Healthopedia
Welcome to GetHealthyHarlem.org's Healthopedia!
GetHealthyHarlem.org's Healthopedia is a place where you can find simple definitions of health terms. All definitions have been written by Harlem Health Promotion Center (HHPC) staff and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board (HAB) to make sure they are correct and complete. For simple definitions of pharmacy and medication terms, check out our Pharmapedia page.
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
A1C levels: This monitoring method is a way to look at your average blood sugar levels over three months-not per day. It's important for people with diabetes to know their A1C levels to make sure they're making the right food choices day-to-day. In many cases this number is even more important than the finger-stick reading that diabetes patients take with a glucose meter everyday. Your doctor has to do a blood test to find out your A1C level.
Acupuncture: A Chinese medical practice used to treat illness and relieve pain. It involves inserting needles into different parts of the body.
Advocacy: Supporting and promoting the rights of patients and safety of health care.
Agribusiness: Various businesses involved in the production of food. These businesses include large farm operations such as those involved in the making, storage and distribution of farm equipment, supplies and other items the farm produces.
Allergen: Any substance that causes an allergy. Common allergens include: pollen, grass, dust and some medications.
Allergy: This is when your body reacts a certain way when it comes into contact with some things that are not normal to the body. It is usually caused by objects outside the body, such as dust, pollen, certain foods, certain insects, or certain medications. Common symptoms are sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, difficulty breathing and skin rashes.
Alopecia: A medical condition which results in hair loss from the head or body. May be a possible side effect of many medications.
Amino acids: Amino acids are what proteins are made of. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. There are 20 amino acids that are used to make proteins such as muscles, hormones and enzymes in your body. Your body can make 11 of those amino acids, but you have to get the remaining nine "essential" amino acids from foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and foods made from grains.
Anthropology: The study of humans--especially their culture, beliefs and ways of living.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are a variety of very healthy substances in our food. Antioxidants help prevent damage to our body tissues. Because of this, many antioxidants are believed to reduce the risk of getting certain types of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Antioxidants are found in high amounts in many foods, including richly colored fruits and vegetables (such as blueberries and carrots), red beans, and apples. They can also be found in surprising sources such as oregano, tea, olive oil, and chocolate.
Anxiety: Can be just a feeling of nervousness, fear, or worry that can be made worse by stressful situations or it can be a mental illness if it causes people not to function well.
Arteries: Passageways in the body, similar to veins, which carry blood away from the heart. Blood pressure is measured by the force it takes to pump blood through the arteries during and in between heart beats. Damage to the arteries can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Aspirate: To remove with suction.
Asthma: A chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult. With asthma, there is inflammation of the air passages that results in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. This results in asthma symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Atrial Fibrillation: This is a condition where a person has an abnormal heart rhythm. The name comes from the fibrillating or quivering of the muscles in the two upper atria (or chambers) in the heart. Atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic and is not in itself generally life-threatening. It can lead to heart palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure. People with artrial fibrillation usually have an increased risk of stroke.
Bacteria: Very small, single-celled germs that can cause infections in your body.
Behavioral sciences: The study of how people behave or act with each other or the natural world. For example, psychology and sociology.
Bell Commission: a team of medical experts who evaluated the training and supervision of doctors in the state of New York. They wrote a report that recommended doctors and medical residents should not be able to work more than 80 hours a week or for more than 24 consecutive hours. New York State turned these recommendations into law in 1989.
Biomedical doctor: A doctor that uses science-based information to treat patients. In general, the term “biomedical doctor” is used to identify doctors who don’t incorporate CAM in their medical practices.
Bipolar disorder: A mental illness that causes extreme changes in a person’s mood. It causes a person to shift from being extremely happy to being depressed or extremely sad within a short period of time and more often than the average person.
Blood clot: A blood clot is a group of blood cells and other material from the blood that join together in a sticky blob to prevent the body from bleeding too much. Clots form when there is an injury to blood vessels.
Blood Glucose Levels: Glucose is a type of sugar. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Glucose levels are the amount of this kind of sugar found in your blood. Your blood glucose levels are tested to check for diabetes or monitor the treatment of diabetes.
Blood Pressure: Blood pressure refers to the amount of blood in a person's blood vessels and the amount of pressure that the heart needs to use when it pumps in order to get blood circulating around the body.
