Raynaud Phenomenon Glossary of Terms

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis Slideshow
2. Take the Lupus Quiz
3. Multiple Sclerosis Slideshow

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Alternative medicine: Healing arts not taught in traditional Western medical schools that ...

Amputation: Removal of part or all of a body part that is enclosed by skin. Amputation can...

Angina: Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The pain is ...

Angiography: A procedure performed to view blood vessels after injecting them with a radio...

Angiotensin: A family of peptides that constrict blood vessels. Narrowing the diameter of ...

Angiotensin converting enzyme: Usually abbreviated ACE.

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

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Atherosclerosis: A process of progressive thickening and hardening of the walls of medium-...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients' physiologic in...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Blood clots: Blood that has been converted from a liquid to a solid state. Also called a t...

Calcinosis: An abnormal deposit of calcium salts in body tissues. Examples include the cal...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compression and irritation of the median nerve as it passes under ...

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

Chloride: The major anion (negatively charged substance) in the blood and extracellular fl...

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

Collagen: The principal protein of the skin, tendons, cartilage, bone, and connective tiss...

Common cold: A contagious viral upper respiratory tract infection. The common cold can be ...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Connective tissue disease: A disease (autoimmune or otherwise) that attacks the collagen o...

CREST syndrome: A limited form of scleroderma, a disease of connective tissue that involve...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

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 ...

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

Distal: The more (or most) distant of two (or more) things. For example, the distal end of...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

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

Ergot: A fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that contaminates rye and wheat and that produces sub...

Esophageal: Related to the esophagus.

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Frostbite: Damage to tissues from freezing due to the formation of ice crystals within cel...

Gangrene: Tissue death due to loss of adequate blood supply. Sometimes bacteria invade suc...

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

Hypothyroid: Deficiency of thyroid hormone which is normally made by the thyroid gland wh...

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

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

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Intervertebral disk: A pad of cartilage between two vertebrae that acts as a shock absorbe...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

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

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

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

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

Migraine: Usually, periodic attacks of headaches on one or both sides of the head. These ...

Mixed connective tissue disease: A mixture of three diseases of connective tissue (the fra...

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

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

Necrotic: Dead. For example, necrotic tissue is dead tissue.

Nicotine: An alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produc...

Nitric oxide: A compound that is toxic but which, paradoxically, plays a number of importa...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Outlet: The exit or opening. The means by which something escapes.

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

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

Palm: The grasping side of the hand; the flexor surface of the hand. In contrast to the ba...

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

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

Polycythemia: Too many red blood cells. The opposite of anemia. polycythemia formally exis...

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...

Raynaud's disease: A condition that results in discoloration of the skin on the fingers an...

Raynaud's phenomenon: A condition resulting in discoloration of fingers and/or toes when a...

Receptor: 1. In cell biology, a structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cel...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Rheumatoid factor: An antibody that is measurable in the blood and is used to diagnose rhe...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Sclerodactyly: Localized thickening and tightness of the skin of the fingers or toes. Scle...

Scleroderma: A disease of connective tissue that causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to form in ...

Sclerosis: Localized hardening of skin. Sclerosis is generally caused by underlying diseas...

Serotonin: A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Sero...

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

Shoulder: A structure made up of two main bones: the scapula (shoulder blade) and the hume...

Skin color: The color of skin which is complexly determined. Skin color depends on many fa...

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

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

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

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

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

Sympathetic nervous system: A part of the nervous system that serves to accelerate the hea...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

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

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

Thoracic: Pertaining to the chest. For example, the thoracic aorta is the part of the aort...

Thoracic outlet syndrome: A condition that is due to compromise of blood vessels or nerve ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Ulceration: The process or fact of being eroded away, as by an ulcer.

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

Vasculitis: A general term for a group of uncommon diseases that feature inflammation of t...

Vasodilation: Widening of blood vessels that results from relaxation of the muscular walls...

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

Vinyl chloride: A substance used in manufacturing plastics that is known to be toxic and c...

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