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rabies
An infectious viral
disease primarily affecting animals; can be transmitted to humans
through an infected animal's bite; if untreated, can result in paralysis and death.
radial
keratotomy
A surgical procedure for
correcting nearsightedness in which tiny cuts are made in the cornea to change its shape and
focusing properties.
radiation
A variety of types of
energy, such as X-rays and ultraviolet.
radiation therapy
Treatment of a disease,
such as cancer, using forms of radioactivity
that damage or destroy abnormal cells.
radical
surgery
Treatment of disease by
surgically removing all tissue that is or may be affected.
radiculopathy
Any disease of the nerve roots; can be caused by disk prolapse, arthritis, and other problems.
radioallergosorbent test
A blood test performed to
help determine the cause of an allergy by detecting the presence of antibodies to various allergens.
radiography
The formation of images of
the inside of the body using radiation projected through the body and
onto film; a radiograph is also called an X-ray.
radionuclide scanning
An imaging technique in
which a radioactive substance is introduced into the body and its
emitted radiation is detected; specific organs can be studied according
to the amount of the radioactive substance that they absorb.
radius
One of the two long bones
of the forearm, located on the thumb side of the arm.
radon
A colorless, odorless,
tasteless radioactive gas that is produced by materials in soil, rocks,
and building materials; suspected of causing cancer.
rales
Abnormal crackling or
bubbling sounds heard in the lungs during breathing.
rash
An area of inflammation or a group of spots
on the skin.
raynaud's
disease
A condition in which the
fingers and toes become pale when exposed to cold or emotional stress,
owing to sudden narrowing of the arteries
that supply them with blood.
receptor
A nerve cell that responds
to a stimulus and produces a nerve impulse; also refers to the area on
the surface of a cell that a chemical must bind to in order to have its
effect.
recessive
gene
A gene
that does not produce its effect when it occurs with a dominant gene, but produces its
effect only when there are two copies of it.
reconstructive surgery
Surgery to rebuild part of
the body that has been damaged or defective from birth.
rectal
prolapse
Bulging of the lining of
the rectum through the anus, usually due to straining during a
bowel movement.
rectum
A short tube located at
the end of the large intestine, which
connects the intestine to the anus.
red
blood cell
A doughnut-shaped blood
cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
reduction of fracture
The realignment of the
broken ends of a bone.
referred
pain
Pain felt in a part of the
body remote from the site where pain originates.
reflex
An automatic, involuntary
response of the nervous system to a stimulus.
reflux esophagitis
The backflow of gastric acid from the stomach to
the lower esophagus, owing to a
defect in the valve that separates them.
regurgitation
The backflow of fluid; can
refer to food and drink flowing back up from the stomach into the mouth
or blood flowing back into the heart through a defective heart valve.
rehabilitation
Treatment for an injury or
illness aimed at restoring physical abilities.
rehydration
Treatment for dehydration
(an abnormally low level of water in the body) in which levels are
restored by taking fluids containing water, salt, and glucose by mouth
or, if severe, through a vein.
reiter's
syndrome
A disorder characterized
by inflammation of the
joints, urethra, and sometimes the
conjunctiva.
relapse
The return of a disease or
symptom after it had disappeared.
remission
The temporary
disappearance of a disease or its symptoms, either partially or
completely; also refers to the time period in which this occurs.
REM
sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep;
the stage of sleep in which dreaming occurs.
renal cell carcinoma
The most common type of
kidney cancer.
renal
colic
Severe pain on one side of
the lower back, usually as a result of a kidney stone.
renal tubular acidosis
Inability of the kidneys to remove sufficient amounts
of acid from the body, making the blood more acidic than normal.
renin
An enzyme that plays a role in increasing
a low blood pressure.
repetitive strain injury
An injury that occurs when
the same movement is repeated continuously.
reproductive
system
The organs and structures
that allow men and women to have sexual intercourse and produce
children.
resection
Partial or complete
surgical removal of a diseased organ or structure.
respiration
The process by which oxygen
is taken in and used by tissues in the body and carbon dioxide is
released.
respirator
Another term for a ventilator.
respiratory arrest
A condition in which a
person suddenly stops breathing.
respiratory distress syndrome
A condition experienced
after an illness or injury damages the lungs, causing severe breathing
difficulty and resulting in a life-threatening lack of oxygen in the blood.
respiratory failure
The failure of the body to
exchange gases properly, which leads to a buildup of carbon dioxide and a lack of oxygen in the blood.