Body Mass Index (BMI): This is a way of measuring a person's weight based on their height--many doctors use this formula to find out if a person needs to lose weight in order to be healthier. You can find out what your BMI is online using a BMI calculator. If the BMI is over 25, the person may be overweight and need to begin changing their lifestyle by getting more exercise or changing the food they eat. If the BMI is over 30, the person may need to lose weight in order to reduce their chances of getting diabetes, hypertension or any of the other health problems associated with obesity.
Bone Density: This is a measure of how solid bones are. The more solid (or dense) the bone is, the better. Minerals (like calcium) make up most of the bone's density. As we get older, bone density naturally decreases. Exercising to build strength and taking supplemental vitamins, like vitamin D and calcium, are great ways to make sure bones stay strong.
Bowel movement: Release of solid waste (poo or feces) from the large intestine.
BSN: Bacehlor of Science in Nursing
Calisthenics: This is an exercise class that does not use weights or equipment. Students learn a variety of simple movements and stretches so that they can increase their body strength and flexibility using the weight of their own bodies for resistance.
Calorie: A calorie is what the body uses as energy to be able to keep you going throughout the day. For humans and animals, calories come from food. Food = Calories = Energy! Nutrition labels list the number of calories that are in one serving of food. Nutrition labels can be found on almost every food. The body burns calories for everyday functions such as breathing, digestion, or walking. Often people eat more calories than they need for these functions each day. When this happens, the extra calories are stored as fat in the body. One pound of body fat has 3,500 calories stored in it. To maintain a good body weight, an adult has to eat the same number of calories that he or she burns.
Carbohydrates: Also called "carbs." The term is used broadly to describe foods like breads, rice, and starches. The body breaks carbohydrates down into sugars and is then used to provide energy.
Cardiac pathophysiology lab: A group of medical researchers who study the cause of disease in the heart.
Cardiologist: Medical doctor who focuses on disorders of the heart.
Cardiology: Department of medicine that focuses on disorders of the heart.
CDE: Certified Diabetes Educator
CDN: Certified Dietitian/Nutritionist
Cells: All living things have cells - from plants to people to penguins. Each cell can be imagined as a building block. Like blocks, cells can be formed into an endless variety of different things. Cells (linked together) make tissues. Tissues come together to make organs, like the heart. Different organs like the heart, lungs, and stomach work together to keep the body running.
Chemotherapy:The use of chemical agents to treat or control disease.
Childhood Asthma: The most common chronic illness in children. It is caused by the swelling of a child's airways. This makes the airways very sensitive which can cause the child to have trouble breathing, as well as coughing or wheezing. It is treatable. Doctors can work with children and their parents to keep the symptoms under control.
Chinese Medicine: A range of traditional medical practices that started in China. For example, herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary therapy, massage, and taiji/t'ai chi.
Chiropractor: Chiropractors deal with problems of the musculoskeletal system (which contain the muscles and skeleton). Chiropractors believe that when your spine is not in line with your body or not connected to other joints in the proper way, you can develop problems with your nervous system and your overall health will be poor. Chiropractors use equipment such as X-rays, order laboratory tests and use other things to diagnose a problem. Their treatments include massage, ultrasounds and manual adjustments to the spine among others.
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is fat that's circulating throughout the blood. We have a certain amount of fat in the blood that's OK. But if there's too much fat in the blood it's not healthy. So, when we check someone's cholesterol we check how much fat is there. If the fat levels are too high we say that someone has high cholesterol levels.
Chronic Diseases: These are diseases that usually get worse slowly and last for a long time. They include things like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. They are the leading causes of death in the world.
Coagulation: The process that creates a blood clot.
Co morbidities: When a person is diagnosed with one disease but may have another problem at the same time (example: diabetes and hypertension)
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Ways of healing and treatment that are different from what we may think of as the medical care you typically receive at a conventional doctor's office. Meditation, yoga, acupuncture, herbal treatment and massage are some examples of CAM therapies.
Complete protein: A food or a combination of foods in a meal that have the nine essential amino acids in them. As long as you eat the nine essential amino acids that you need in a day, your body can produce the new proteins that it needs to survive.
