearsightededness, which means you can see things up close, but have trouble seeing objects far away, like the words on a chalkboard. A lot of people have myopia, which is usually corrected by wearing glasses.

N - Nits

Many kids have had nasty nits. These are the eggs that lice lay. A nit is smaller than a sesame seed and is firmly attached to a strand of hair.

O - Orthodontist

An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in making teeth straight, instead of fixing cavities. An orthodontist knows how to put on braces and make retainers. Braces and retainers can be a little uncomfortable at first, but your perfect smile will be worth it.

P - Polyphagia

Someone with uncontrolled diabetes might feel really hungry and eat a lot. Polyphagia is the medical word for eating very large amounts of food. A person may feel extremely hungry because sugar is being passed out of the body in urine instead of being used for energy. The person will eat a lot to make up for the lost calories.

R - Retainer

Your teeth won't go far, but they can move after your braces are removed. That's why you have to wear a retainer. Retainers are removable and they help hold your new smile in place.

S - Stress

Stress is the feeling you get when you're worrying about a big test or when your parents are arguing. Sometimes, you'll feel butterflies in your stomach, sweaty hands, or have trouble sleeping. Exercising or talking about your feelings can help. So get the whole story on stress today!

T - Tinnitus

Ring, ring, ring! It's not the phone - it's the word for a ringing sound in the ears. Tinnitus can be caused by loud music or noises or even ear infections.

U - Urticaria

Urticaria is the fancy name for hives. No, not bee hives! Hives are those itchy, red bumps people get on their skin when they're allergic to something, like certain foods or medicines. Allergies are not the only reason someone might get hives. Some infections, hot or cold temperatures, or even stress can make those bumps appear. Your doctor can give you some medicine that can help stop all your scratching.

V- Virus

Viruses are a type of germ. They're very tiny, and when they get inside your body, they can make you sick. Viruses cause colds, chicken pox, measles, flu, and many other diseases. Unfortunately, antibiotics don't work on viruses like they do on bacteria. Wash your hands often to help prevent the spread of viruses, especially before you eat and after you use the bathroom.

W- Wheeze

A wheeze is the whistling sound air makes when your breathing tubes are narrowed. This is what happens during an asthma flare-up. If the breathing tubes get too narrow, a person may have trouble breathing. Sometimes you can hear someone wheeze, but usually a doctor needs to listen to a person's lungs with a stethoscope to hear wheezing.

X - X-ray

X-rays are special pictures of the inside of your body. A doctor will decide when you need an X-ray and what body part needs to be X-rayed. An X-ray machine, not a camera, is used to take these pictures. When the picture comes out, it won't like the ones in your photo album, but doctors have learned how to look at these pictures. Doctors can see broken bones, lung infections, and more. Superman may have X-ray vision, but your doctor has an X-ray machine!

Y - Yawn

Yawning is when you stretch your mouth open wide. No one really knows why we do it, but it seems to be contagious. If you yawn in class, you'll probably notice a few other people will start yawning, too. Even thinking about yawning can get you yawning. Even though we yawn when we're tired or bored, we hope you didn't yawn while reading about yawning!

Z - Zoonosis

Zoonosis means a disease that people can get from animals. Some examples of zoonoses include ringworm, Salmonella infection, and rabies. You can prevent zoonoses by keeping your pet healthy, staying away from wild animals and always washing your hands after touching animals. You probably saw the word "zoo" in "zoonosis" – and now you know why!