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Whether you're new to FM and CFS/ME, or an experienced patient, there are always new
terms and terminologies coming up. In order to find the medical information you're
looking for, you'll come across medical terminology and medical information you might
not understand.
This page contains over 200 definitions listed below, with many new words added monthly.
The words are listed in alphabetical order. You can either select a letter from the
box below, or scroll down the page to reveal the word you're looking for.
Contact us if you cannot locate a specific definition.
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EEG Neurotherapy
EEG Biofeedback or Neurofeedback, is a form of biofeedback which allows an individual
to learn voluntary control of their brainwave activity. Electrodes (sensors) are placed
on the surface of the scalp and are held painlessly in place with a paste. The process
is non-invasive. These sensors pick up the brainwave patterns (electrical activity of
the brain) and transmit them to a computer which analyzes them. Settings in the
computer program are individually tailored for the client based on what brainwave
patterns are desired.
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Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG, abbreviated from the German Electrocardiogram) is
a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of
the heart over time. Analysis of the various waves and normal vectors of depolarization
and repolarization yields important diagnostic information.
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It is the gold standard for the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia's
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It guides therapy and risk stratification for patients with suspected acute
myocardial infarction
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It helps detect electrolyte disturbances (e.g. hyperkalemia and hypokalemia)
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It allows for the detection of conduction abnormalities (e.g. right and left bundle
branch block)
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It is used as a screening tool for ischemic heart disease during a cardiac stress test
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It is occasionally helpful with non-cardiac diseases (e.g. pulmonary embolism or
hypothermia)
The electrocardiogram does not directly assess the contractility of the heart. However,
it can give a rough indication of increased or decreased contractility.
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Electromyography
Electromyography (EMG) is a medical technique for evaluating and recording
physiologic properties of muscles at rest and while contracting. EMG is performed using
an instrument called an electromyography, to produce a record called an electromyogram.
An electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle cells when
these cells contract, and also when the cells are at rest.
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Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common medical condition affecting an estimated 89 million women
of reproductive age around the world. In endometriosis, the tissue that lines the
uterus (the endometrium, from endo, "inside", and metra, "womb") is found to be
growing outside the uterus, on or in other areas of the body. Normally, the endometrium
is shed each month during the menstrual cycle; however, in endometriosis, the
misplaced endometrium is usually unable to exit the body.
The endometriotic tissues still detach and bleed, but the result is far different:
internal bleeding, degenerated blood and tissue shedding, inflammation of the
surrounding areas, pain, and formation of scar tissue may result. In addition, depending
on the location of the growths, interference with the normal function of the bowel,
bladder, small intestines and other organs within the pelvic cavity can occur.
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Endotracheal Tube
An endotracheal tube (ETT) is used in anesthesia, intensive care and emergency medicine
for airway management and mechanical ventilation. It is regarded as the most
reliable available method for protecting a patient's airway.
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Enterovirus
The enterovirus are a genus of (+)ssRNA viruses associated with
several human and mammalian diseases. Historically the most significant has been
the Poliovirus (which is now nearly extinct).
Coxsackie viruses (a non-phylogenic group) are associated with human hand, foot and
mouth disease. Echo viruses are a cause of many of the non-specific viral infections.
It is mainly found in the intestine, and can cause nervous disorders.
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Epstein-Barr
Also called Human herpes virus 4 (HHV-4), is a virus of the herpes family
(which includes Herpes simplex virus and Cytomegalovirus), and is one of the most
common viruses in humans.
Most people become infected with EBV, which is often
asymptomatic but
commonly causes infectious mononucleosis. It is named after Michael Epstein and Yvonne
Barr, who together with Bert Achong discovered the virus in 1964. Thought at one time
to be associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
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Etiology
The science and study of the causes or origins of disease.
The cause or origin of a disease or disorder as determined by medical diagnosis.
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Etymologically
Etymology is the study of the history of words - when they entered a language,
from what source, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
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Exacerbate
To increase the severity, aggravate.
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Excitatory
Tending to induce excitation.
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Exertion
Exertion is a concept describing the use of physical or perceived energy. It normally
refers to a strenuous or costly effort related to physical, philosophical actions and work.