Congestive heart failure: Also called "heart failure." This is a condition when the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. There are several reasons why it occurs, such as: narrowed arteries (the heart doesn't get enough blood); previous heart attacks (scar tissue impacts how the heart muscle works); high blood pressure; disease of the heart muscle; heart defects; or infections and diseases in the heart valves or muscle.The "failing" heart keeps working, but not as well as it should. People with heart failure can't do as much physical activity because they become short of breath and tired.
Conventional medicine: A way of treating patients that is seen as the typical care you receive at an American doctor's office. Other names commonly used to describe conventional medicine include "Western medicine", "mainstream medicine", "biomedicine" and "regular medicine". Conventional medicine is practiced by various practitioners such as doctors, nurses, and psychologists. Conventional medicine is often compared to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) because they use different ways of treating patients.
Core biopsy: A procedure in which a doctor uses a hollow needle to remove a small amount of tissue from the breast or other part of the body.
Counsel : To give advice or information on health or medication.
Depressive disorders: Mental illnesses that cause extreme feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It is one of the most common mental illnesses in the USA.
Diabetes:People with diabetes have high levels of sugar in their blood. This is because their bodies have problems either making or using insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows the sugar from food to be used by the body for energy. Diabetes can be treated by diet, exercise, pills and with insulin. If blood glucose levels are too high in the blood, it can hurt the rest of your organs.
Dietitian: A health professional who has completed a minimum of a college degree in the science of nutrition and had supervised experience in many areas of health care that have to do with nutrition. These health professionals know how to apply educational techniques to plan and teach dietary changes to patients and the general public.
Digestion: The process used by the body to break the food we eat down to smaller parts. These smaller parts are then absorbed by the body or used for energy. Digestion begins with chewing. In the stomach, digestion continues with the stomach juices that are very acidic. Also known as the "digestive system."
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS): An early stage of cancer where the tumor is only in the ducts or milk passages of the breast.
Eastern philosophy: The thought processes and beliefs of various Asian countries, such as China, India, Iran, Japan, and Korea.
Epidemic: The term used to describe a disease when it affects a large number of people within a given time period.
Esophagus: The tube leading from your throat to your stomach that food travels down.
Family medical history: This is the history of your family's illnesses and medical conditions. It is important for you to keep track of this history since many diseases can be passed to you from your relatives. This information can help you know how likely it is for you to get certain diseases. Your doctor will probably ask you about it during regular check-ups, so you should bring notes with you.
Fast: When a person fasts it means they are not eating. To test for diabetes people are sometimes asked to fast. When you don't eat for a long period of time the body sends glucose (sugar) into your blood. If you do not have diabetes your body will make insulin to lower blood sugar levels. If you do have diabetes your body will not make enough insulin to lower blood sugar levels. If you have high blood sugar levels after fasting you may have pre-diabetes (above normal blood sugar levels) or diabetes.
Fiber: It is found in foods that come from plants such as fruits, vegetables and grains. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber are very important in keeping you healthy.
Food Desert: A food desert is an area or neighborhood with little or no ability to buy or cook healthy food.
Food Justice: Food justice is on both the consumer end and farmer end. It is having some control over getting healthy, fresh vegetables and fruits in an affordable and culturally-appropriate way. On the consumer end, it is getting affordable, healthy, fresh produce into communities. On the farmer end, it is helping farmers to develop reliable markets so they can stay in business and plan for long-term stability. It's working together so that everybody has the same ability to get fresh food.
Food Justice Movement: A movement that thinks everyone should have access to safe, healthy and affordable food. They believe all people have this right no matter if they are poor or live in a certain community.
Fructose: This is one of many natural sugars. It is slightly sweeter that sucrose or white granulated sugar. It is found in honey, many fruits, and some vegetables (i.e. beets and other root vegetables).
Geographic Information System (GIS): A software system that maps geographic areas or land so you can learn about information linked to those locations.
Government subsidies: A subsidy is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or industry. Most subsidies made by the government to an industry are to prevent a decline in that industry.
Glucose: Glucose is a type of sugar. When people talk about "blood sugar"-they're really talking about their blood glucose level. The body uses glucose as a source of energy.
Glucose Meter (Glucometer): Also called a finger-stick, it is a medical tool used for figuring out the amount of glucose in the blood (people sometimes call this "blood sugar"). People with diabetes use this tool at home to measure their blood sugar. The person pricks his/her finger and puts a small drop of blood on a test strip. The meter then reads the test strip and tells the person their blood sugar level.
