|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
Medical Glossary Index: O Oat cell carcinoma- another term for small-cell carcinoma 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 Obsessive-compulsive disorder- a mental disorder in which a person is obsessed with certain thoughts, leading them to repeatedly perform specific acts; for example, constantly washing the hands out of fear of germs and dirt Obstructive sleep apnea- the blockage of the airways during sleep, which causes breathing to stop for very short periods of time, commonly caused by excessive relaxation of muscles at the back of the throat Occlusion- the blocking of an opening or passageway in the body Occult blood- blood in the feces that can be detected only by chemical tests Occupational disease- a disease that occurs as a result of factors in the workplace Occupational therapy- treatment to relearn physical skills lost as a result of an illness or accident Ocular- describes something related to the eyes Oculomotor nerves- nerves that stimulate movement of the eyeball Olfactory nerves- nerves that play a role in the sense of smell Oligodendroglioma- a rare type of cancerous brain tumor that occurs most commonly in the cerebrum Oligohydramnios- an unusually small amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus in the uterus, which can lead to complications with the pregnancy Oligospermia- a low level of sperm in the semen; one of the main causes of infertility in men Oncogenes- genes that, when altered by environmental factors or viruses, can cause abnormal cell growth Oocyte- an egg cell that has not developed completely Oophorectomy- the surgical removal of one or both ovaries; used to treat the growth of ovarian cysts or tumors Open heart surgery- any operation in which the heart is stopped temporarily Ophthalmia- severe inflammation of the eyes Ophthalmologist- a doctor who specializes in care of the eyes; treats eye diseases and disorders Ophthalmoplegia- partial or total loss of the ability to move the eyes Ophthalmoscopy- examination of the inside of the eye using a lighted viewing instrument Opportunistic infection- infection by organisms that would be harmless to a healthy person, but cause infection in those with a weakened immune system (for example, persons with AIDS or chemotherapy patients) Optician- a person who specializes in the making and adjustment of eyeglasses and contact lenses Optic nerves- the pair of nerves that carry visual information from the retina to Optic neuritis- inflammation of the optic nerve, often causing a partial loss of vision Oral contraceptives- drugs taken in pill form to prevent pregnancy; contain synthetic progesterone and estrogen hormones Orbit- the socket in the skull that contains the eyeball, along with its blood Orchiectomy- the surgical removal of one or both of the testicles Orchiopexy- an operation to correct an undescended testicle Orchitis- inflammation of a testicle, which can be caused by infection with the mumps virus Organ donation- an agreement to allow one or more organs to be removed and transplanted into someone else Organism- any single, functioning form of life Orgasm- involuntary contraction of genital muscles experienced at the peak of sexual excitement Orphan drugs- drugs used to treat rare diseases; not normally produced because potential sales are small Orthopnea- breathing difficulty experienced while lying flat; can be a symptom of heart failure or asthma Orthotic- a device used to correct or control deformed bones, muscles, or joints Osgood-Schlatter disease- painful enlargement and inflammation of the area of the shinbone just below the knee, usually occurring in adolescent boys Osmosis- the process of passage of the solvent portion of a lesser-concentrated solution through a semipermeable membrane into a higher-concentrated solution until the two solutions are equal in concentration; plays an important role in water distribution in the body Ossification- the formation and maintenance of bone Osteitis- inflammation of bone Osteitis deformans- another name for Paget's disease Osteoarthritis- see Degenerative arthritis Osteoblast- a cell that forms bone Osteochondritis dissecans- bone degeneration inside of a joint, causing small pieces of bone and cartilage to become detached Osteochondritis juvenilis- inflammation of a growing section of bone in a child Osteochondroma- a noncancerous tumor made up of bone and cartilage Osteoclast- a cell that breaks down unwanted bone tissue; also refers to a Osteodystrophy- defective bone formation Osteogenesis imperfecta- a genetic disorder in which bones are abnormally fragile, leading to multiple breaks and deformity Osteolysis- the softening and destruction of bone Osteoma- a noncancerous bone tumor Osteomalacia- the loss of minerals and softening of bones because of a lack of vitamin D; called rickets in children Osteomyelitis- the inflammation of bones and bone marrow because of an infection, usually caused by bacteria Osteopetrosis- a rare hereditary disorder in which bones become harder and more dense, causing them to break more easily Osteophyte- an outgrowth of bone near a joint Osteoporosis- a condition in which bones become less dense, more brittle, and fracture easily Osteosarcoma- a cancerous bone tumor Osteosclerosis- an abnormal increase in density and hardness of bone Otalgia- the medical term for an earache OTC remedy- see Over-the-counter remedy Otitis externa- inflammation of the outer ear due to an infection; commonly Otitis media- inflammation of the middle ear (between the eardrum and inner Otorrhea- a discharge from an inflamed ear Otosclerosis- progressive deafness caused by bone formation around structures in the middle ear Ototoxicity- harmful effect that some drugs have on the organs or nerves in the ears, which can lead to hearing and balance problems Outpatient treatment- medical attention that does not include an overnight stay at a hospital Ovaries- two almond-shaped glands located at the opening of the fallopian tubes on both sides of the uterus; produce eggs and the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone Overdose- an excessively large dose of a drug, which can lead to coma and Over-the-counter remedy- a medication that can be purchased without a physician's prescription Ovulation- the development and release of the egg from the ovary, which usually occurs halfway through a woman's menstrual cycle Ovum- another term for an egg cell Oxidation- a chemical reaction involving active sources of oxygen Oximetry- determination of the amount of oxygen in the blood by measuring the amount of light transmitted through an area of skin Oxygen- a gas that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless; essential to almost all forms of life Oxygen free radicals- active forms of oxygen found in pollution, cigarette smoke, and radiation that can damage cells and are believed to play a role in the Oxytocin- a hormone produced in the pituitary gland that causes contraction of the uterus during childbirth and stimulation of milk flow during breast-feeding Ozone- a poisonous form of oxygen that is present in the earth's upper atmosphere, where it helps to screen the earth from damaging ultraviolet rays |
|||||||
|
||||||||