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Fatigue
A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency
of accomplishment, usually accompanied by a feeling of weariness and tiredness.
Fatigue can be acute and come on suddenly or chronic and persist.
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Fibro-Fog
Fibro-fog or "brain-fog" is a commonly reported symptom of Fibromyalgia (FM). FM
patients often describe multiple sensations of fatigue and listlessness combined
with transitory states of confusion, poor attention and concentration, and short-term
memory loss. This fibro-fog tends to
exacerbate the deficits
in daily functioning that a FM sufferer must deal with.
What causes fibro-fog? There's no conclusive origin for this symptom of FM, nor
an explanation as to why it exists in varying degrees for different FM patients.
Sleep deprivation and significant difficulty in achieving and/or maintaining deep
level sleep, however, may very well point to the answer.
It is at the deeper levels of sleep (delta wave sleep) that a person's mind conducts
its internal "housekeeping". During this phase of sleep, newly acquired information
is assimilated and integrated. The inability to get enough restorative deep-level sleep
may have an impairing effect on an individual's ability to recall information or operate
at a normal level of mental efficiency.
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Fibromyalgia (FM)
FM is a poorly-understood chronic pain syndrome characterized by:
- Widespread Musculoskeletal Pain
- Non restorative Sleep
- Fatigue
- Psychological Distress
- Specific Regions of Localized Tenderness
People with FM may also have other symptoms such as:
- Morning stiffness
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Headaches, including migraines
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called "fibro fog")
- Painful menstrual periods and other pain syndromes
While the etiology of FM is unclear, accumulating data suggest that disordered central
pain processing likely plays a role in the pathogenesis of symptoms. Although
various pharmacological treatments have been studied and espoused for treating FM, no
single drug or group of drugs has proved to be particularly useful in treating FM patients
as a whole, and only one drug to date has earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval for treating the syndrome in the United States.
The earliest onset of FM can occur in childhood, however most people believe their
pain originated in their early 20's and 30's. Although genetic research is just
beginning, there is already evidence that FM runs in some families leading researchers
to believe it may be hereditary. Although men and women are both effected by FM, women
make up the majority of those effected. The reason is unknown.
While FM is one of the most common diseases affecting the muscles, its cause is
currently unknown. The painful tissues involved are not accompanied by tissue
inflammation. Therefore, despite potentially disabling body pain, patients with FM do
not develop body damage or deformity. FM also does not cause damage to internal body
organs. Therefore, FM is different from many other rheumatic conditions (such as
rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and polymyositis). In those diseases,
tissue inflammation is the major cause of pain, stiffness and tenderness of the
joints, tendons and muscles, and it can lead to joint deformity and damage to the
internal organs or muscles.
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Gastrointestinal
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), also called the digestive tract, the alimentary
canal, or the entrails, is the system of organs within multi cellular animals that takes
in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste.
The major functions of the GI tract are ingestion, digestion, absorption, and excretion.
The GI tract differs substantially from animal to animal. Some animals have
multi-chambered stomachs, while some animals' stomachs contain a single chamber. In a
normal human adult male, the GI tract is approximately 6.5 meters (20 feet) long and
consists of the upper and lower GI tracts. The tract may also be divided into
foregut, midgut, and hindgut, reflecting the embryological origin of each segment
of the tract.
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Genetic Predisposition
A genetic predisposition is a genetic effect which influences the
phenotype
of an organism but which can be modified by the environmental conditions.
Genetic testing is able to identify individuals who are genetically predisposed
to certain health problems.
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Granulocytes
Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterized by the presence
of granules in their cytoplasm. They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes
(PMN or PML) because of the varying shapes of the nucleus, which is usually lobed
into three segments.
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Greater Trochanter
The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence,
situated at the junction of the neck with the upper part of the body.
It is directed a little lateralward and backward, and, in the adult, is about 1 cm.
lower than the head. Part of the skeletal system. It has two surfaces and four borders.
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Growth Hormone
Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single chain polypeptide hormone which is
synthesized, stored and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral
wings of the anterior pituitary gland, which stimulates growth and cell reproduction
in humans and other animals.
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Headache
A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the
head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. Headache, like chest pain
or back ache, has many causes.