Grains: Grains are a family of plants. Examples of grains are: wheat, rice, oats, barley, and corn (that's right; corn is not a vegetable, it is a grain!). Grain plants make a lot of seeds. We eat the seeds by boiling them, like we do with rice, oatmeal and corn, or by grinding the seeds into flour. Wheat flour can be made into foods like pasta, breads, crackers, etc.
Grassroots: A term used to describe a group of people from the community that join together for a common cause.
Green: Going "green" means to live in a way that takes care of the environment and protects natural resources. Some examples are: recycling, eating locally-grown fruits and vegetables, and walking instead of driving a car.
Gynecology: The branch of medicine that deals with the diseases and hygiene of women.
Harm Reduction: Programs that reduce the harmful effects of drug use and other high risk activities by making it safer to continue those activities or using drugs. An example of a harm reduction is a needle-exchange program that gives drug users clean needles to keep them from sharing dirty needles.
Health inequality/disparity: Differences in the presence of disease and health outcomes or gaps in the quality and access to health and healthcare across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic groups. In the U.S., there is data that health disparities occur in minority groups, such as African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos. This means these groups have higher levels of chronic diseases and greater chances of death due to poor health.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was signed into law in 1996.Title II of HIPAA was signed into law in 2003 and it includes The Privacy Rule, which prevents heath care professionals from making a persons medical record and payment history public. It protects the privacy of a patient's health information and makes sure that all communication between patients and health care professionals remains private.
Health literacy: A person's ability to read, understand, and use health information to make health decisions and follow a doctor's instructions for treatment. Low health literacy decreases the success of treatment and increases medical errors.
Hemoglobin: Is a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It is found in your red blood cells . When your hemoglobin levels are low, you may be told that you have anemia.
HEPA Filter: A type of air filter that traps very small particles in the air that normal filters would miss. They are important for people with asthma or allergies because they reduce the amount of things like dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, and tobacco smoke in the air. They can be used at home.
Hepatitis C: A liver disease that a person can get when blood from a person who has the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This happens most commonly when people share needles to inject drugs. It can also happen through sexual contact when body fluids from a person who has the Hepatitis C virus enter the body of someone who is not infected.
Herbalist: A person who grows and uses plants, especially for use as medicine.
High blood pressure: Also called "hypertension." Blood pressure is the measurement of how strong your blood pumps through your blood vessels. High blood pressure happens when blood has a hard time getting through the blood vessels, usually because the vessels are narrow. It means that your heart has to work really hard to pump your blood through your vessels.
High cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol can build up in your blood vessels as plaque making them so narrow that it's hard for blood to pass through. It's often called "bad" cholesterol because it can lead to things like high blood pressure. Another type of cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is often known as "good" cholesterol because high levels of it seem to protect against heart attack. When your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol, he or she is looking at both your "good" and "bad" cholesterol.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL): A type of cholesterol that is often known as "good" cholesterol because high levels of it seem to protect against heart attack.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): A common sweetener in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks, and other processed foods. It is a combination of fructose [healthopedia] and glucose. Fructose and glucose are in different percentages depending on use. There is much debate over how unhealthy HFCS is.
HIV: The virus that causes AIDS. It can weaken the body's defenses (immune system) and allow other infections to cause serious problems. The virus is usually spread through unprotected sex or sharing needles. Effective treatment is available and can help individuals live productive lives.
Holistic: To look at all the parts of something together and not view these parts separately. Holistic medicine practitioners not only look at symptoms of the medical problem, as most conventional practitioners do, they also look at many other parts of the person's life that might be contributing to their medical issue. For example, holistic medicine practitioners may ask questions about issues including how the person feels (their psychological state), their daily habits, where and how they live and the people in the patient's life.
Hypertension: See "High blood pressure."
Hypoglycemia: This happens when the body's blood sugar level is low.
Immune system: The body’s natural disease-fighting system that protects you against germs and sickness.
Immunology: A branch of science that studies the immune system that protects your body from viruses and diseases.
Impotence: When a man cannot get or maintain an erection of the penis.
