Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Glossary of Terms

1. Dehydration Slideshow: Symptoms, Tips to Stay Hydrated
2. Summer Skin Hazards Slideshow Pictures
3. Sun-Damaged Skin Slideshow Pictures

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.

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

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...

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

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

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Circulation: In medicine, the movement of fluid through the body in a regular or circuitou...

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

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

Delirium: A sudden state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function, sometime...

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

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

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

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

ECG: Electrocardiogram.

Electrocardiogram: A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG an...

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

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

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

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

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

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

Heat exhaustion: A warning that the body is getting too hot. The person may be thirsty, gi...

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

Heat stroke: A core body temperature that rises above 104 F (40 C) accompanied by hot, dr...

Heat-related illness: A person with symptoms including headache, nausea, and fatigue after...

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

Hyperventilation: Overbreathing. Hyperventilation causes dizziness, lightheadedness, a sen...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Overweight: The term "overweight" is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way ...

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

Predispose: To make more likely or render susceptible. Smoking predisposes to a number of ...

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

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

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

Radiologic: Having to do with radiology.

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

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

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...

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