Medical Terms Glossary: 50 Essential Healthcare Terms

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Medical Terms Glossary: 50 Essential Healthcare Terms

  1. Acute: A condition that develops suddenly and is usually severe but brief.
  2. Anesthesia: Loss of sensation, especially of pain, induced by drugs to allow medical procedures.
  3. Benign: Not cancerous; a condition that does not pose a serious health risk.
  4. Biopsy: Removal and examination of tissue for diagnostic purposes.
  5. Carcinoma: A type of cancer that begins in the skin or tissues that line organs.
  6. Chronic: A condition persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
  7. Diagnosis: The identification of a disease or condition through examination.
  8. Edema: Swelling caused by excess fluid in body tissues.
  9. Epidemiology: The study of how diseases spread and affect populations.
  10. Fracture: A break in a bone.
  11. Gastrointestinal: Relating to the stomach and intestines.
  12. Hemoglobin: The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
  13. Hypertension: High blood pressure.
  14. Immunization: The process of making a person immune to a disease.
  15. Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes due to liver problems.
  16. Lesion: An area of damaged tissue.
  17. Malignant: Cancerous; capable of spreading to other parts of the body.
  18. Nausea: The sensation of needing to vomit.
  19. Oncology: The study and treatment of cancer.
  20. Pathogen: A microorganism that causes disease.
  21. Prognosis: The likely outcome or course of a disease.
  22. Remission: Temporary or permanent decrease of disease symptoms.
  23. Sepsis: A serious infection affecting the whole body.
  24. Tachycardia: Abnormally rapid heart rate.
  25. Ulcer: An open sore on the skin or internal surface.
  26. Vaccination: Introduction of a vaccine to produce immunity.
  27. Xerosis: Abnormal dryness of the skin or mucous membranes.
  28. Zoonosis: A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
  29. Arrhythmia: Irregular heartbeat.
  30. Bronchitis: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
  31. Cyst: A closed sac containing fluid or semi-solid material.
  32. Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing.
  33. Embolism: A blockage in a blood vessel.
  34. Fibromyalgia: Chronic muscle pain and fatigue.
  35. Gallstone: A solid mass formed in the gallbladder.
  36. Hemorrhage: Heavy bleeding.
  37. Inflammation: Body’s response to injury or infection, causing redness and swelling.
  38. Kyphosis: Excessive outward curvature of the spine.
  39. Lymphoma: Cancer of the lymphatic system.
  40. Melanoma: A serious type of skin cancer.
  41. Neuralgia: Sharp pain along a nerve pathway.
  42. Osteoporosis: Loss of bone density.
  43. Pneumonia: Infection causing inflammation of the lungs.
  44. Rhinitis: Inflammation of the nasal passages.
  45. Scoliosis: Abnormal lateral curvature of the spine.
  46. Thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.
  47. Urticaria: Hives; itchy, raised welts on the skin.
  48. Vertigo: A sensation of spinning or dizziness.
  49. Wheezing: Breathing with a whistling or rattling sound.

  50. Xerostomia: Dry mouth due to reduced saliva production.