Infectious disease: A disease that is caused by contact with germs, specifically bacteria and viruses (living things that can be found everywhere, in the air, soil, and water). Each germ can cause a disease or be spread in specific ways, some by touching, eating, drinking or breathing it in. Certain infectious diseases can also be spread through sexual contact or sharing needles. Getting vaccines, washing your hands, drinking clean water, and practicing safe sex are some of the ways you can protect yourself from catching infectious diseases.
Inflammation: One way that the body responds to infection, irritation or other injury. You can see or feel it outside your body by redness, warmth, swelling and pain. It can also be inside your body, like in the case of asthma.
Integrative medicine: Integrative medicine is a way of treating diseases by looking at different areas of a person's life that might cause illness. Practitioners who use integrative medicine work similarly to conventional medicine practitioners, but they also take a holistic approach to treatment by working with the patient on other non-medical ways to improve health such as helping a patient eat better and reduce stress.
Internal medicine doctors: Doctors who have special training that focuses on how to prevent and treat adult diseases.
Intestine: A part of the digestive system that goes from the stomach to the anus (butt). It includes the small intestine and large intestine.
Kidney: Your body's filter. It helps cleanse it of the impurities, or poisons, that the body makes all the time.
Kidney failure: Kidney failure (also known as kidney disease) means that a person's kidneys are not working as well as they should be. When kidneys begin to fail, it means that they aren't filtering poisons from the body. This also means that the salt that we eat everyday isn't being cleared from the body.
Land trust: A private, nonprofit organization that takes ownership of land. It actively works to conserve/protect land, such as farms, ranches, forests, mountains, urban parks, and coastlines.
Landscape architect: A person who plans, designs, arranges, and changes parts of the land, urban areas, or gardens for practical or artistic reasons.
Legume: This is a plant species that has seed pods that split along both sides when ripe. Examples include beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, and soybeans. Legumes are high in protein, iron, and vitamin B.
Leptin: A hormone that is normally in males and females. It is made mainly in fat cells and it is very important in regulating the signal that tells your brain that you have had enough to eat. Problems with making or using leptin have been linked to overeating and excess body weight.
LMSW: Licensed Master Social Worker
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): A type of cholesterol that is also known as "bad" cholesterol because it can lead to things like high blood pressure. It can build up in your blood vessels as plaque, making them so narrow that it's hard for blood to pass through.
Lumpectomy (partial mastectomy): Surgery in which only the cancerous lump and a small amount of normal surrounding tissue is removed in order to preserve the breast. See also: mastectomy.
Lung Specialist: A doctor who has special training, knowledge, and skills in finding, and treating lung conditions and diseases.
Lymphoma: Cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system.
Mammogram: X-ray film of the soft tissue of the breast.
Mammography: A procedure to find breast tumors by using x-rays.
Mastectomy: Surgery to remove all breast tissue, usually for breast cancer. See also: lumpectomy.
Menopause: The term used for the time when a woman stops menstruating (getting her period).
Metabolism: There are many chemical reactions in the body's cells that transform food into the energy (or calories) the body needs to exist. Metabolism is the process of using nutrients from food to build, break down and repair the body.
Microcalcifications: Deposits of tiny amounts of calcium that occurs in the breast, it is visible as tiny spots on mammogram.
Mind-body medicine: Mind-Body medicine is based on the idea that the mind can have a positive or negative effect on the body. Because the mind and body are believed to be closely connected, a person needs to maintain a positive attitude in order to heal the body.
MSTOM: Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine
Nasal congestion: When your nose is stuffy or blocked.
Needle biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid with a needle for examination under a microscope.
Neurologist: A brain doctor. They treat problems that people have with their brain, spinal cord, and nerves. If you are having problems with your memory, balance, movement, speech, language, or anything else that involves thinking, you should go see a neurologist.
Nutrition: The process of eating healthy food to give your body nutrients necessary for life and growth. It can also be the scientific study of what and how people eat, and educating them to eat healthy food.
Nutritionist: An expert who knows how food and diet affect your health. These people work with individuals or groups to plan healthy diets.
Obesity: If a person is obese it means they are extremely overweight. They are more likely to have health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. A person is obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Organs: Major parts in the body, such as the heart, stomach, and lungs.
