Medical Terminology for Health Professions Part 10 Flashcards
Lethargy
Lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy.
Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord.
Meningocele
Congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column.
Migraine Headache
Characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head.
Multiple Sclerosis
Progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation resulting in scattered patches of demyelinated nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
Myelitis
Inflammation of the spinal cord.
Myelography
Radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Characterized by recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions.
Panic Attack
Unexpected sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, sweating, nausea, feelings of unreality, choking sensations, or a combination of these.
Paresthesia
Burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body.
Parkinson’s Disease
Chronic, degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
May develop after an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to the individual or someone else, during which the person felt intense fear, helpless ness, or horror.
Reye’s Syndrome
Potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion.
Sciatica
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain, burning, and tingling along the course of the affected nerve through the thigh, leg, and foot.
Seizure
Sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Results of a child being violently shaken by someone. Can cause brain injury, blinds, fractures, seizures, paralysis, and death.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve. These sudden, intense, brief attacks of sharp pain affect the cheek, lips, and gums only on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve.
Nervous System
Consists of the nerves, brain, spinal cord, and sensory organs. Controls all bodily activities.
Sensory Organs
Consists of the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue.
Central Nervous System
Receive and process information, and to regulate all bodily activity. Include the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral Nervous System
Transmit nerve signals to and from the central nervous system.
Neurons
Basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other.
Nerve
One or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and the spinal cord with other parts of the body.
Ascending Nerve Tracts
Carry nerve impulses towards the brain.
Descending Nerve Tracts
Carry nerve impulses away from the brain.
Ganglion
Nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous.
Innervation
Supply of nerves to a specific body part.
Receptors
Sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation.
Reflex
Automatic involuntary response to some change, either inside or outside the body.
Afferent Neurons
Neurons emerge from the sensory organs and the skin to carry the impulses from the sensory organs toward the brain and spinal cord. Also known as sensory neurons.
Connecting Neurons
Neurons link afferent and efferent neurons. Also known as Associative neurons.
Efferent Neurons
Neurons carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord and toward the muscles and glands. Also known as motor neurons.
Synapse
Space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ.
Acetylcholine
Released at some synapses in the spinal cord and at neuromuscular junctions; it influences muscle action.
Dopamine
Released within the brain. Believed to be involved in mood and though disorders and in abnormal movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Endorphins
Naturally occurring substances that are produced by the brain to help relieve pain.
Norepinephrine
Affects alertness and arousal, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, and releasing stores of glucose in response to stress.
Glial Cells
Provide support and protection for neurons, and their four main functions are to surround neurons and hold them in place, supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons, to insulate one neuron from another, and to destroy and remove dead neurons.
Myelin Sheath
Protective covering made up of glial cells.
White Matter
Portion of the nerve fibers that are myelinated.
Gray Matter
Portion of the nerve fibers that are unmyelinated.
Meninges
System of membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Clear, colorless, and watery fluid that flows throughout the brain and around the spinal cord. Cool and cushion these organs from shock or injury. Nourish the brain and spinal cord by transporting nutrients and chemical messengers to these tissues.
Cerebrum
Largest and uppermost portion of the brain. Responsible for all thought, judgement, memory, and emotion, as well as for controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions.
Frontal Lobe
Controls skilled motor functions, memory, and behavior.
Parietal Lobe
Receives and interprets nerve impulses from sensory receptors in the tongue, skin, and muscles.
Occipital Lobe
Controls eyesight.
Temporal Lobe
Controls the senses of hearing and smell, and the ability to create, store, and access new information.
Spinal Cord
Long fragile tube-like structure that begins at the end of the brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column. Contains all the nerves that affect the limbs and lower part of the body, and serves as the pathway for impulses traveling to and from the brain. Surrounded an protected by cerebrospinal fluid and the meninges.
Anesthesiologist
Specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery.
Neurologist
Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system.
Neurosurgeon
Specializes in surgery of the nervous system
Psychiatrist
Specializes in the diagnosing and treating chemical dependencies, emotional problems, and mental illness.
Psychologist
Specialist evaluates and treats emotional problems and mental illness.
Tetanus
An acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria. Also known as lockjaw.
Amnesia
Memory disturbance characterized by a total or partial inability to recall past experiences.
