Glossary - E
Displaying glossary terms beginning with the letter E: 1 - 50 of 103 in total
- ear canal
- eardrum
- earwax
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A substance that lubricates the inner ear and helps protect it from dirt, damage, and infections.
- eccentric action
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When muscles move joints by lengthening.
- echocardiography
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A diagnostic tool that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to make images of the heart's size, structure and motion.Related health topics: Cardiomyopathy , Heart Failure
- eclampsia
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A serious condition related to high blood pressure that can threaten the life of a pregnant woman and her fetus.
- ectopic pregnancy
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Pregnancy in which a fertilized egg implants in an abnormal location outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. Ending the pregnancy is necessary.
- ectropion
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When an eyelid, usually the lower one, flips outward so that the inner surface is exposed.
- eczema
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A condition in which areas of the skin are dry, itchy, red, and cracked.
- edema
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Swelling caused by abnormal accumulation of fluid in tissues.
- effusion
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An abnormal buildup of fluid in a joint or tissue.
- eighth cranial nerve
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A nerve responsible transmitting sound and information about balance to the brain. Also called the auditory nerve.Related health topics: Hearing Loss in Adults
- ejaculation
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A sudden discharge of a fluid from a duct; often used to describe the expulsion of seminal fluid from the urethra of the penis during orgasm.
- ejection fraction
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The percent of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat. A normal ejection fraction is in the range of 55% to 70%.
- elastin
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A flexible, stretchy protein found in skin and connective tissue.
- electrocardiogram (EKG)
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A test that measures the electrical activity of the heart and detects heart problems.Related health topics: Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depressive Illness or Manic Depression) , Cardiomyopathy , Epilepsy, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Heart Failure, Hemorrhagic Stroke , High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), Kidney Transplant , Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) , Stroke Overview, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- electroencephalogram (EEG)
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A test that measures the electrical activity of the brain and detects problems.
- electrolysis
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A permanent hair removal technique that destroys follicles one at a time with a hair-thin needle inserted into the base of the follicle.
- electrolyte
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Minerals in the body that are electrically charged and play an important role in body processes, such as regulating fluid levels in the body. Examples include calcium and sodium.Related health topics: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- electromyography (EMG)
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A test that checks the health of muscles and the nerves that control them.Related health topics: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT)
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A high-speed imaging technology use to evaluate the heart and measure calcium deposits in arteries.
- electrophysiologic testing
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A procedure used to provoke known or suspected arrhythmias.
- elimination diets
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A way of diagnosing food allergies in which suspected foods are removed from the diet one at a time until the food causing a problem is found.
- ellagic acid
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A chemical found in certain plants, such as raspberries and strawberries, that might help protect against cancer.
- embolic stroke
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A type of stroke that occurs when a blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body breaks off and travels through the bloodstream until it blocks an artery that normally supplies blood to the brain.
- embolism
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Blockage of a blood vessel by a clot that has traveled from another part of the body.
- embolus
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A blood clot or particle that forms in one part of the body then moves through the bloodstream and lodges in a blood vessel elsewhere, blocking blood flow.Related health topics: Stroke Overview, Thromboembolism (Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism)
- emetic
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Any drug or other substance used to cause vomiting.
- EMG
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Abbreviation for electromyography?a test that checks the health of muscles and the nerves that control them.
- emission
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The discharge or release of a substance, usually a fluid.
- emmenagogue
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Herbs that stimulate menstrual blood flow.
- enamel
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The hard outside layer of tooth material.
- encephalitis
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A severe and sometimes deadly inflammation of the brain that can be caused by a number of different viruses.Related health topics: Epilepsy
- encoding
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A multistage process by which sensation, perception, or thought is transformed into neural representations that can be stored in memory.
- end-stage renal disease
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Complete, or nearly complete, kidney failure. Dialysis or a transplant is needed for survival.
- endarterectomy
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Surgical removal of plaque or blood clots in an artery.
- endemic
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Continually present among people in a geographic region.
- endocarditis
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An inflammation of the heart lining or valves, usually caused by bacterial infection.Related health topics: Hemorrhagic Stroke
- endocardium
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The inner layer of the wall of the heart.
- endogenous opioids
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Painkilling substances made by the body.
- endometrium
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The lining of the uterus.Related health topics: Fallopian Tube Cancer
- endorphins
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Substances in the body that reduce pain and create a feeling of well-being.
- endoscope
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A thin, flexible tube equipped with a light and camera that is used to see inside an organ or body cavity.Related health topics: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Pancreatic Cancer
- endoscopy
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Inserting a flexible tube equipped with a light and camera into the body to see inside a body cavity or organ.
- endothelins
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Proteins that cause blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise.
- endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF)
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Chemicals in the body that cause blood vessels to expand or relax, lowering blood pressure.
- enkephalin
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A chemical produced in the brain that reduces pain.
- enteric nervous system (ENS)
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Part of the nervous system that controls the gastrointestinal system.
- enteropathic
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Disease affecting the intestinal tract.
- enthesis