Dehydration (Adults) Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

Anticipation: The progressively earlier appearance and increased severity of a disease fro...

Bicarbonate: In medicine, bicarbonate usually refers to bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarb...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Creatinine: A chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Dry mouth: The condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet. This is due to...

Dry skin: Abnormally dry skin. Can be caused by a dry climate, winter weather, deficiency...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Glucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Heat index: The temperature the body feels when heat and humidity are combined. The body d...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Jaw: The movable junction of the bones below the mouth (the mandible) and the bone just ab...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Lightheadedness: A feeling you are "going to faint." Lightheadedness is medically distinc...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Median: The middle, as in the median strip in a highway. For example, the median nerve is ...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Ounce: A measure of weight equal to 1/16^th of a pound or, metrically, 28.35 gra...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for p...

Pound: A measure of weight that is equal to 16 ounces or, metrically, 453.6 grams. Abbrevi...

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continui...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Sweat: A colorless transparent acidic fluid with a distinctive odor secreted by the small ...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Tired: A feeling of a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment,...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Urinalysis: A test that is done in order to analyze urine. Because toxins and excess fluid...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

USDA: US Department of Agriculture.

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...