Organic foods: When any food (whether made from ingredients that come from an animal or plant) has been grown without the use of any synthetic (manmade) products to prevent weeds, kill bugs and fungus, or enhance growth.
Original date: Your doctor must put the date he/she wrote the prescription for you. The original date can be found on the upper right hand corner of the prescription. The date is necessary because all non-controlled prescriptions expire after one year. All controlled prescriptions expire after one month.
Omega-3 fatty acids: These are known as "good fats." They are an important part of a healthy diet. They can be found in fatty fish (like salmon, sardines and light canned tuna) as well as certain nuts and plants. Having a lot of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, lower your blood pressure, have a positive effect on your mood, and many more benefits.
Osteoporosis: A bone disease that makes bones fragile and easy to break. There are no symptoms and no pain until a bone breaks. It can be prevented by exercising to prevent falls and by taking vitamins with calcium and vitamin D .
Osteoporotic fracture: A broken bone caused by osteoporosis.
Paralysis: When you can't use muscles in part of your body
Partially hydrogenated: This term is used to refer to certain cooking oils. When oils are partially hydrogenated, it means that they contain trans fats, which are bad for your health.
Peak Flow Meter: A portable device used to measure your ability to push air out of your lungs. Many doctors recommend these devices for people who have asthma.
Pedestrian: A person walking or running on the streets or sidewalks.
Physical activity: Any activity that gets your body moving. This includes regular formal exercise as well as activities of daily living like climbing stairs, housework, and walking for errands. Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and fitness, and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. It also strengthens bones, tones and strengthens muscles, and helps improve your mood. Regular physical activity is also the best way of keeping your weight off after you lose weight.
People should get at least thirty minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five times a week, or vigorous exercise 3 times a week for 20-60 minutes. Moderate intensity means that it's hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat; vigorous activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit.
Phytonutrients aka Phytochemical: Any word that begins with "phyto" is referring to a plant (rather than an animal). A phytochemical is a chemical (or substance) that is only found in plants. Nutrition educators encourage consumers to eat lots of foods that come from plants. These include: nuts, beans, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and grains.
Plant-based foods: These are foods that include fruits, vegetables, grains (whole grains are best), peas and beans, nuts, and seeds. Foods made from these categories include bread, pasta, and mixtures such as vegetable soups.
Plaque: Plaque is the buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances in a blood vessel.
Practitioner: Another word for a doctor or other health care professional.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. It is the physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's period. Some symptoms are: cramps, stress, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, acne, and mood swings.
Primary care provider (PCP): A doctor who is responsible for all of a person's healthcare needs.
Processed food: Food that is no longer in its natural or original state. The ways that food can be processed include: canning, freezing, refrigeration, and dehydration (drying, such as dried fruit and powdered milk). Processing foods increases their shelf life, which can reduce food waste due to rotting or spoiling. It can involve adding colors, salt or other preservatives, which can be unhealthy for you. Consider buying foods that have the least amount of processing since they are usually the healthiest for you.
Prostate gland: Found in a man's body. It controls a man's release of urine (pee) and helps create semen (sperm).
Proteins: Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Think of proteins as bricks, which are small, but when held together can make huge, complex structures. Small proteins work this same way to make up our organs such as skin and lungs, as well as hormones, enzymes, and the many proteins that circulate through the blood. When we think about eating protein in foods, we are eating the protein-rich muscle of animals such as fish, chicken, turkey, pork, and beef, for example. Beans, grains, seeds, nuts, and vegetables have smaller amounts of protein, but are equally nourishing. Eggs, milk and cheese are also excellent sources of protein.
Psychiatry: A field of medicine that studies and treats mental and emotional problems.
Psychology: The scientific study of human and animal mental states and behaviors.
Psychotic disorders:Serious mental illnesses that affect a person’s ability to think clearly and can cause them to see, hear and feel things that are not real. Sometimes, they are also afraid that bad things might happen to them.
Public health: A profession that focuses on preventing disease and promoting health. It includes the use of health services to improve and protect community health through sanitation, immunization, health education and preventative medicine.
Qi: Also known as ch'i. Qi is the internal energy that flows through any living thing.
Radiation therapy: Treatment that uses x-rays to kill cancer cells.
Radiologist: A doctor who specializes in creating and interpreting pictures of areas inside the body.
