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May 18, 2013


Allergy and Hay Fever Medications Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Allergy and Hay Fever Medications article.

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Allergen: A substance that can cause an allergic reaction. Common allergens include ragwee...

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

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Allergic rhinitis: Medical term for hay fever, an allergic reaction that mimics a chronic ...

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

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Allergy shots: See Allergy desensitization.

Anaphylaxis: Allergic reaction. In severe cases, this can include potentially deadly anap...

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Anticholinergic: Opposing the actions of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Anticholinerg...

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

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Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

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Aspartame: A man-made sweetener with almost no calories used in place of sugar.

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

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Atopic: A predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions. At...

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Atopic dermatitis: A skin disease characterized by areas of severe itching, redness, scali...

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Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

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

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Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

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Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

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Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

  1. In medici...

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

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

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Cocaine: A substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant that is a bitter, addictive...

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Congestion: An abnormal or excessive accumulation of a body fluid. The term is used broadl...

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Conjunctivitis: Inflammation of the membrane covering the surface of the eyeball. It can b...

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Coronary artery disease: Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood t...

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Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

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Dander: Tiny scales shed from human or animal skin or hair. Dander floats in the air, sett...

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Danders: See: Dander.

Decongestant: A drug that shrinks the swollen membranes in the nose, making it easier for ...

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Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin, either due to direct contact with an irritating sub...

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Dry mouth: The condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet. This is due to...

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Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Ear: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex...

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Earache: Pain in the ear. This can occur because of conditions within the ear itself, the ...

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Ephedra: A medicinal herb, known scientifically as Ephedra sinica and Ephedra equisetina, ...

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Eustachian tube: The tube that runs from the middle ear to the pharynx. The function of th...

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Eyelid: The lid or cover of the eye, a movable fold of skin and muscle that can be closed ...

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Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

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

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

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Glaucoma: A common eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eyes rises becaus...

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Hay fever: A seasonal allergy to airborne particles characterized by itchy eyes, runny nos...

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

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

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

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

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Histamine: A substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions, dilating blood ...

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

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Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

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Immunoglobulin: A protein produced by plasma cells and lymphocytes and characteristic of t...

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Immunoglobulin E: A class of immunoglobulins that includes the antibodies that are importa...

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Immunology: The study of all aspects of the immune system, including its structure and fun...

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

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

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Inflammatory response: A fundamental type of response by the body to disease and injury, a...

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

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

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Lens: The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.

Leukotriene: One of a group of chemicals produced by the body that accompanies inflammatio...

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MAOI: Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor.

Mast cell: A granulocyte found in connective tissue whose normal function is unknown but t...

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Middle ear: A part of the ear that consists of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and, beyond...

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Mold: One of a large group of fungi that can proliferate on food or in moist areas. Househ...

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Monoamine oxidase inhibitor: One of a potent class of medications used to treat depression...

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

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Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nasal passage: A channel for airflow through the nose. The walls of the nasal passages are...

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Nasal polyps: Benign growths that originate in the mucous membranes lining the nasal passa...

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NIEHS: Stands for National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, one of the National...

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

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Nosebleed: Bleeding from the blood vessels of the nose. The nose is rich in blood vessels ...

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Nostril: The external opening of the nose. The nostrils are also called the nares.

Otitis: Inflammation of the ear. Depending upon which part of the ear is inflammed, there ...

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Otitis media: Inflammation of the middle ear characterized by the accumulation of infected...

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Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

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

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

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Phenylalanine: An essential amino acid. (The human body cannot make it so it is essentia...

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Phenylketonuria: The inherited inability to metabolize (process) the essential amino acid ...

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PKU: Short for phenylketonuria. See: Phenylketonuria.

Placebo: A "sugar pill" or any dummy medication or treatment.

Pollen: Small, light, dry protein particles from trees, grasses, flowers, and weeds that m...

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

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Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

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

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

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

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Referral: The recommendation of a medical or paramedical professional. If you get a refer...

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Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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Rhinitis: Irritation of the nose.

Runny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ...

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Sinusitis: Inflammation of the lining membrane in any of the hollow areas (sinuses) of the...

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Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

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

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Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

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

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

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

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Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

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Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

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

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

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Zinc: A mineral that is essential to the body and is a constituent of many enzymes that pe...

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