Analysis: A psychology term for processes used to gain understanding of complex emotional or behavioral issues.
Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness. A local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a part of the body. A general anesthetic puts the person to sleep.
Arthrocentesis: Joint aspiration, a procedure whereby a sterile needle and syringe are used to drain fluid from a joint. This is usually done as an office procedure or at the bedside in the hospital. See the entire definition of Arthrocentesis
Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also refers to the accidental sucking in of food particles or fluids into the lungs.
Atrophy: Wasting away or diminution. Muscle atrophy is wasting of muscle, decrease in muscle mass. See the entire definition of Atrophy
Cell: The basic structural and functional unit in people and all living things. Each cell is a small container of chemicals and water wrapped in a membrane. See the entire definition of Cell
Complication: In medicine, an additional problem that arises following a procedure, treatment or illness and is secondary to it. A complication complicates the situation.
Cortisone: An adrenocorticoid hormone, a naturally occurring hormone made by and secreted by the adrenal cortex, the outer part (the cortex) of the adrenal gland. See the entire definition of Cortisone
Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus share the name "diabetes" because they are both conditions characterized by excessive urination (polyuria). See the entire definition of Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus: Better known just as "diabetes" -- a chronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of the sugar glucose in the blood. Diabetes is due to one of two mechanisms: (1) Inadequate production of insulin (which is made by the pancreas and lowers blood glucose) or (2) Inadequate sensitivity of cells to the action of insulin. The two main types of diabetes correspond to these two mechanisms and are called insulin dependent (type 1) and non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes. In type 1 diabetes there is no insulin or not enough of it. In type 2 diabetes, there is generally enough insulin but the cells upon it should act are not normally sensitive to its action. See the entire definition of Diabetes mellitus
Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or wick. As a verb, to allow fluid to be released from a confined area.
Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical reaction. See the entire definition of Enzymes
Glucose: The simple sugar (monosaccharide) that serves as the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is the principal sugar the body makes. The body makes glucose from proteins, fats and, in largest part, carbohydrates. Glucose is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. Cells, however, cannot use glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is also known as dextrose. See the entire definition of Glucose
Gout: Condition characterized by abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney function and kidney stones. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines, that are part of many foods we eat. The tendency to develop gout and elevated blood uric acid level (hyperuricemia) is often inherited and can be promoted by obesity, weight gain, alcohol intake, high blood pressure, abnormal kidney function, and drugs. The most reliable diagnostic test for gout is the identification of crystals in joints, body fluids and tissues.
Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person. See the entire definition of Infection
Inflammation: A basic way in which the body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response. See the entire definition of Inflammation
Iodine: An essential element in the diet used by the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones. See the entire definition of Iodine
Joint: A joint is the area where two bones are attached for the purpose of motion of body parts. A joint is usually formed of fibrous connective tissue and cartilage. An articulation or an arthrosis is the same as a joint. See the entire definition of Joint
Joint aspiration: A procedure whereby a sterile needle and syringe are used to drain joint fluid from the joint. This is usually done as an office procedure or at the bedside in the hospital. The procedure is also known medically as arthrocentesis. See the entire definition of Joint aspiration
Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures and preparing chemicals, etc. Although "laboratory" looks very like the Latin "laboratorium" (a place to labor, a work place), the word "laboratory" came from the Latin "elaborare" (to work out, as a problem, and with great pains), as evidenced by the Old English spelling "elaboratory" designating "a place where learned effort was applied to the solution of scientific problems."
Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia. Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors. See the entire definition of Pain
Pigment: A substance that gives color to tissue. Pigments are responsible for the color of skin, eyes, and hair.
Protein: A large molecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order determined by the base sequence of nucleotides in the DNA coding for the protein. See the entire definition of Protein
Septic: Infected, or denoting infection. For example, septic shock is shock caused by infection.
Septic arthritis: Joint inflammation that is caused by bacteria infecting the joint. Diagnosis is made by analysis of fluid that has been removed from the joint, including microscopic examination and culture. Treatment is by antibiotic medication and drainage of infected joint fluid from the joint. Also called bacterial or infectious arthritis, suppurative arthritis, and pyarthrosis.
Syringe: A device used in medicine to inject fluid into or withdraw fluid from the body. Medical syringes consist of a needle attached to a hollow cylinder that is fitted with a sliding plunger. The downward movement of the plunger injects fluid; upward movement withdraws fluid. See the entire definition of Syringe
Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the whole body. Systemic chemotherapy employs drugs that travel through the bloodstream and reach and affect cells all over the body.
Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. A topical agent is applied to a certain area of the skin and is intended to affect only the area to which it is applied. Whether its effects are indeed limited to that area depends upon whether the agent stays where it is put or is absorbed into the blood stream.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
Gout is a condition that results from crystals of uric acid depositing in tissues of the body. Gout is a condition that can lead to abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the
blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of
hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney
function and kidney stones.
The knee joint is composed of three compartments and ligaments which stabilize the joint. Causes of knee pain may include injury, degeneration, infrequently infection and rarely bone tumors. Although routine x-rays do not revel meniscus tears, they can be used to exclude other problems of the bones and tissues. The knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic disease, as well as immune diseases that affect various tissues of the body.
Lyme disease is a bacterial illness, which is spread by ticks when they bite the skin. Initially the disease affects the skin causing a reddish rash associated with flu-like symptoms. It takes weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin for its effects to spread throughout the body. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Lyme disease can be prevented by using tick avoidance techniques.
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of
arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout,
and pseudogout.
Chronic pain is pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period of time. In contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and is often resistant to medical treatments.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the Brucella bacteria. Symptoms and signs include sweating, fever, fatigue, dizziness, headache, cough, chest, joint, and abdominal pain, and enlarged liver and/or spleen. Brucellosis is treated with antibiotics.
Plant thorn synovitis (plant thorn arthritis) is joint inflammation caused by a thorn puncturing the joint and leaving residual plant matter in the joint. Symptoms and signs include swelling, reddish discoloration, loss of range of motion, pain, tenderness, and stiffness. Treatment involves a surgical procedure called a synovectomy with joint lavage to remove the affected joint lining tissue and thorn fragments.
Hydroxyapatite crystal disease is the inflammation caused by hydroxyapatite crystals. These tiny crystals of hydroxyapatite deposit by mistake in or around joints and may cause inflammation of the joints and nearby tissues such as the tendons and ligaments (particularly causing rotator cuff problems in the shoulder). Treatment options include rest, cold application, medications to reduce inflammation, and cortisone-related medication injections.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria from the genus
Brucella. It is an infection that affects mainly animals, including goats, sheep,
camels, pigs, elk, deer, cattle, and dogs. Humans develop brucellosis when they
come in contact with contaminated animals or animal products. The symptoms of
brucellosis often resemble a flu-like illness.
Human brucellosis is a disease that is found worldwide, and it has an annual
occurrence rate of more than 500,000 cases. Brucellosis tends to occur more
commonly in regions with less established animal-disease-control programs and
in areas where public-health initiatives may be less effective. High-risk areas
include the Mediterranean Basin (Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy,
Greece, Turkey, and North Africa), South and Central America, Eastern Europe,
Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. In the United States,
brucellosis is much less common, wi...
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