Here is a comprehensive guide on Health Vocabulary Words with Meanings! In the dynamic and ever-evolving field of health and medicine, understanding the language used by professionals is crucial for anyone keen on keeping abreast of their health, pursuing a career in the healthcare sector, or simply expanding their knowledge. This list is designed to provide you with a range of health-related terms, from the most basic to the most complex.
Whether you’re a student, a healthcare professional, or just a health enthusiast, these words list will enhance your understanding of key concepts in the health field. Let’s move towards our list, where each term is not just defined but also contextualized to give you a clearer understanding of its relevance in the world of health and wellness.
- Nutrition: Process of consuming and utilizing food for health.
- Hygiene: Practices to maintain health and prevent disease spread.
- Exercise: Physical activities to improve health and fitness.
- Wellness: Overall state of well-being; physical and mental health.
- Immunity: The body’s ability to resist or fight off infections.
- Vaccine: Substance stimulating immunity against specific diseases.
- Allergy: Immune response to normally harmless substances.
- Antibiotics: Medications that kill or inhibit bacteria.
- Diagnosis: Identification of a disease by its symptoms.
- Therapy: Treatment for illness or disability.
- Rehabilitation: Process to restore health or normal life.
- Infection: Invasion of body by disease-causing agents.
- Disease: Disorder of structure or function in a body.
- Chronic: Long-lasting or persistent condition.
- Acute: Sudden, severe, and brief health condition.
- Symptom: Sign indicating a condition or disease.
- Treatment: Medical care for illness or injury.
- Prevention: Actions to stop disease or injury from occurring.
- Recovery: Process of returning to normal health.
- Surgery: Medical procedure involving body tissue manipulation.
- Medication: Drugs used to treat or prevent diseases.
- Prescription: Doctor’s order for a specific medication.
- Over-the-counter: Medicines available without prescription.
- Dosage: Amount and frequency of medication taken.
- Side effects: Unintended reactions to medications or treatments.
- Physical therapy: Treatment to improve movement and manage pain.
- Mental health: State of psychological well-being.
- Stress: Body’s response to challenging or demanding situations.
- Anxiety: Feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease.
- Depression: Mental health disorder marked by persistent sadness.
- Insomnia: Difficulty in falling or staying asleep.
- Fatigue: Extreme tiredness, and lack of energy.
- Obesity: Excess body fat negatively affects health.
- Diabetes: Chronic condition affecting blood glucose levels.
- Hypertension: High blood pressure condition.
- Cardiovascular: Relating to the heart and blood vessels.
- Cholesterol: Fat-like substance in cells, needed but can be harmful.
- Stroke: Brain damage due to interrupted blood flow.
- Cancer: Disease with uncontrolled cell growth.
- Tumor: Abnormal mass of tissue.
- Malignant: Cancerous and potentially life-threatening.
- Benign: Non-cancerous and typically harmless.
- Radiology: Medical use of radiation for diagnosis and treatment.
- Chemotherapy: Drug treatment for cancer.
- Immunotherapy: Treatment using the body’s immune system.
- Transplant: Surgical moving of organ or tissue.
- Dialysis: Process to remove waste from blood.
- Anemia: Lack of healthy red blood cells.
- Hemoglobin: Protein in red blood cells carrying oxygen.
- Leukemia: Cancer of blood-forming tissues.
- Inflammation: Body’s response to injury or infection.
- Arthritis: Inflammation and stiffness of joints.
- Osteoporosis: Bones becoming weak and brittle.
- Fracture: Break in a bone.
- Sprain: Stretch or tear of ligaments.
- Concussion: Brain injury due to impact.
- Physiotherapy: Therapy to restore movement and function.
- Orthopedics: Branch of medicine dealing with bones.
- Dermatology: Study of skin and its diseases.
- Eczema: Skin condition causing itchiness and redness.
- Psoriasis: Chronic skin condition causing red, itchy scaly patches.
- Allergist: Specialist in diagnosing and treating allergic conditions.
- Endocrinology: Medical science focusing on hormone-related diseases and conditions.
- Gastroenterology: Study of the digestive system and its disorders.
- Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, often caused by a virus.
- Cirrhosis: Chronic liver damage leading to scarring and liver failure.
- Ulcer: Sore on the skin or mucous membrane.
- Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix, often requiring surgical removal.
- Gynecology: Medical practice focusing on female reproductive systems.
- Obstetrics: Medical specialty dealing with childbirth and pregnancy.
- Pediatrics: Medical care and treatment of children.
- Geriatrics: Health care for elderly people.
- Neurology: Study and treatment of nervous system disorders.
- Epilepsy: Neurological disorder marked by recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
- Migraine: Severe headache often accompanied by nausea and light sensitivity.
- Dementia: Group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities.
- Alzheimer’s: Progressive brain disorder causing memory loss and confusion.
- Parkinson’s: Disorder of the central nervous system affecting movement.
- Autism: Developmental disorder affecting communication and behavior.
- ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affecting focus and behavior.
- Vaccination: Injection of a weakened form of the disease to prevent it.
- Pathogen: Microorganism causing disease.
- Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms, some causing diseases.
- Virus: Microscopic agent causing diseases in living organisms.
- Fungi: Group of eukaryotic organisms, including yeasts and molds.
- Parasite: Organisms living on/in another organism, often causing harm.
- Influenza: A highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages.
- Tuberculosis: Infectious bacterial disease affecting the lungs.
