H
Key
Green: is a medical procedure.
Orange is medicine.
Blue are diseases and conditions.
Purple is equipment.
Black is "other".
- H -
▪ Haldol: An older antipsychotic used in the treatment of schizophrenia and, more acutely, in the treatment of acute psychotic states and delirium. A long-acting decanoate ester is used as a long acting injection given every 4 weeks to people with schizophrenia or related illnesses who have a poor compliance with medication and suffer frequent relapses of illness.
▪ Hallucination: Any auditory or visual sensation that is not rooted in physical reality, such as hearing voices or seeing bugs on the skin. Auditory hallucinations are very common - over 80% of people have experienced at least one. Visual halluciations are somewhat more rare.
▪ Headache: Any acute or throbbing pain felt throughout the skull. It is caused by any one of a number of conditions that cause inflammation of the nerve endings in the scalp and face. The brain itself does not have any nerve endings, so a headache in and of itself does not always indicate that anything is wrong with the brain. Most headaches are caused by stress and lack of sleep, which tighten the muscles in the head.
▪ Heart Attack: The result of the muscles of the heart not receiving enough oxygen, usually due to infarction in one of the major arteries in the heart. However, it can also be due to a heart arrhythmia.
▪ Heart Rate: Heart rate is considered one of the four vital signs. Usually it is calculated as the number of contractions (heart beats) of the heart in one minute and expressed as "beats per minute" (bpm). See "Heart" for information on embryofetal heart rates. When resting, the average adult human heart beats at about 70 bpm (males) and 75 bpm (females); however, this rate varies among people and can be significantly lower in endurance athletes. The infant/neonatal rate of heartbeat is around 130-150 bpm, the toddler's about 100-130 bpm, the older child's about 90-110 bpm, and the adult's about 80-100 bpm.
▪ Hemorrhoid: Distended veins in the anus, which bulge into the anal canal and become irritated during defecation. Symptoms can range from mild to very painful. The veins usually become distended due to extreme pressure during defecation that is typical of constipation.
▪ Hepatitis: any of a number of distinct viral diseases which impair liver function. They vary in severity, ease of transmission, and the ability to be vaccinated. The three most common are:
- Hepatitis A - The easiest to catch; it can be passed on through infected items or food. It can be vaccinated against, and such vaccinations are recommended for persons who travel to unhygienic or tropical environments.
- Hepatitis B - Harder to catch, usually requiring direct person to person and fluid to blood contact. Symptoms are more severe and harder to treat. It can be vaccinated against, but as it cannot be passed through casual contact, vaccination is generally only recommended for adults.
- Hepatitis C - Very difficult to catch, usually requiring direct blood to blood contact from an infected person. Until it could be successfully tested for, it was very common for persons who used blood products, such as hemophiliacs and recipients of blood transfusions, to be infected with it. No effective vaccine is known. It is treatable, but symptoms are usually very severe and can be life threatening.
▪ HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus): The causative agent of the disease AIDS. It can only be transmitted directly from person to person through bodily fluids such as blood and semen. Although it is exceedingly difficult to catch (for example hepatitis C is transmitted the same way and is far more prevalent in at-risk populations), once infected, only about three percent of the general population seems to be naturally immune to the infection. Despite modern treatments, the virus will inevitably destroy the patient's immune system over time, leading to AIDS.
▪ Hospital Codes: Used to alert staff in a myriad of emergency situations. They are designed to convey essential information as quickly and with as little confusion as possible whilst also remaining discreet in order to keep both patients and visitors calm. They may be posted in signs around the hospital or on the back of employee identification cards for reference.
▪ Hydrophobia: A condition where the body's tissues actively expel water to the point of dehydration. It is a classic symptom rabies and is responsible for the "foaming at the mouth" that appears in the late stage of the disease.
▪ Hyperbaric Chamber: A sealed pressurized chamber filled with pure oxygen. It is most commonly used for the treatment of burn victims, although it can also be used to treat anaerobic bacteria that infect open wounds, such as gas gangrene. It can also be used to help persons acclimatate to altitude by encouraging the production of red blood cells.
▪ Hypersomnia: Recurring episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or prolonged nighttime sleep. Different from feeling tired due to lack of or interrupted sleep at night, persons with hypersomnia are compelled to nap repeatedly during the day, often at inappropriate times such as at work, during a meal, or in conversation. These daytime naps usually provide no relief from symptoms. Patients often have difficulty waking from a long sleep, and may feel disoriented. Other symptoms may include anxiety, increased irritation, decreased energy, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and memory difficulty.
▪ Hypochondriac: An excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. Often, hypochondria persists even after a physician has evaluated a person and reassured him/her that his/her concerns about symptoms do not have an underlying medical basis or, if there is a medical illness, the concerns are far in excess of what is appropriate for the level of disease. Many people suffering from this disorder focus on a particular symptom as the catalyst of their worrying, such as gastro-intestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue.
▪ Hypothyroidism: A disease caused by a reduction in the production of the two hormones produced by the thyroid. These hormones regulate almost all bodily functions and the lack of these in the body leads to a number of symptoms related to metabolism. Sufferers may suffer a few or all of the symptoms. If untreated, the symptoms get worse and, if they become very serious, can lead to extremely low blood pressure and death.
By Letter
| A | | B | | C | | D | | E | | F | | G | | H | | I | | J | | K | | L | | M |
| N | | O | | P | | Q | | R | | S | | T | | U | | V | | W | | X | | Y | | Z |
Green: is a medical procedure.
