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Illness & Disability

Medical terms

All those new, confusing words could be enough to drive you crazy. It can really be tough to hear your doctors say things you don’t understand. This is especially true if they are in a hurry and don’t have time to explain things to you right away. To help make you more comfortable, use the links below to get to the definitions. You’ll be an expert in "doctor speak" in no time!

Here are some medical words in alphabetical order that you might be hearing:

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AIDS (say: ayds) = This disease hurts the immune system, the body’s way of protecting itself, so that it becomes easy to get dangerous infections and cancers. It is caused by the HIV infection.

Albinism (say: al-byn-is-em) = A group of conditions that cause a problem with your body’s ability to make melanin, which is the pigment (color) of your skin, hair and eyes. This can make the skin and hair look very white.

Allergies (say: al-ur-jee) = When someone has an allergic reaction to something, the body’s protective immune system gives off a much bigger response than it normally would. The result is to have a reaction, such as sneezing or trouble breathing, to things that are usually not harmful, such as certain foods or animals.

Analgesics (say: ah-nuhl-jee-zicks) = Analgesics are meant to relieve pain. These pain relievers don't get rid of what causes your pain, they block the nerve pathways that send pain signals from the body part to the brain so that you don't hurt as much.

Anemia (say: uh-nee-mee-uh) = When there are less red blood cells in the blood, it can cause health problems. This is measured by a decrease in what is called hemoglobin, which makes blood red in color and moves oxygen through the body. There are many different types of anemia.

Anorexia nervosa (say: an-or-eck-see-ah nur-vo-sah) = An eating disorder causes people to refuse to stay at a healthy body weight by not eating. People with anorexia have a fear of gaining weight and a picture of what their body looks like in their mind that is not what it really is.

Antibiotic (say: an-ty-by-ah-tiks ) = Antibiotics fight bacterial infections by killing bacteria or stopping it from growing. Antibiotics can help your body's immune system fight off infections. If you have ever had strep throat, your doctor probably gave you an antibiotic to take.

Antibodies (say: an-ty-bod-ees) = Proteins produced by white blood cells to fight bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances.

Arteries (say: ar-tuh-reez) = Thick-walled blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

Attention Deficit Disorder (say: adhd) = A behavioral condition that makes it hard for people to pay attention and concentrate.

Asthma (say: az-muh) = When your airways are inflamed, causing you to wheeze, feel shortness of breath, cough and feel a tightness in your chest.

Autism (say: ah-tiz-em) = A disorder in the brain that affects both verbal and nonverbal communication (speaking and non-speaking) skills.

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Bone marrow (say: bone mair-oh) = Soft tissue found inside bones from which blood cells are produced and released into the bloodstream.

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Cancer (say: kan-ser) = When cells that are not normal develop and multiply. There are at least 200 different kinds of cancers, which can grow in almost any organ.

Capillaries (say: kap-il-air-eez) = Tiny blood vessels that branch through body tissues to deliver oxygen and nutrients and carry away waste products.

Carbon dioxide (say: kar-bun dy-ocks-ide) = A body waste product that is a colorless gas.

Celiac disease (say: see-lee-ack diz-eez) = When the small intestine is hurt from eating gluten and other substances like it. Glutens are found in wheat, rye, oats, barley and other grains.

Cerebral Palsy (say: se-reeb-rul pahl-zee) = When injuries to the brain cause damage to the nerves and loss of movement. The injuries happen while a baby is growing in the womb or near the time the baby is born.

Chemotherapy (say: key-mo-ther-uh-pee) = Chemotherapy is often known as chemo, a term used for medicines to treat cancer. Cancer happens when cells in the body develop wrong and grow in an uncontrolled way. Since cancer cells tend to divide very fast, chemotherapy works by getting in the way of these cells dividing and trying to stop the cancer from spreading. Sometimes chemo can cure the disease by helping to get rid of all the cancer cells in the body.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (say: kron-ick fah-teeg) = A very severe and long-term feeling of weakness and being tired, even after getting rest.

Circulatory system (say: sur-kue-la-tor-ee sis-tem) = The heart, the blood, and the system of blood vessels that moves blood through the body.

Cleft lip and palate (say: kleft lip and pal-it) = Abnormal growth of the lip and or roof of the mouth that happens before a baby is born. This can affect the way the lip looks, and also cause problems feeding as an infant and learning to speak.

Clotting (say: klod-ing) = When the body forms a plug to seal damaged blood vessels and stop bleeding.

Cystic Fibrosis (say: sis-tick fy-broh-sis) = A disease that causes both breathing and digesting problems. Cystic fibrosis runs in the family.

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Diabetes (say: dy-uh-bee-teez) = When there is too much sugar in your blood. It can be caused by having not enough of the chemical that monitors blood sugar, called insulin, or by having a resistance in your body to insulin.