Concussion
Violent shaking up or jarring of the brain.
Cerebral Contusion
Bruising of the brain tissue as the result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull.
Cranial Hematoma
Collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain.
Levels Of Consciousness
Measurement of response to arousal and stimulus.
Stupor
Unresponsive state from which a person can be aroused only briefly despite vigorous, repeated attempts.
Syncope
Brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain.
Brain Tumor
Abnormal growth located inside the skull.
Intracranial Pressure
Amount of pressure inside the skull.
Cerebrovascular Accident
Condition is damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the bran is disrupted because a blood vessel is either blocked or has ruptured.
Transient Ischemic Attack
Sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke, temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain.
Aphasia
Caused by brain damage associated with a stroke, loss of the ability to speak, write and/or comprehend the written or spoken word.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks.
Narcolepsy
Deep sleep disorder consisting of sudden and uncontrollable brief episodes of falling during the day.
Poliomyelitis
Highly contagious viral infections of the brainstem
Lumbar Puncture
Process of obtaining a sample of cerebrospinal fluid by inserting a needle into the subarachnoid space of the lumbar region to withdraw fluid
General Anesthetic
Involves the total loss of body sensation and consciousness induced by anesthetic agents administered primarily by inhalation or intravenous injection.
Local Anesthetic
Causes the loss of sensation in a limited area by injection an anesthetic solution near that area.
Regional Anesthesia
Temporary interruption of nerve conduction, is produced by injecting an anesthetic solution near the nerves to be blocked.
Neurorrhaphy
Surgically suturing together the ends of a severed nerve.
Psychotic Disorder
Characterized by the loss of contact with reality and deterioration of normal social functioning.
Catatonic Behavior
Marked by a lack of responsiveness, stupor, and a tendency to remain in a fixed posture.
Hallucination
Sensory perception experienced in the absence of external stimulation.
Schizophrenia
Psychotic disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances.
AD
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
ADHD
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
CP
Cerebral Palsy
CSF
Cerebrospinal Fluid
EEG
Electroencephalography
ICP
Intracranial Pressure
LOC
Levels of Consciousness or Loss of Consciousness
LP
Lumbar Puncture
MS
Multiple Sclerosis
OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sz
Seizure
TIA
Transient Ischemic Attack.
Blephar/o
Eyelid
-cusis
Hearing
Irid/o
Iris, Color part of eye
Kerat/o
Horny, Hard, Cornea
Myring/o
Tympanic Membrane, Eardrum
Ophthalm/o
Eye, Vision
-opia
Vision condition
Opt/o
Eye, Vision
Ot/o
Ear, Hearing
Phak/o
Lens of Eye
Presby/o
Old Age
Retin/o
Retina, Net
Scler/o
Sclera, White of eye, Hard
Trop/o
Turn, Change
Tympan/o
Tympanic Membrane, Eardrum
Adnexa
Stucture outside of the eyeball - includes Orbit, Eye Muscles, Eyelids, Eyelashes, etc.
Amblyopia
A dimness of vision or the partial loss of sight, especially in one eye, without detectable disease of the eye
Ametropia
Any error of refraction in which images do not focus properly on the retina
Anisocoria
A condition in which the pupils are unequal in size
Astigmatism
A condition in which the eye does not focus properly beause of uneven curvatures in the cornea
Barotrauma
Pressure-related ear discomfort that can be caused by pressure changes when in very high or very low altitudes
Blepharoptosis
Dropping of the upper eyelid that is usually due to paralysis
Cataract
The loss of transparency of the lens that causes a progressive loss of visual clarity
Chalazion
A localized swelling inside of the eyelid reulting from obstruction of a sebaceous gland.
Cochlear Implant
An implanted electonic device that can give a deaf person a useful auditory understanding of the enviroment and/or hearing and help them to understand speech.