Orange is medicine.
Blue are diseases and conditions.
Purple is equipment.
Black is "other".
- H -
▪ Haldol: An older antipsychotic used in the treatment of schizophrenia and, more acutely, in the treatment of acute psychotic states and delirium. A long-acting decanoate ester is used as a long acting injection given every 4 weeks to people with schizophrenia or related illnesses who have a poor compliance with medication and suffer frequent relapses of illness.
▪ Hallucination: Any auditory or visual sensation that is not rooted in physical reality, such as hearing voices or seeing bugs on the skin. Auditory hallucinations are very common - over 80% of people have experienced at least one. Visual halluciations are somewhat more rare.
▪ Headache: Any acute or throbbing pain felt throughout the skull. It is caused by any one of a number of conditions that cause inflammation of the nerve endings in the scalp and face. The brain itself does not have any nerve endings, so a headache in and of itself does not always indicate that anything is wrong with the brain. Most headaches are caused by stress and lack of sleep, which tighten the muscles in the head.
▪ Heart Attack: The result of the muscles of the heart not receiving enough oxygen, usually due to infarction in one of the major arteries in the heart. However, it can also be due to a heart arrhythmia.
▪ Heart Rate: Heart rate is considered one of the four vital signs. Usually it is calculated as the number of contractions (heart beats) of the heart in one minute and expressed as "beats per minute" (bpm). See "Heart" for information on embryofetal heart rates. When resting, the average adult human heart beats at about 70 bpm (males) and 75 bpm (females); however, this rate varies among people and can be significantly lower in endurance athletes. The infant/neonatal rate of heartbeat is around 130-150 bpm, the toddler's about 100-130 bpm, the older child's about 90-110 bpm, and the adult's about 80-100 bpm.
▪ Hemorrhoid: Distended veins in the anus, which bulge into the anal canal and become irritated during defecation. Symptoms can range from mild to very painful. The veins usually become distended due to extreme pressure during defecation that is typical of constipation.
▪ Hepatitis: any of a number of distinct viral diseases which impair liver function. They vary in severity, ease of transmission, and the ability to be vaccinated. The three most common are:
- Hepatitis A - The easiest to catch; it can be passed on through infected items or food. It can be vaccinated against, and such vaccinations are recommended for persons who travel to unhygienic or tropical environments.
- Hepatitis B - Harder to catch, usually requiring direct person to person and fluid to blood contact. Symptoms are more severe and harder to treat. It can be vaccinated against, but as it cannot be passed through casual contact, vaccination is generally only recommended for adults.
- Hepatitis C - Very difficult to catch, usually requiring direct blood to blood contact from an infected person. Until it could be successfully tested for, it was very common for persons who used blood products, such as hemophiliacs and recipients of blood transfusions, to be infected with it. No effective vaccine is known. It is treatable, but symptoms are usually very severe and can be life threatening.
▪ HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus): The causative agent of the disease AIDS. It can only be transmitted directly from person to person through bodily fluids such as blood and semen. Although it is exceedingly difficult to catch (for example hepatitis C is transmitted the same way and is far more prevalent in at-risk populations), once infected, only about three percent of the general population seems to be naturally immune to the infection. Despite modern treatments, the virus will inevitably destroy the patient's immune system over time, leading to AIDS.
▪ Hospital Codes: Used to alert staff in a myriad of emergency situations. They are designed to convey essential information as quickly and with as little confusion as possible whilst also remaining discreet in order to keep both patients and visitors calm. They may be posted in signs around the hospital or on the back of employee identification cards for reference.
▪ Hydrophobia: A condition where the body's tissues actively expel water to the point of dehydration. It is a classic symptom rabies and is responsible for the "foaming at the mouth" that appears in the late stage of the disease.
▪ Hyperbaric Chamber: A sealed pressurized chamber filled with pure oxygen. It is most commonly used for the treatment of burn victims, although it can also be used to treat anaerobic bacteria that infect open wounds, such as gas gangrene. It can also be used to help persons acclimatate to altitude by encouraging the production of red blood cells.
▪ Hypersomnia: Recurring episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or prolonged nighttime sleep. Different from feeling tired due to lack of or interrupted sleep at night, persons with hypersomnia are compelled to nap repeatedly during the day, often at inappropriate times such as at work, during a meal, or in conversation. These daytime naps usually provide no relief from symptoms. Patients often have difficulty waking from a long sleep, and may feel disoriented. Other symptoms may include anxiety, increased irritation, decreased energy, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and memory difficulty.
▪ Hypochondriac: An excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. Often, hypochondria persists even after a physician has evaluated a person and reassured him/her that his/her concerns about symptoms do not have an underlying medical basis or, if there is a medical illness, the concerns are far in excess of what is appropriate for the level of disease. Many people suffering from this disorder focus on a particular symptom as the catalyst of their worrying, such as gastro-intestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue.
▪ Hypothyroidism: A disease caused by a reduction in the production of the two hormones produced by the thyroid. These hormones regulate almost all bodily functions and the lack of these in the body leads to a number of symptoms related to metabolism. Sufferers may suffer a few or all of the symptoms. If untreated, the symptoms get worse and, if they become very serious, can lead to extremely low blood pressure and death.
By Letter
| A | | B | | C | | D | | E | | F | | G | | H | | I | | J | | K | | L | | M |
| N | | O | | P | | Q | | R | | S | | T | | U | | V | | W | | X | | Y | | Z |