Down Syndrome (say: down sin-drohm) = When an extra copy of a chromosome is present when a baby develops. A chromosome holds a cell’s genetic information for a person.

Drug dependence (say: drug dee-pend-ins) = An addiction to drugs, or the inability to stop using harmful substances despite the harmful problems they cause.

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Endorphins (say: ehn-door-finz) = Hormones which are natural body chemicals. Endorphins can help control stress and improve your mood.

Epilepsy (say: ep-il-ep-see) = A brain disorder that causes seizures, which are uncontrollable body movements.

Erythrocytes (say: er-ith-roh-syts) = Red blood cells.

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Granulocytes (say: gran-you-lo-syts) = White blood cells that are very important in helping the body prevent and fight infections caused by bacteria.

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Hemoglobin (say: heem-oh-glo-bin) = Substance containing iron found in red blood cells, which helps the blood carry and deliver oxygen to body tissues.

Hemophilia (say: heem-o-feel-ee-ah) = A disease that makes it difficult for the blood to clot, which is how the blood sticks together to stop flowing. Without clots, a simple cut can cause someone to lose a dangerous amount of blood. This disease affects mostly boys.

Herbal supplements (say: er-bul sup-le-ments) = Herbal supplements are different types of medicines that come in a variety forms, such as teas, vitamin pills, or creams. There has not been a lot of research done on herbal supplements to really know how well they work or how safe they are, so it is important that you ask your doctor before taking anything that he or she has not given you.

HIV (say: hiv) = The immunodeficiency virus destroys the immune system, which protects the body. This makes it hard to fight infections. People who have HIV may not have any symptoms for up to 10 years, but they can give it to others through unprotected sex and sharing drug needles. HIV leads to full-blown AIDS.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (say: hodj-kinds limf-ohma) = A type of cancer that affects the tissue found in lymph nodes (glands that protect the fluids in your body), the spleen, the liver, and bone marrow.

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Immunizations (say: im-you-niz-a-shuns) = Immunizations keep people from getting sick by immunizing, or protecting, the body against certain infectious diseases. Vaccines contain parts of infectious organisms or whole germs that have been changed or killed. A vaccine gets the body's immune system ready to fight off infection by that germ. Most immunizations that prevent you from catching diseases like measles, whooping cough, and chicken pox are given by a shot.

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Leukocytes (say: loo-ko-syts) = White blood cells.

Lupus (say: loo-pus) = One of the diseases that causes the immune system, which normally protects the body, to actually attack it. Lupus can cause problems with the skin, joints and organs on the inside of the body.

Lymphocytes (say: limf-oh-syts) = White blood cells that produce antibodies.

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Meningitis (say: men-in-jyt-is) = A dangerous infection that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Muscular Dystrophy (say: mus-kew-lar dis-trof-ee) = A group of disorders that causes muscles to be weak and causes loss of muscle tissue.

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Over-the-Counter = Over-the-counter medicines are medicines you can buy at a pharmacy or store with out a prescription, or an order from your doctor. Examples include cold medicine, medicines for stomach pain, or pain relievers.

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Plasma (say: plaz-muh) = The liquid part of blood, which contains nutrients, proteins, minerals and dissolved waste products.

Platelets (say: playt-lats) = Small cells floating in the blood that play a key role in blood clotting.

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Red blood cells (say: red blud sels) = Small, hemoglobin-filled blood cells that carry oxygen to the body's tissues.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (say: roo-muh-toyd arth-rytis) = A painful disease that causes joints, tissues, and sometimes other parts of your body, to swell.

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Scoliosis (say: sko-lee-oh-sis) = When the spine curves either away from the middle of the body or to the side.

Sickle Cell Anemia (say: sik-ul sell uh-nee-mee-uh) = A problem with red blood cells that causes painful blood clots and damage to tissues and organs throughout the body.

Spina Bifida (say: spyna bif-id-uh) = A birth defect that stops the bones of the spine from finishing forming right. It can cause legs to be paralyzed (unable to move) and cause loss of control over the bladder.

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Thrombocytes (say: throm-boh-syts) = Platelets, which are in your blood.

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Urinary Tract Infection (say: yoor-in-ar-ee trakt in-feck-shun) = An infection that happens in the bladder or tube leading to the bladder. It is usually caused by a type of bacteria.

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Veins (say: vayns) = Thin-walled blood vessels that receive blood from capillaries and return it to the heart.

Vitamins (say: vy-ta-mins) = Vitamins and minerals are drugs that replace or fix low levels of important natural substances in your body. You get vitamins and minerals from food. Some types of food have more of these good substances than others. If you need extra vitamins and minerals, you may have to take pills that have them.

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White blood cells (say: white blud sels) = Blood cells that are involved in fighting infection and helping to heal wounds.

For more definitions, see our general glossary for girls.

Content last updated June 2, 2007

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