Dictionary of Medical Terms

A deviation in which both eyes aren’t trained on the same spot. Also called crossed eyes or lazy eye.

1. To filter. 2. Excessive effort. 3. Overstretching a portion of a muscle. 4. Within a species, a group of…

1. Pressure; strain. 2. Any condition that causes mental or physical strain or tension.

A harsh or squeaky sound in breathing, often associated with a blocked larynx.

Deprivation of the blood supply to the brain due to blockage of a blood vessel. Results in unconsciousness, paralysis or…

Infection of one of the sebaceous glands of the edge of the eyelid.

Just beneath the skin.

Beneath the dura mater, the covering of the brain.

Below the threshold of conscious awareness.

Partial dislocation.

Beneath a nail.

A natural sugar obtained from sugar cane and sugar beets used as a sweetening agent. Also called table sugar.

Taking one’s own life.

A skin inflammation caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, tanning beds or other sources.

A serious failure of the body’s heat-regulating mechanism resulting from excessive exposure to intense heat. Also called heat stroke.

Sudden growth of a different type of bacteria than the type originally diagnosed and treated. This is a common cause…

A cone-shaped solid mass of medication designed to be placed in the rectum or vagina.

A substance produced in the lungs that reduces surface tension and helps keep the small air sacs open.

A substitute.

1. The joining together of certain vertebrate bones, especially of the skull. 2. A stitch or stitches made to close…

The tiny space between two nerve cells that allows the transmission of a nerve impulse.