| Eardrum |
a
thin, oval-shaped membrane that separates the inner ear from
the outer ear and is responsible for transmitting sound waves
|
| ECG
(sometimes called an EKG) |
an
electrocardiogram, which is a record of the electrical impulses
that trigger the heartbeat; used to diagnose heart disorders |
| Echocardiogram |
an
image of the heart that is created by high-frequency (ultrasound)
sound waves |
| Eclampsia |
a
serious condition that occurs in late pregnancy, characterized
by seizures in the woman |
| Ectopic |
occurring
at an abnormal position or time |
| Eczema |
inflammation
of the skin, usually causing itchiness and sometimes blisters
and scaling; may be caused by allergies, but often occurs
for no apparent reason |
| Edema |
abnormal
buildup of fluid in the body, which may cause visible swelling |
| EEG |
see
Electroencephalography |
| Elective |
describes
a treatment or procedure that is not urgent and can be arranged
at the patient's convenience |
| Electroencephalography |
a
procedure for recording the electrical impulses of brain activity |
| Embolism |
the
blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus |
| Embryo |
a
term used to describe a child in the womb from fertilization
to 8 weeks following fertilization |
| Emetic |
a
substance that causes vomiting; used to treat some cases of
poisoning and drug overdose |
| Emphysema |
a
chronic disease in which the small air sacs in the lungs (the
alveoli) become damaged; characterized by difficulty breathing |
| Encephalitis |
inflammation
of the brain, usually caused by a virus; may be very mild
and barely noticeable, but is usually serious and can progress
from headache and fever to hallucinations, paralysis, and
sometimes coma |
| Endarterectomy |
surgery
performed to remove the lining of an artery that has been
narrowed by fatty tissue buildup |
| Endemic |
describes
a disease that is always present in a certain population of
people |
| Endocarditis |
inflammation
of the inner lining of the heart, usually the heart valves;
typically caused by an infection |
| Endocardium |
the
inner lining of the heart |
| Endocrine
gland |
a
gland that secretes hormones into the bloodstream |
| Endogenous |
arising
from inside of the body |
| Endometrial
polyp |
a
growth (usually noncancerous) occurring on the lining of the
uterus |
| Endometriosis |
a
condition in which fragments of the endometrium are found
in other pelvic organs |
| Endometrium |
the
membrane that lines the uterus |
| Endophthalmitis |
inflammation
of the inside of the eye |
| Endorphin |
a
group of chemicals produced in the brain that reduce pain
and positively affect mood |
| Endoscope |
a
lighted instrument used to view the inside of a body cavity
|
| Endothelium |
the
layer of flat cells that lines the blood and lymph vessels,
the heart, and other structures in the body |
| Endotracheal
tube |
a
plastic tube that is fed down into the trachea through the
mouth or nose to supply oxygen to a person who is not breathing
properly |
| Enteritis |
inflammation
of the small intestine, usually causing diarrhea |
| Enterobiasis |
infestation
by a pinworm |
| Enuresis |
the
medical term for wetting the bed |
| Enzyme |
a
chemical, originating in a cell, that regulates reactions
in the body |
| Epidemic |
a
term used to describe a disease that is rare then suddenly
affects more people than usually expected |
| Epidermis |
the
outer layer of the skin |
| Epididymis |
a
long, coiled tube, exiting from the back of the testicle,
in which sperm mature |
| Epidural
anesthesia |
a
method of pain relief in which a painkilling drug is injected
into the space surrounding the spinal cord to block sensations
in the abdomen and lower body |
| Epilepsy |
a
disorder of the nervous system in which abnormal electrical
activity in the brain causes seizures |
| Epinephrine |
a
hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress,
exercise, or fear; increases heart rate and opens airways
to improve breathing; also called adrenaline |
| Episcleritis |
a
patch of inflammation on the outer layer of the white of the
eye |
| Episiotomy |
a
surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the tissue
between the vagina and anus to prevent tearing of this tissue
during childbirth |
| Epithelium |
the
layer of cells that covers the body and lines many organs
|
| Epstein-Barr
virus |
a
virus that is the cause of mononucleosis and is involved in
Burkitt's lymphoma |
| Erysipelas |
an
infection caused by streptococci bacteria; characterized by
fever and rash |
| Erythema |
redness
of the skin |
| Erythrocyte |
a
red blood cell |
| Erythrocyte
sedimentation rate |
a
measure of the time it takes for red blood cells to collect
at the bottom of a sample of blood; an elevated rate may mean
that there is inflammation somewhere in the body |
| Erythroplakia |
red
patches in the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, or voice
box (larynx) that can become cancerous; risk factors include
smoking pipes and chewing tobacco |
| Esophageal
spasm |
irregular
contractions of the muscles in the esophagus, which lead to
difficulty swallowing |
| Esophageal
varices |
swollen
veins in the lower esophagus and possibly the upper part of
the stomach; can cause vomiting of blood and passing of black
stool |
| Esophagus |
a
tube-shaped canal in the digestive tract, connecting the throat
to the stomach |
| Estrogen |
a
group of hormones (produced mainly in the ovaries) that are
necessary for female sexual development and reproductive functioning
|
| Estrogen
replacement therapy |
treatment
with synthetic estrogen drugs to relieve symptoms of menopause
and to help protect women against osteoporosis and heart disease |
| Eustachian
tube |
the
tube that connects the middle ear and the back of the nose,
draining the middle ear and regulating air pressure |
| Euthanasia |
painlessly
ending the life of a patient with an incurable disease who
requests to die |
| Excision |
the
surgical removal of diseased tissue |
| Excretion |
the
process by which the body rids itself of waste |
| Exercise
stress test |
the
monitoring of the heart during strenuous exercise, usually
on a treadmill or exercise bicycle, to evaluate how the heart
responds to stress |
| Exercise
thallium test |
an
imaging test performed during and after an exercise stress
test to evaluate functioning of the heart muscles |
| Exogenous |
arising
from outside of the body |
| Expectorant |
a
medication used to promote the coughing up of phlegm from
the respiratory tract |
| Extensor
muscle |
a
muscle that causes a joint or limb to straighten |
| External
version |
external
repositioning of the fetus in the womb to the correct birth
position |
| Extracorporeal
shock wave lithotripsy |
a
procedure performed to destroy kidney stones using external
shock waves |
| Extradural
anesthesia |
injection
of an anesthetic into the space outside the dura mater, the
fibrous membrane that envelops the spinal cord |
