Lice Glossary of Terms

1. Childhood Skin Problems Slideshow
2. Childhood Illnesses You Should Know Slideshow
3. Slideshow: Cold and Flu - Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Allergic reaction: The hypersensitive response of the immune system of an allergic indiv...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

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

Asymptomatic: Without symptoms. For example, an asymptomatic infection is an infection wit...

Axillary: Pertaining to the armpit, the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and the bod...

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

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Crabs: Slang for pubic lice, parasitic insects that can infest in the genital area of huma...

Dandruff: A scalp condition that produces white flakes that may be shed and fall from the ...

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

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

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

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

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

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Head lice: Pediculus humanus capitis, parasitic insects found on the heads of people. Hea...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Impetigo: A skin infection caused by the staphylococcus or, less often, by the streptococc...

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

Insecticide: A chemical used specifically to kill or control the growth of insects. Certa...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Lindane: An organochlorine pesticide and nerve poison. Also a suspected carcinogen (cancer...

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

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

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

Nit: Nits are lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused with dandruff or hair...

Nurse: 1) A person trained, licensed, or skilled in nursing. 2) To feed an infant at the ...

Nymph: A stage in the life cycle of certain arthropods, such as ticks and lice. The nymph ...

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

Parasite: A plant or an animal organism that lives in or on another and takes its nourishm...

Parasitic: Having to do with a parasite, as in a parasitic infection; or acting like a par...

Pediculosis: Infested with lice. See also: Head lice; Pubic lice.

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

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

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...

Pubic lice: Parasitic insects found in the genital area of humans. Pubic lice are usually ...

Pubis: The front center portion of the pelvis.

Public health: The approach to medicine that is concerned with the health of the community...

Ragweed: Any of several weedy composite herbs that produce a pollen to which many people a...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recur: To occur again; to return. For example, a symptom, sign, or disease can recur.

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Relapsing fever: An acute infection with recurrent episodes of fever caused by spirochetes...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

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

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Trench fever: A disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of...

Typhus: One of a group of acute infections caused by rickettsiae, transmitted by arthropod...