- HIV/AIDS: Virus causing immune system failure, leading to AIDS.
- Malaria: Disease caused by parasites transmitted by mosquitoes.
- Dengue: Mosquito-borne viral infection causing flu-like symptoms.
- Zoonosis: Disease transmitted from animals to humans.
- Epidemiology: Study of disease distribution and patterns in populations.
- Biopsy: Removal of tissue sample for diagnostic examination.
- Ultrasound: Imaging method using sound waves to capture body images.
- MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a technique for detailed body images.
- CT scan: Cross-sectional images of the body using X-rays.
- X-ray: Imaging technique using X-rays to view internal structures.
- Blood pressure: Force of blood against artery walls.
- Pulse: Heartbeat rate felt through walls of arteries.
- Anesthesia: Drugs causing loss of sensation or consciousness.
- Antibody: Protein produced by the body to fight infection.
- Antigen: Substance that induces an immune response.
- Asthma: Respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi.
- Bacteriology: Study of bacteria.
- Biomedicine: Branch of medical science applying biological principles.
- Cardiology: Medical specialty dealing with heart disorders.
- Cataract: Clouding of the eye’s lens, impairing vision.
- Chiropractic: Treating mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
- Clinical trial: Research studies performed on people for medical evaluation.
- Contagious: Able to be transmitted from one person to another.
- Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin.
- Detoxification: Removing toxic substances from a body.
- Diagnose: Identify the nature of an illness.
- Dietitian: Expert in dietetics; nutrition and the regulation of diet.
- Disinfectant: Chemical used to destroy bacteria.
- DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, carrier of genetic information.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): Recording the heart’s electrical activity.
- Endoscopy: Examination of interior organs using an endoscope.
- Epidemic: Widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community.
- Fertility: Ability to conceive children or reproduce.
- Fibrosis: Thickening or scarring of connective tissue.
- Gastrointestinal: Relating to the stomach and intestines.
- Genetics: Study of genes and heredity.
- Gerontology: Study of aging and elderly.
- Glucose: Simple sugar; primary energy source.
- Hematology: Study of blood and its disorders.
- Homeopathy: Alternative medicine using natural substances.
- Hormone: Chemical messenger in the body.
- Hydration: Process of providing adequate water/fluids.
- Hypoglycemia: Abnormally low blood sugar levels.
- Immune system: Body’s defense against infections.
- Incubation: Period between infection and symptom onset.
- Inflammatory: Relating to or causing inflammation.
- Intravenous: Within or by way of veins.
- Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin, whites of eyes.
- Lactation: Production of milk in mammals.
- Lesion: Abnormal tissue change due to disease/injury.
- Lipid: Fatty compounds, including fats and oils.
- Mammogram: X-ray image of the breast.
- Metabolism: Chemical processes maintaining a living state.
- Microbiology: Study of microscopic organisms.
- Naturopathy: Alternative medicine emphasizing natural remedies.
- Neonatology: Care and treatment of newborns.
- Nephrology: Study of kidney function and diseases.
- Neurosurgery: Surgical treatment of nervous system disorders.
- Oncology: Study and treatment of tumors/cancer.
- Ophthalmology: Medical study of eyes and vision.
- Optometry: Healthcare profession for eye and vision.
- Organism: Individual living entity.
- Orthodontics: Dental specialty for correcting teeth alignment.
- Osteoarthritis: Degenerative joint disease.
- Otolaryngology: Study of ear, nose, and throat disorders.
- Palliative care: Care reducing the severity of disease symptoms.
- Pathology: Study of disease causes and effects.
- Pediatrician: Doctor specializing in children’s medicine.
- Pharmacology: Science of drugs and their effects.
- Physiatry: Rehabilitation and physical medicine specialty.
- Plaque: Deposit on teeth or artery walls.
- Podiatry: Medical care of feet.
- Prognosis: Forecast of disease outcome.
- Prosthetics: Artificial body part replacement.
- Psychiatry: Medicine treating mental illness.
- Pulmonology: Study of lung diseases.
- Remission: Reduction or disappearance of disease symptoms.
- Renal: Relating to the kidneys.
- Respiration: Process of inhaling and exhaling.
- Rheumatology: Study of rheumatic diseases.
- Sanitation: Maintaining clean, hygienic conditions.
- Scoliosis: Abnormal lateral curvature of the spine.
- Sepsis: Body’s severe response to infection.
- Serology: Study of blood serum.
- Spasm: Sudden muscle contraction.
- Spirometry: Test measuring lung function.
- Sterilization: Process of making something free from bacteria.
- Stethoscope: Tool for listening to internal body sounds.
- Stomatology: Study of mouth and its diseases.
- Stress test: Test measuring the heart’s response to stress.
- Substance abuse: Overindulgence in or dependence on addictive substances.
- Suture: Stitching of wound.
- Tachycardia: Abnormally fast heart rate.
- Toxicology: Study of poisons and their effects.
- Transfusion: Transfer of blood or blood components.
- Trauma: Physical injury or wound.
- Ulcerative colitis: Chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
- Urology: Study of urinary tract diseases.
- Vaccinology: Study of vaccines.
- Vascular: Relating to blood vessels.
- Virology: Study of viruses.
- Vitamins: Organic compounds essential for the body.
- Yeast infection: Infection caused by yeast overgrowth.
- Yoga: Physical, mental, and spiritual practices.
- Zoonotic: Disease transmitted from animals to humans.
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