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Hepatitis
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. The clinical signs, prognosis, and treatment
depend on the cause.
Types of hepatitis:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis B with D
- Hepatitis E
- Hepatitis F (discredited)
- Hepatitis G
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Herpes Simplex Virus
Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are two strains of the herpes virus
family, Herpes viridae, which cause infections in humans. HSV-1 and 2 are also
referred to as Human Herpes Virus 1 and 2 (HHV-1 and HHV-2).
After an initial, or primary, infection, HSV establishes latency, during which the
virus is present in the cell bodies of nerves which innervate the area of original
outbreak. During reactivation, the virus is produced in the cell and transported
outwardly via the nerve cell's axon to the skin. The ability of HSV to become latent
leads to the chronic nature of Herpes infection; after the initial infection subsides,
Herpes symptoms may periodically recur in the form of outbreaks of herpetic sores near
the site of original infection.
Herpes infections are marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or mucous
membranes (such as the mouth or lips) or on the genitals. The blisters resemble those
seen in chickenpox - an infection caused by a third member of the
alpha-Herpes viridae subfamily, Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), also known as Human Herpes
Virus 3 (HHV-3). Lesions heal with a crudescent scab, the hallmark of herpetic
disease. Herpes is contagious if the carrier is producing and releasing ("shedding")
virus. This is particularly likely during an outbreak, although individuals may shed
virus between outbreaks. Although no cure is yet available, treatments exist which
reduce the likelihood of viral shedding. An HSV infection on the lips is commonly
known as a "cold sore" or "fever blister" and should not to be confused with a canker
sore; canker sores are not caused by the HSV virus.
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Holistic
Holism is the idea that all the properties of a given system (biological, chemical,
social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by the
sum of its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an
important way how the parts behave.
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Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine that aims to treat "like with like."
Despite being widely discredited in scientific circles homeopathy has grown in popularity
in recent years.
Homeopathic remedies are extremely diluted agents. The first remedies used by homeopaths
were made from substances such as arsenic that, in undiluted doses, would have
produced similar symptoms in the healthy. The substances on which other, more
recent, remedies are based such as lac humanum (human milk), lac delphinum (dolphin milk)
and adamas (diamond), are not known to produce symptoms from the undiluted
form.
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Homeostasis
Homeostasis is the property of an open system, especially living organisms, to
regulate its internal environment to maintain a stable, constant condition, by
means of multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustments, controlled by interrelated
regulation mechanisms.
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Hormone
A hormone is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells)
to another. The function of hormones is to serve as a signal to the target cells.
The action of hormones is determined by the pattern of secretion and the signal
transduction of the receiving tissue.
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Hyperhidrosis
Primary hyperhidrosis is the condition characterized by
abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of
body temperature. Some patients afflicted with the condition experience a distinct
reduction in the quality of life. Sufferers feel at a loss of control because
perspiration takes place independent of temperature and emotional state.
However, anxiety can exacerbate the
situation for many sufferers. A common complaint of patients is that they get nervous
because they sweat, then sweat more because they are nervous. Other factors can play a
role; certain foods & drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and smells can trigger a response.
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Hypochondria
Hypochondria refers to 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 with unexplained illnesses, such as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, are accused of being hypochondriacs, simply because the medical profession
is unable to properly diagnose these illnesses.
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Hypocretin
Hypocretin's, are the common names given to a pair of highly
excitatory
neuropeptide hormones that were simultaneously discovered by two groups of
researchers in rat brains.
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Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar (glucose). When symptoms of hypoglycemia occur together with a
documented blood glucose under 45 mg/dl, and the symptoms promptly resolve with
the administration of glucose, the diagnosis of hypoglycemia can be made with some
certainty. Hypoglycemia is only significant when it is associated with symptoms.
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Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) is a complex set of direct influences
and feedback interactions between: the hypothalamus, a hollow, funnel-shaped part of
the brain; the pituitary gland, a pea-shaped structure located below the hypothalamus;
and the adrenal or suprarenal gland, a small, paired, pyramidal organ located at the top
of each kidney.