respiratory system
The organs that carry out
the process of respiration.
resting
pulse
The pulse
rate when a person is not experiencing any physical activity or mental
stress.
reticulocyte
An immature red blood cell.
retina
A membrane lining the
inside of the back of the eye that contains light-sensitive nerve
cells that convert focused light into nerve impulses, making vision
possible.
retinal artery occlusion
Obstruction of an artery that supplies blood to the retina, resulting in some degree of temporary or
permanent blindness.
retinitis pigmentosa
Gradual loss of the field
of vision, owing to a degeneration of the light-sensitive nerve cells of
the retina.
retinoblastoma
A hereditary, cancerous tumor of the retina
affecting infants and children.
retinoid
A substance resembling
vitamin A that is used to treat skin conditions such as acne and has been reported to reduce
skin wrinkling.
retinopathy
Any disease or disorder of
the retina; usually refers to damage to the retina caused
by high blood pressure or diabetes
mellitus.
retinoscopy
A method of determining
focusing errors of the eye in which light is shined through the pupil and the reflected beam is
measured.
retroviruses
A group of viruses that
are made up of RNA instead of DNA,
including HIV and the virus that causes T-cell leukemia.
reye's syndrome
A rare disorder mainly
affecting those under the age of 15 that is characterized by brain and
liver damage following a viral infection
such as chickenpox or the flu; may be linked to taking aspirin to treat
a viral infection.
rh blood group
A blood group classifying
whether the substances called Rhesus (Rh) factors are present on the
surface of red blood cells; the "positive" or
"negative" designation in blood classification (for example,
"O negative").
rheumatic fever
A disorder that follows a
throat infection by the streptococcus
bacteria and causes inflammation
in body tissues.
rheumatoid arthritis
A condition in which
joints in the body become inflamed, stiff, painful, and sometimes
deformed because of the body's own immune system attacking the
tissues.
rheumatoid factors
Antibodies that are present in about
80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis; their detection through blood
testing can help to diagnose the disorder.
rh
immunoglobulin
A substance used to
prevent a woman who is Rh incompatible
with her fetus from becoming Rh sensitized.
rh incompatibility
A condition in which a
pregnant woman's Rh factor does not match that of the fetus; can lead to the production of antibodies by the mother that
destroy the fetus' red blood cells.
rhinitis
Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the
nose, which can cause sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and pain; when
caused by substances in the air, it is called allergic rhinitis or hay
fever.
rhinophyma
A bulb-shaped deformity
and redness of the nose as a result of severe rosacea.
rhinoplasty
Surgery that changes the
structure of the nose, either to improve appearance or to correct a
deformity or injury.
Rh
sensitized
A condition in which a
woman who has a negative Rh factor
develops permanent antibodies
against Rh-positive blood as a result of exposure to the blood of her
fetus; can cause fetal hemolysis
in subsequent pregnancies.
rhythm
method
A method of preventing
pregnancy in which a couple does not have sexual intercourse during the
days of the menstrual cycle during which fertilization can occur.
riboflavin
A vitamin belonging to the vitamin B
complex that is important in many processes in the body and helps to
maintain healthy skin.
rickets
A childhood disease in
which bones lack calcium and are deformed as a result
of vitamin D deficiency (vitamin
D helps the body absorb calcium).
rigor
mortis
The stiffness that occurs
in the body after death.
ringworm
A skin infection
caused by a fungus that spreads out
in an even circle, characterized by ring-like, scaly patches of red
skin.
Rinne's
test
A test that uses a tuning
fork to diagnose hearing loss resulting from poor conduction of sound
from the outer to the inner ear.
RNA
Ribonucleic acid, which
helps to decode and process the information contained in DNA.
rocky mountain spotted fever
A rare disease transmitted
to humans through the bites of ticks; characterized by small pink spots
on the wrists and ankles that spread to other parts of the body, become
larger, and bleed.
rosacea
A skin disorder that is
characterized by patches of red skin on the nose and cheeks and
acne-like bumps; most commonly occurs in middle-aged women.
roseola infantum
A common disease in young
children characterized by a sudden fever and rash.
rotator
cuff
A structure made up of
four muscle tendons that reinforces
the shoulder joint.
roundworm
A group of worms that
includes many of the major human parasites.
rubella
A mild viral infection
(also known as German measles) that produces a rash and fever; dangerous
when it infects a woman during the early stages of pregnancy, when it
can spread causing birth defects in the fetus.
rubeola
Another term for measles.
rupture
A tear or break in an
organ or tissue.
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