Conjunctivitis
Pinkeye - An inflammation of the conjuctiva that is usually cause by an infection or allergy
Dacryoadenitis
An inflammation of the lacrimal gland that can be caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infection
Diplopia
The perception of two images of a single object
Ectropion
The eversion of the edge of an eyelid
Emmetropia
The normal relationship between the refractive power of the eye and shape of the eye that enables light rays to focus correctly on the retina
Entropion
The inversion of the edge of an eyelid
Esotropia
Strabismus characterized by an inward deviation of one or both eyes
Eustachitis
Inflammation of the eustachian tube
Exotropia
Strabismus characterized by the outward deviation of one eye relative to the other
Fluorescin Angiography
A radiograpic study of the blood vessels in the retina of the eye following the intravenous injection of a fluorescein dye as a contrast medium
Glaucoma
A group of diseases characterized by increased intraocular pressure that cause damage to the retinal nerve fibers and the optic nerve
Hemianopia
Blindness in one-half of the visual field
Hordeolum
A pus-filled lesion on the eyelid resulting from an infection in the sebaceous gland.
Hyperopia
A defect in which light rays focus beyond the retina
Infectious Myringitis
Contagious inflammation that causes painful blisters on the ear drum
Iridectomy
The surgical removal of a portion of the tissue of the iris
Iritis
An inflammation of the uveal tract affecting primarily structures in the front of the eye
Keratitis
An inflammation of the cornea
Labyrinthectomy
The surgicial removal of all or a portion of the labyrinth
Laser Trabeculoplasty
Uses a focused beam of light to create a hole in the iris of the eye
Mastoidectomy
The surgical removal of mastoid cells
Myopia
A defect in which light rays focus in front of the retina
Myringotomy
The surgical incision in the eardrum to create an opening for the placement of tympanostomy tubes
Nyctalopia
A condition in which an individual with normal daytime vision has difficulty seeing at night
Nystagmus
An involuntary, constant, rhythmic movement of the eyeball that can be congenital or caused by a neurological injury or drug use
Ophthalmoscopy
The visual examination of the fundus (back part) of the eye with an ophthalmoscope
Optometrist
Holds a Doctor of Optometry degree and specializes in measuring the accuracy of vision to determine whether corrective lenses are needed
Otitis Media
Inflammation of the middle of the ear
Otomycosis
A fungal infection of the external auditory canal
Otopyorrhea
The flow of pus from the ear
Otorrhagia
Bleeding from the ear
Otosclerosis
The ankylosis of the bones of the middle ear, resulting in a conductive hearing loss
Papilledema
Swelling and inflammation of the optic nerve at the point of entrance into the eye through optic disk
Periorbital Edema
Swelling surrounding the eye or eyes
Presbycusis
Gradual loss of sensorineural hearing that occurs with age
Presbyopia
The condition of common changes in the eyes that occur with aging
Pterygium
A benign growth on the cornea that can become large enough to distort vision
Radial Keratotomy
A Surgical procedure to treat myopia
Retinopexy
Used to reattach the detached area in a retinal detachment
Scleritis
An inflammation of the sclera
Stapedectomy
The surgical removal of the top portion of the stapes bone and the insertion of a small prosthetic device known as a piston that conducts sound vibration to the inner ear.
Strabismus
A disorder in which the eyes point in different directions or are not aligned correctly because the eyes muscles are unable to focus together
Tarsorrhaphy
The partial, or complete, suturing together of the upper and lower eyelids
Tinnitus
Ringing, buzzing, or roaring sound in one or both ears.
Tonometry
The measurement of intraocular pressure
Tympanometry
Use of air pressure in the ear canal to test for disorders of the middle ear
Tympanostomy tubes
Tiny ventilating tubes places through the eardrum to provide ongoing drainage for fluids and to relieve pressure that can build up after childhood ear infections
Vertigo
Sense of whirling, dizziness, and the loss of balance, that is often combined with nausea and vomiting
Vitrectomy
The removal of the vitreous fluid and its replacement with a clear solution
Xerophthalmia
Drying of eye surfaces including the conjunctiva
cutane/o
skin
derm/o
skin
hidr/o
sweat
hirsut/o
hairy,rough
kerat/o
horny, hard
lip/o
fat, lipid
melan/o
black, dark
myc/o
fungus
onych/o
fingernail or toenail
pil/i
hair
pil/o
hair
py/o
pus
rhythid/o
wrinkle
seb/o
sebum
urtic/o
rash, hives
xer/o
dry
actinic keratosis
is a precancerous skin growth that occurs on sun-damaged skin.
albinism
deficiency or the absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and irises of the eyes.