Reconstructive surgery: Surgery performed to correct or repair physical abnormalities of the body.
Retinopathy: A term used to talk about problems in a part of the eye called the retina.
Retrovirus: A type of virus that injects their genetic information, called ‘RNA', into a cell. The retrovirus family includes the AIDS virus.
Schizoaffective disorder: A mental illness that affects a person’s ability to tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t real and also causes mood problems such as extreme unhappiness. It is a combination of schizophrenia and depression or bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia: A mental illness that is a specific type of psychotic disorder that affects a person’s ability to think clearly and can cause them to see, hear and feel things that are not real. They sometimes are also afraid that bad things might happen to them. It usually starts when people are in their 20’s and affects about 1 in every 100 people.
Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing stops for as long as 20 seconds several times during sleep. Because breathing stops, the amount of oxygen in the blood is lower. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches.
Specialists: doctors who have been trained to become an expert in a specific area of medicine.
Starch: A natural carbohydrate found in corn, potatoes, rice, and breads. Almost all starch breaks down into sugar (mostly glucose) in the body. It is used for fuel or calories.
Stewardship: The management and care for property or land. An example of stewardship is the combined efforts by neighbors to maintain community gardens.
Supplements: Supplements can come in a variety of forms such as pills, powders or liquids. Dietary supplements cover a broad range of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Herbal supplements are also considered dietary supplements. If a supplement contains plants or herbs it is called a ‘botanical'.
Symptoms: A physical sign of something not working right in your body, especially if you are sick. Some examples include a stomachache, headache, runny nose, sneezing, cough etc.
Syphilis: A disease that you can get through sexual contact. It is caused by a bacterial infection.
Taiji (t'ai chi): A form of Chinese martial art. It includes meditation and a series of circular movements to increase strength and balance.
Therapeutic lifestyle changes: Healthy changes in your lifestyle. For example, eating a diet that is low in saturated fat, eating a low cholesterol diet, regular physical activity, and keeping a healthy weight.
Triglycerides: These come from fats eaten in foods or made by the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates. Any calories that you eat and do not use right away become triglycerides and are sent to fat cells to be stored.
Tuskegee: In Tuskegee, Alabama from 1932-1972 a group of researchers studied 400 African Americans who were infected with syphilis. By 1940, penicillin was found to be an effective treatment for syphilis but the researchers did not give the participants the penicillin because they wanted to study the natural progression of the disease. This experiment, which is now considered unethical, is one reason many African Americans don't trust medical professionals. It is also the reason that all studies involving human research subjects must first be approved by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to make sure they're ethical.
Ulcer: A crater-like open sore that forms on the inside lining of the stomach, small intestine or esophagus. Ulcers can be caused by a bacterial infection, by certain medications (like Aspirin or Ibuprofin), by smoking, or by your body producing too much acid.
Ultrasound: A test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the tissues and internal organs of the body.
Under-recognize: This term means that more people have a disease, disorder, or illness than doctors actually know about.
Under-treat: This means that more people have a disease, disorder, or illness than are actually getting treated for it.
Unprocessed food: Food that has not been processed. This is the food that usually doesn't need labels or packaging. Examples include foods from a farmers market or the produce section or a supermarket such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, rice, beans, and fresh meats, poultry, and fish. Nutrition educators will promote them as the healthiest for you.
Urban planning: A career field that focuses on various planning subjects, such as land use, environmental planning, housing, and community development.
Urine: This is liquid waste (pee). If you notice a change in color or how often you go, it may be a sign of a health problem like an infection or diabetes.
Vitamins: Substances that your body needs to grow and develop normally. There are 13 vitamins the human body needs. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). You can get all of these vitamins from foods. To protect the vitamins in your food, be sure to keep food out of sunlight, wrapped, and cooked without extreme heat or large amounts of water.
Whole grains: Are found in foods and are essential parts of a healthy diet. They are good sources of fiber and other nutrients. The ingredients on a food label should SAY "whole grain" or whole wheat/barley/rice/etc. on it if it's a whole grain. Just because something, like rice or bread, for instance, is brown in color doesn't mean it has WHOLE grains in it.
Yin-Yang Theory: This is a concept of Chinese philosophy and medicine that views things in relation to its whole. The yin and the yang are opposites that combine to provide a way of explaining relationships between objects.
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