Sunburn (Sun Poisoning) Glossary of Terms

1. Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
2. Quiz: Can You Identify These Skin Conditions?
3. Gallery of Skin Problems and Images Collection

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

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

Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environ...

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

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Basal cell carcinoma: The most common type of skin cancer, which commonly presents as a so...

Blister: A collection of fluid underneath the top layer of skin (epidermis). There are man...

Bumps: The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured b...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs. Ex...

Cataract: A clouding or loss of transparency of the lens in the eye as a result of tissu...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

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

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

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Cortisone: A naturally occurring adrenocorticoid hormone that is produced in minute amount...

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

Dermatology: 1. The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and...

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 ...

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

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...

Erythema: Redness of the skin that results from capillary congestion. Erythema can occur w...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

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

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

Herpes: A family of viruses. Herpes also refers to infection with one of the human herpesv...

Hives: A raised, itchy area of skin that may be a sign of an allergic reaction. It can be ...

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

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

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

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

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

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

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

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

Malignant: 1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant ...

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

Melanoma: The most dangerous form of skin cancer, a malignancy of the melanocyte, the cell...

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

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

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

Pigment: A substance that gives color to tissue. Pigments are responsible for the colors o...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Porphyria: One of a variety of hereditary diseases that are characterized by abnormalities...

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

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

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

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

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

SPF (sun protection factor): A number on a scale for rating the degree of protection prov...

Squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer that begins in squamous cells -- thin, flat cells that loo...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

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

Sun poisoning: 1. A nonscientific term sometimes used to refer to the serious and even pot...

Sunburn: Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that develops in response to exposure to u...

Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

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

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

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

UV radiation: Ultraviolet radiation. Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes...

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