Medical Glossary

This glossary contains:
19186
medical terms

AHA




AHA

American Heart Association

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Heart
The hollow, muscular organ responsible for pumping blood through the circulatory system.

Association
1. In dysmorphology (the study of birth defects), the nonrandom occurrence in two or more individuals of a pattern of multiple anomalies (birth defects) not known to be a malformation syndrome (such as Down syndrome), a malformation sequence (of events) or what is called a polytopic field defect (in which all of the defects are concentrated in one particular area of the body). An example of an association in dysmorphology is the VACTERL association of birth defects. 2. In genetics, the occurrence together of two or more characteristics more often than would be expected by chance alone. An example of association involves a feature on the surface of white blood cells called HLA (HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen). A particular HLA type, HLA type B-27, is associated with an increased risk for a number of diseases including ankylosing spondylitis. The extent of the association is enormous. Ankylosing spondylitis is 87 times more likely to occur in people with HLA B-27 than in the general population.



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AIR ABRASION
Air abrasion uses a process where pressurized air prepares a cavity with the use of fine, non-toxic abrasive powder (aluminum oxide) instead of using a conventional drill. Air abrasion is quiet and faster than a drill. Anesthetic is not necessary so multiple teeth can be worked on during one visit. Air abrasion can only be used on small cavities. It cannot be used for crowns or cavities between teeth. A tooth colored filling is used to fill the preparation.

ANESTHESIA
Depending on the type of treatment a patient is to receive, a dentist may recommend some type of dental anesthesia. Local anesthesia involves the numbing of the teeth and gums. Topical anesthetic may be used to help make the injection more tolerable. Most dental work falls under this type of anesthesia (i.e., fillings, crowns, root canals and gum surgery) and may cause the patient to feel a temporary numbness. Nitrous Oxide or "laughing gas" may be used in combination with local anesthetics or alone if the patient cannot tolerate a local injection. Nitrous Oxide is an anti-anxiety agent that helps relax both children and adults. Patients wear a mask to breathe in the nitrous air. The effects soon dissipate once the nitrous is turned off and the patient begins to breathe oxygen through the mask. There are very few known side effects with Nitrous Oxide. General anesthesia is used during more complex procedures or for those that experience a high level of anxiety and wish to be asleep during the treatment. An anesthesiologist or a dentist who has received special training administers general anesthesia. Sometimes oral medications are used to relieve dental pain or anxiety. These analgesics may be used in combination with the above types of anesthesia or alone to help relieve post treatment discomfort.

Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound
A non-invasive imaging procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to view the structures of the abdomen and determine the presence of an aneurysm

Advance Directive
A document in which a person either states choices for medical treatment or designates someone who should make treatment choices if the person should become unable to make decisions. Most often the term refers to formal, written documents, but it can also be used to include spoken statements by the patient.

AHA

Allograft (allogenic graft or homograft)
An organ or tissue transplanted from one individual to another of the same species, i.e. human to human.

Amyloidosis
A rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the buildup of abnormal protein in tissues. Amyloidosis can be a cause of heart valve disorders and heart failure.

Angina (also called angina pectoris)
Discomfort or pressure, usually in the chest, caused by a temporarily inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle. Discomfort may also be felt in the neck, jaw or arms. A common symptom of coronary artery disease, angina usually occurs during periods of physical or emotional stress and is relieved by rest.

Angiotension-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE inhibitors)
A group of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. ACE inhibitors block a specific enzyme (ACE or angiotensin-converting enzyme) which retains salt in the kidney and can cause heart and blood pressure problems.

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
A class of medicines used to treat high blood pressure.

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This dictionary contains 19186 terms.







ha / aa / ah / aaha / ahha / ahaa / qha / wha / sha / xha / zha / aya / aua / aja / ana / aba / aga / ata / ahq / ahw / ahs / ahx / ahz /