Perspectives on Health Vocabulary
Terms
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- AIDS
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; a viral disease of the immune system that causes fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of resistance to infection, and swollen glands
- Alcoholism
- a disease characterized by psychological and physical dependence on alcohol and the inability to control drinking
- Amniotic sac
- a protective membrane that surrounds the embryo and fetus
- Anorexia nervosa
- an eating disorder marked by constant dieting, rapid weight loss, and the illusion of being overweight in spite of weight loss
- Arteries
- blood vessels with a thick muscular wall that carry blood away from the heart
- Benign tumor
- a tumor that does not spread
- Bulimia
- an eating disorder characterized by episodes of extreme overeating followed by self-induced vomiting or use of laxative
- Carbon dioxide
- a heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances
- Carbon monoxide
- a highly poisonous gas that is odorless and colorless
- Chemotherapy
- the use of chemical medications to fight cancer
- Chromosomes
- threadlike structures, found within cells, that carry the hereditary information from generation to generation
- Compensation
- a defense mechanism; making up for dissatisfaction in one area of life by excelling in another
- Denial
- defense mechanism; the refusal to recognize reality
- Depressant
- a drug that slows down nerve activity
- Depression
- a feeling of sadness, worthlessness, helplessness, or isolation
- Dermis
- the thick, inner layer of the skin
- Diaphragm
- the chief muscle used in breathing; it separates the chest cavity from the abdomen
- Epidemic
- the rapid spread or unusually extensive occurrence of a public health problem
- Epiglottis
- a thin, protective plate of flexible cartilage in front of the glottis (the space between the vocal cords); the epiglottis covers the opening to the larynx when you swallow, thus preventing food and liquid from entering the lower respiratory tract
- Epilepsy
- disorder of nerve cells in brain; seizures occur when cells release a sudden burst of electric energy
- Episodic treatment
- medical treatment given in a limited, irregular manner
- Esophagus
- a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach
- Ethanol
- a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating agent in liquors; it is also used as a solvent
- Extrovert
- a person who is very outgoing
- Gonorrhea
- a bacterial sexually transmitted disease
- Gout
- inflammation of joints due to buildup of uric acid; causes severe pain in elbow, knee, hand, or foot, as well as fever and inflamed skin; can lead to kidney disease and death if left untreated
- Hallucinogen
- a drug that causes hallucinations
- HIV
- the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes AIDS
- Hypertension
- condition in which blood pressure remains too high for a long period of time
- Infatuation
- a short-lived, intense interest in another person
- Introvert
- a person concerned mostly with his or her own thoughts
- Isotonic exercises
- exercised characterized by muscle contraction
- Larynx
- the voice box, located in the upper trachea
- Malignant tumor
- a cancerous growth, capable of invading other tissue and spreading
- Medicaid
- a public health insurance program that pays for the health care of low-income people
- Medicare
- federal health insurance plan for people 65 or older and others who receive Social Security benefits
- Nicotine
- an addictive substance found in tobacco
- Nuclear family
- a family group consisting of a mother and father and their children
- Nutrients
- substance found within food that the body needs to function properly
- Osteoporosis
- the loss of calcium from bones, causing them to become brittle
- Pathogens
- organisms or other agents that cause disease
- Peers
- A person who is like one or more others in age, status, or interests
- Plague
- an epidemic disease causing a high degree of mortality
- Psychiatrists
- a physician who deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders
- Psychotherapy
- a method of treating mental, emotional, and nervous disorders
- Puberty
- a period of time during which the reproduction system begins to mature
- Quackery
- the selling of health-related products or treatments that have little or no medical value
- Ringworm
- a contagious fungal disease of the skin, hair, or nails of humans and domestic animals; it is characterized by ring-shaped discolored skin patches
- Risk
- a possibility of danger or loss
- Steroids
- a synthetic version of the male hormone, testosterone. In small doses, steroids can help repair soft-tissue injuries, skeletal disorders, malnutrition, and some forms of anemia. Serious side effects can be caused by steroid use, particularly in large doses
- Sidestream spoke
- smoke that comes directly from the burning of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe
- Stress
- the body’s response to physical or mental demands or pressures
- Stressors
- an agent that causes stress
- Striated muscles
- muscle tissue that includes skeletal muscles and cardiac muscles
- Stroke
- brain damage caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel in the brain
- Subcutaneous
- being, living, used, or made under the skin
- Tendons
- cords of collagen fibers that connect a muscle to a bone
- Trachea
- the main trunk of the system of tubes by which air passes to and from the lungs