The fine, homeostatic interactions between these three organs constitute the HPA axis,
a major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and
regulates various body processes including digestion, the immune system, mood and
sexuality, and energy usage. Species from humans to the most ancient organisms
share components of the HPA axis. It is the mechanism for a set of interactions among
glands, hormones and parts of the mid-brain that mediate a general adaptation syndrome.
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Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus, also known as the "master gland," links the nervous system to the
endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is located below the
thalamus, just above the brain stem.
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Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and animals caused by insufficient
production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland.
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Hypoxemia
Hypoxemia is an abnormal deficiency in the concentration of oxygen in arterial blood.
A frequent error is made when the term is used to describe poor tissue diffusion as
in hypoxia. It is possible to have a low oxygen content (eg due to anemia) but a
high concentration of oxygen in arterial blood so incorrect use can lead to confusion.
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Immune
Protected against infection. The Latin immunis means free, exempt.
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Immune System
A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing us from everything foreign to
us, and for protecting us against infections and foreign substances. The immune system
works to seek and kill invaders.
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Immunological
A broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the
immune system in all organisms. It deals with, among other things, the
physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and
disease; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders
(autoimmune
diseases, hyper sensitivities (increased sensitivity), immune deficiency).
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Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary excretion of urine from one's body. It is
often temporary, and it almost always results from an underlying medical condition.
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Infection
The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that
lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment there from.) A person with
an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment
from the person.
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Insulin
Insulin is a polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism. Apart from being
the primary agent in carbohydrate
homeostasis, it
has effects on fat metabolism and it changes the liver's activity in storing or
releasing glucose and in processing blood lipids, and in other tissues such as fat
and muscle. The amount of insulin in circulation has extremely widespread effects
throughout the body.
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Interphalangeal
Between the phalanges, or fingers.
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Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial Cystitis is a urinary bladder disease of unknown cause characterized by
urinary frequency (as often as every 10 minutes), urgency, pressure and/or pain in
the bladder and/or pelvis.
Pain typically increases as the bladder fills and reduces after voiding however some
patients report pain with urination, often in the urethra. Patients may also
experience nocturia, pelvic floor dysfunction and tension (thus making it difficult to
start their urine stream), pain with sexual intercourse, discomfort and difficulty
driving, traveling or working. Research has determined that the quality of life of
IC patients is equivalent to end stage renal failure.
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Intravascular
Situated in, occurring in, or administered by entry into a blood vessel.
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Joint
A joint is the area where two bones are attached for the purpose of motion of body
parts. It is usually formed of fibrous connective tissue and cartilage.
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Ketoacidosis
Ketoacidosis is a type of metabolic
acidosis which is
caused by high concentrations of keto acids, formed by the
deamination of
amino acids.
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Lability
Lability refers to something that is constantly undergoing change or something that
is likely to undergo change.
In medicine, the term "labile" means susceptible to alteration or destruction. For
example, a heat-labile protein is one that can be changed or destroyed at high
temperatures. The opposite of labile in this context is "stable."
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Latent
Latent means that something is dormant and may become active in the future, as in a
latent fault.
That is, potentially existing but not presently evident; also commonly used to
describe a medical condition that is present but not active or causing symptoms.
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Lateral Epicondyle
The lateral epicondyle of the humerus is a small, tuberculated eminence, curved a
little forward, and giving attachment to the radial collateral ligament of the
elbow-joint, and to a tendon common to the origin of the Supinator and some of the
Extensor muscles.
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Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a form of chronic leukemia characterized by
increased and unregulated clonal production of predominantly myeloid cells in the
bone marrow.
CML is a myeloproliferative disease associated with a characteristic
chromosomal translocation called the Philadelphia chromosome.
Historically, it has been treated with chemotherapy, interferon and bone
marrow transplantation, although targeted therapies introduced at the beginning of
the 21st century have radically changed the management of CML.
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Levothyroxine
Levothyroxine, also known as L-thyroxine, or synthetic T4 is a synthetic form of
thyroxine (thyroid hormone). The natural hormone is chemically in the L-form, as is
the pharmaceutical agent. Dextrothyroxine (D-thyroxine) briefly saw research as
an anti cholesterol agent but was pulled due to cardiac side-effects.
