Diagnosing Erectile Dysfunction Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

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

Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Consultant: An individual to whom one refers for expert advice or services. The use of con...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

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

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Ejaculation: Ejection of sperm and seminal fluid during an orgasm in a male.

Erectile dysfunction: A consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual ...

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

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

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Impotence: A common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustai...

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

Indication: 1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or proce...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep due to a number ...

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

Kidney stone: A stone in the kidney or a stone that originates in the kidney but has passe...

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

Laparoscopy: A type of surgery in which small incisions are made in the abdominal wall thr...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Libido: 1. Sexual drive. 2. In psychoanalysis, the psychic energy from all ...

Luteinizing hormone: A gonadotropin (a hormone that affects the function of the sex organs...

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Oncology: The field of medicine that is devoted to cancer. Clinical oncology consists of t...

Organic: 1. A chemical compound that contains carbon.
2. Related to a...

Orgasm: A series of muscle contractions in the genital region that is accompanied by sudde...

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the fe...

Penile: Of or pertaining to the penis.

Penis: The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Probe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e...

Prolactin: A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates lactation (milk produ...

Prostaglandin: One of a number of hormone-like substances that participate in a wide range...

Prostate: A gland within the male reproductive system that is located just below the blad...

Prostate specific antigen: Widely known as PSA. See: PSA.

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

PSA: Prostate specific antigen. A test for PSA may be used to screen for cancer of the p...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells, stopping them from ...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Sensory: Relating to sensation, to the perception of a stimulus, to the voyage made by inc...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Smooth muscle: Along with skeletal and cardiac muscle, one of the types of muscle tissue i...

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...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

Testicles: The testicles (also called testes or gonads) are the male sex glands. They are ...

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages th...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Triglycerides: The major form of fat stored by the body. A triglyceride consists of three ...

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

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

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...