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Ligament
Fibrous tissue that connects bones (or two different parts of a single bone). They
are sometimes called "articular ligaments", "fibrous ligaments", or "true ligaments".
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Liothyronine
Liothyronine sodium, also known as T3 is a thyroid hormone drug used to treat
hypothyroidism. It is a major component of the medication Cytomel.
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Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder. It may
affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs.
Normally, the immune system controls the body's defenses against infection. In SLE and
other autoimmune diseases, these defenses are turned against the body and rogue immune
cells attack tissues.
Antibodies may be produced that can react against the body's blood cells, organs,
and tissues. These lead immune cells to attack the affected systems, producing a
chronic (long-term) disease.
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Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, which is also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infection transmitted by
the bite of deer ticks carrying the spirochete (spiral-shaped bacterium)
Borrelia burgdorferi.
The disease was named for Lyme, Connecticut, the town where it was first diagnosed in
1975 after a puzzling outbreak of juvenile arthritis. The organism that causes the
disease was identified in 1982 and named for its discoverer, Willy Burgdorfer.
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Malaise
Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling,
often the first indication of an infection or other disease.
Malaise has been referred to as "the creeping crud" (especially in reference to the
malaise caused by communicable diseases such as influenza and the common cold). This
usage may have originated in folk medicine, but it is adopted from the French word
meaning "discomfort", "feeling faint", "feeling sick".
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Methocarbamol
Methocarbamol is a
central muscle relaxant for skeletal muscles, used to treat spasms.
Robaxin® is a trade name
for methocarbamol. It is structurally related to
guaifenesin.
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Migraines
Migraine headaches are caused by constrictions of your blood vessels and arteries, and
are also known as vascular headaches. Due to stress, fatigue, or illness, the blood
vessels in your head and neck begin to constrict and then dilate, causing severe
pain, nausea, dizziness, and eye pain.
A migraine headache can also move around your head, shifting from side to side. The
common migraine is usually preceded by episodes of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The
less common type of migraine is the "classic" migraine, and is always immediately preceded
by visual symptoms including double vision, blurry vision, flashing dots, bright lights,
or distorted vision. These visual symptoms are often called the migraine aura.
Sufferers of the "classic" migraine may experience these symptoms for 15 to 60
minutes immediately before a migraine. Migraine symptoms typically last about 4 hours,
though they can plague you for as long as a week. Migraines can develop also into
chronic headaches.
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Mitochondrial
In cell biology, a mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) is a membrane-enclosed
organelle, found in most eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria are sometimes described as
"cellular power plants," because they convert NADH and NADPH into energy in the form
of ATP via the process of oxidative phosphorylation.
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Mitogen
A mitogen is a chemical, usually some form of a protein, that encourages a cell to
commence cell division, triggering mitosis. Mitogens trigger signal transduction
pathways in which mitogen-activated protein kinase is involved, leading to mitosis.
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Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mitral valve prolapse is a heart valve condition marked by the displacement of an
abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole.
In its non classic form, MVP carries a low risk of complications. In severe cases of
classic MVP, complications include mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, and,
in rare circumstances, cardiac arrest usually resulting in sudden death.
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Micro vascular Disease
Micro vascular disease is a disease of any small blood vessels in the body. This
sometimes occurs when a person has had diabetes for a long time. The walls of the
vessels become abnormally thick but weak, and therefore they bleed, leak protein,
and slow the flow of blood through the body. Then some cells, for example in the
retina (diabetic retinopathy) or kidney (diabetic nephropathy), may not get enough
blood and may be damaged. Nerves are also damaged and may lead to loss of function
(diabetic neuropathy).
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Monamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Of all the antidepressant drugs, monamine oxidase inhibitors are used less often than
any others due to the serious risk of interactions they pose. They are still
regarded, however, as extremely useful for atypical cases of depression that do not
respond to other, milder forms of treatment. They are also effective in helping
cigarette smokers to kick their habit.
These drugs protect monoamine neurotransmitters from breaking down. They work on levels
of serotonin, melatonin, adrenaline, noradrenaline, phenylethylamine, and dopamine.
In addition to interacting with other prescription medications, monamine oxidase
inhibitors cause high blood pressure and can damage the liver.
MAOI's Include:
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